Arts & Expression, East Asian, Literature
The Chinese Pen Society of Canada (CPSC) was founded on 02 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 president. i
The CPSC has about 100 members, mainly writers and scholars from mainland China as well as members from Hong Kong and Southeast Asia. CPSC members 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.
Members of the CPSC also worked on an ambitious project on the history of Canadian Chinese literature, which fills a gap left by scholars in history.
CPSC has 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.