Chinese Pen Society of Canada
Arts & Expression, East Asian, Literature
Photograph provided by the Chinese Pen Society of Canada
The Chinese Pen Society of Canada (CPSC) was founded on 2 July 1995 in Toronto. Zhaojun Wang (1995-1996), Qinglong Hu (1996-1997), Tianguo Hong (1997-2003), Bob Sun (2003-2009), and Xiaowen Zeng (2009-2011) have served as its presidents in different periods.
The CPSC has about 100 members, mainly writers and scholars from Mainland China as well as members from Hong Kong and Southeast Asia. Members of the CPSC have published widely worldwide in various genres, including novel, short story, prose, poetry and literary criticism. Many are award-winning authors.
The CPSC have published four collections of its members' work. They are The Sojourners: Stories by Chinese-Canadian Writers, edited by H. Laura Wu, Bob Sun and Shi Heng; Defiant Roses: Stories by Chinese-Canadian Writers, edited by H. Laura Wu, Bob Sun and Shi Heng; Re-rooting & Root Searching: Selected Prose Essays by Chinese-Canadian Writers, edited by Xueqing Xu and Bob Sun; Spinning the Coin: Writings by Members of the Chinese Pen Society of Canada , edited by Bob Sun.
These anthologies have received warm welcomes from the Chinese communities worldwide. Some Canadian universities have adopted all four books as course materials.
On the individual level, CPSC members have made great contributions to the multicultural and multilingual literatures in Canada and to the diaspora Chinese literatures with the publications of more than a dozen full-length novels, collections of bilingual poetry and short stories. Some of their works have been made into television movies in mainland China.
In the past few years, the CPSC has held its annual public reading events and activities during the Asian Heritage Month of May. Their events have become attractive cultural scenes in the Greater Toronto Area of Ontario.
At the present, members of the CPSC are working on an ambitious project tentatively, titled History of Canadian Chinese Literature, which will fill in the gap left by scholars in history.
With 13 years behind, the CPSC has now grown into a strong literary collective in Canada, sharing the common goal to promote and enhance cultural exchange and mutual understanding among the diverse communities in Canada and people in the world.
Current Directors of the CPSC Board
President: Xiaowen Zeng (Author)
Vice-President: Lien Chao (Author, independent critic, teacher)
Finance Coordinator: Yuanzhi Cai (Author)
Public Relations Coordinator: Xueli Foo (Author)
Project Development Coordinator: Roger Bu (Author)
Academic Coordinator: Laura Wu (Critic, professor, University of Western Ontario)
International Affairs Coordinator: Xueqing Xu (Critic, professor, York University)
Artistic Coordinator: Jiajun Wang
Events Coordinator: Bing Zhang
Secretarial General: Jingming Li (Author, instructor)
Advisors: Luo Fu (Poet), Ya Xuan (Poet)
Related Links:
www.cpscnet.com
www.ccue.com/blog/blog/cpsc