Vancouver 
Events Description
The 2025 LiterASIAN Festival arrives with the theme of “Origins,” an exploration of heritage and resilience that reflects two significant milestones: the 30th anniversary of the Asian Canadian Writers’ Workshop (ACWW) and the recent centennial of the Chinese Exclusion Act. This year’s theme is particularly poignant as it connects ACWW’s decades-long commitment to amplifying Asian Canadian voices with a critical period in history, when the voices and presence of Chinese Canadians were institutionally silenced. Through this fusion of past and present, the festival will encourage a renewed appreciation of identity, cultural preservation, and creative empowerment in today’s Asian Canadian literary scene.
The ACWW’s 30th anniversary serves as a reflection of its journey from a small but passionate collective of writers into a leading organization that advocates for Asian Canadian literature. To honour this legacy, LiterASIAN 2025 will feature retrospectives and discussions that explore the evolution of Asian Canadian literature over the past three decades, tracing how community-led efforts have influenced broader Canadian literary landscapes.
The theme of “Origins” takes on an even deeper meaning in light of the 100th anniversary of the Chinese Exclusion Act, which banned most Chinese immigration to Canada from 1923 to 1947 and had lasting repercussions on Chinese Canadian communities. Through panels, exhibits, and creative performances, LiterASIAN revisits the stories of those affected by the Exclusion Act, showcasing how this dark chapter of exclusion has shaped—and, in many ways, strengthened—the determination of later generations to claim their rightful place within Canadian society and culture.
This year’s featured authors include award-winning writer and curator Catherine Clement (Paper Trail), Rachel Phan (Restaurant Kid), Eddy Boudel Tan (The Tiger and the Cosmonaut), and JF Garrard (Ghost Bride of Gum San), Wayne Ng (Johnny Delivers), Leanne Toshiko Simpson (Never Been Better), and Mai Nguyen (Sunshine Nails). Festival events include panel discussions, author talks, writing workshops, and book launches, including Ricepaper’s new anthology Infusion, featuring new and emerging writers.
LiterASIAN will take place in Toronto and Vancouver, where stories of origins, geography, and journeys intertwine. Events will be held at the Chinese Canadian Museum, the Chinatown Storytelling Centre, Centre A (Vancouver International Centre for Contemporary Asian Art), the UBC Learning Exchange, and the Cheng Yu Tung East Asian Library on the University of Toronto’s downtown campus.
Tickets go on sale May 1, 2025 and are available for purchase online at http://literasian.com
Who is it for?
All ages
HOW MUCH
Tickets : $5-$15
$5 for events at Chinatown Storytelling Centre and Centre A
$15 for event at Chinese Canadian Museum (includes admission to museum)
How to get tickets?
WHEN & WHERE
Date: Sunday June 8, 2025 to Sunday June 29, 2025
Sunday, June 8 2025
10.00am – 11.30am: Perilous Words – Workshop 1: Shifting perspectives – Exploring point of view in writing
Sunday, June 22 2025
10.00am – 11.30am: Perilous Words – Workshop 2: From raw to refined – The art of editing with intention
Saturday, June 28 2025
3.00pm – 4.30pm: The Paper Trail
Saturday, June 28 2025
6.00pm – 7.30pm: Ink and Identity: Narratives from the Chinese Diasporic Experience
Sunday, June 29 2025
1.00pm – 1.55pm: The Evolution of Bride of Gum San: How a Short Story Became a Novel
Sunday, June 29 2025
2.00pm – 3.00pm: No Matter How Old I Get, I’ll Always Be a Restaurant Kid: The Evolution from Story to Memoir
Sunday, June 29 2025
3.00pm – 3.55pm: Celebrating Thirty Years of Ricepaper Magazine: A New Infusion of Asian Canadian Narratives
Venue & Address
Chinese Canadian Museum, 51 E Pender St, Vancouver, BC V6A 1S9
Wheelchair accessible
Paid Parking
Accessible by Public Transport
