On April 9, come join us for the book launch of Miah, by one
of the freshest voices in Asian Canadian literature Julia Lin. This
program is presented in partnership between Richmond Public Library and the
Asian Canadian Writers’ Workshop.
Miah, Taiwanese
for “fate”, is a collection of linked short stories set in Taiwan and
Vancouver. Spanning the twentieth
century (from Japanese-occupied Taiwan to present-day Canada), many of the
stories focus on the Huang family as they struggle with their respective fates
under the forces of history. The remainder of the stories explore the
complexities of living in modern Canadian society from the points of view of
both immigrants and non-immigrants, all of them tied to the Huang family in one
way or another.
Julia Lin was born in Taiwan and lived there until she was
nine, with a year-long stay in Vietnam, before her family immigrated to Canada.
Since then, Julia has lived in Vancouver and its environs, Toronto, and
northern British Columbia. Her writing
mentor, M.G. Vassanji, encouraged her to complete the short story collection,
Miah, after she submitted the first stories in the 2009 Humber Creative Writing
Program. Julia Lin lives in Vancouver.
Julia Lin will read excerpts from her new book Miah and sign
copies for people. Although this is a
free event and no registration is required, please come early as seats are
limited.
Praise for Miah:
"These engaging and poignant stories provide a window
into complexities of lives divided between Taiwan and Canada in the twentieth
century. With each story another layer is peeled, moving us closer to
understanding the price of survival under cruel and repressive regimes. A fine
debut."
-- Judy Fong Bates,
author of China Dog and Other Stories
"Julia Lin uses the short story form successfully to
handle the subject of a novel---family saga. These intriguing short narratives
engage the readers in an exploration of four generations of an extended family
living across the Pacific Ocean in Taiwan and Vancouver; the narrative journey
connects history, cultures and languages to detect and disclose both what the
characters call a Taiwanese resilience and the skeletons in the family closet.
Miah is a rich, interesting book to read about largely unknown aspects of
Taiwanese Canadian culture."
--Lien Chao, author of
The Chinese Knot and Other Stories and Tiger Girl
Tuesday April 9,
7.00-9.00PM in the Kwok-Chu Lee Living Room at the Richmond Public Library.