Publication Date: forthcoming March 2025
ASIN: B0DY5CVFL6
E-book ISBN: 9781988416472 (pre-order on Amazon available)
Amazon print ISBN: 978-1-988416-48-9
Print ISBN: 978-1-988416-46-5
Series: Ricepaper Magazine Books Volume 4
Press Release: via PRLog
Synopsis
Embark on a profound journey through the intricate tapestry of the Asian diaspora, where stories of immigration, loneliness, and the resilience of small-town life converge in a captivating narrative.
Through the lens of personal narratives and intimate experiences, this book delves into the multifaceted challenges faced by Asians navigating new lands. From the quiet corners of rural communities to larger cities in North America, witness the trials and triumphs of individuals grappling with identity, belonging, and the pursuit of a better life.
Infusion offers a poignant exploration of themes central to the Asian diaspora experience. Discover the poignant tales of immigrants forging connections in unfamiliar territories, grappling with the isolation of being “the other,” and finding solace and strength in unexpected places.
As the world shrinks and cultures intersect, this book serves as a testament to the human spirit’s resilience and adaptability. It is a celebration of diversity, community, and the enduring human quest for connection and meaning.
This is Volume #4 of Ricepaper Magazine Books, a collection of anthologies featuring Asian literary works.
Rachel Abelinde – Francis Chang – Jim Wong-Chu – Carla Crujido – Garry Engkent – Ling Ge – Marcel Goh – Elizabeth Han – Mihan Han – Riley-Grace Avelina Huggins – Katia Lo Innes – Amardeep Kaur – Hana Kim – James Kim – Amy Grace Lam – Wayne Mok – Sambriddhi Nepal – Victoria Sa – Donna Seto – Douglas Shimizu – Klaus Tan – Kenneth Tanemura – Justin Timbol – Saya Watanabe – Changming Yuan – Mary Zhu
About the Publishing Team
JF Garrard – Editor
JF Garrard is an award winning speculative fiction writer, editor and publisher. She is the President of Dark Helix Press, host of The Artsy Raven podcast, serves as President for the Canadian Authors Association’s Toronto branch, and Deputy Editor for Ricepaper Magazine. Her portfolio of books and short fiction is listed on jfgarrard.com and you can find her on Twitter @jfgarrard, Instagram @jfgarrard, Facebook @JFGarrardauthor.
Allan Cho – Editor
Allan Cho is an academic librarian at the University of British Columbia and an instructor at the University of the Fraser Valley. Allan is actively engaged in a number of initiatives in the community and has served on the board of the Asian Canadian Writers’ Workshop Society (ACWW), Chinese Canadian Historical Society of British Columbia (CCHSBC) and Vancouver Asian Heritage Month Society (VAHMS). He has written for the Georgia Straight, Diverse Magazine, and Ricepaper. His fiction has appeared in the anthologies, The Strangers and Eating Stories: A Chinese Canadian and Aboriginal Potluck.
Sophie Munk – Acquisitions Editor
Sophie is a graduate of McGill University, where she majored
in international development and history. She is currently a
coordinator at PCHC-MoM Society, one of ACWW’s partner
organizations. She has a background in community based
initiatives, research, and service. She is planning on pursuing a
career focusing on the relationship between culture and health
governance in an international context.
Phoebe An Lee – copy editor
Phoebe An Lee has written and edited for various media, such as
newspapers, marketing collateral, project proposals and other
corporate communications materials. Her real love, however, is
writing martial arts fantasy, where she can let her imagination
roam free. As a third culture kid growing up Filipino-Chinese-
Canadian and living in various countries in her young adult life,
she is inspired by her cultural upbringing and committed to
advancing diversity in literature. She is also an executive of the
Canadian Authors Association in Toronto, holding the position
of Treasurer and Programmer, and a literary editor for
Ricepaper Magazine. She can be found at: https://www.phoebean-
lee.com/
Katya Roxas – Illustrator
Katya Roxas is an award-winning multimedia designer, postsecondary
communicator, and illustrator. Her work has been
featured in CBC Life, The Walrus, Chatelaine Magazine, BC
Historical Foundation, and the National Forum on Anti-Asian
Racism. Katya’s personal work re”ects her love for food, travel,
and multiculturalism. katyaroxas.com
Chio Gonzalez – cover designer
Chio Gonzalez works in communications in the post-secondary
sector. With a background in photography, graphic design, and
copywriting, he enjoys the process of developing
communications solutions that are grounded, thoughtful, and
resonant. Taking inspiration from his identity as a Filipino
immigrant, he strives to approach communications and other
related disciplines in an emphatic and inclusive manner. In his
free time, Chio enjoys taking pictures in and around Vancouver,
equipped with good co!ee and food. http://www.chiogonzalez.com
About The Authors
Rachel Abelinde
Rachel Abelinde is a Filipino lawyer based in Manila.
Francis Chang
Francis Chang is a Chinese Canadian who was born in Tokyo,
grew up in Vancouver, worked in Hong Kong and recently
returned to Vancouver with his family. Francis practised law for
over 25 years, including 14 years working for The Walt Disney
Company and Twenty-First Century Fox. In the last few years,
Francis has been involved with the NY Writers Coalition, poetry,
short stories and creative non-fiction to explore questions of
filial duty versus love, facts versus conclusions and Western
versus Asian views of the world.
Yang Changming
Yuan Changming grew up in an isolated village and began to learn the English alphabet in Shanghai at age 19. With a Canadian PhD in English, Yuan edits Poetry Pacific with Allen Yuan in Vancouver. Credits include 12 Pushcart nominations, 15 collections & appearances in Best of the Best Canadian Poetry (2008-17), BestNewPoemsOnline & Poetry Daily, among 2019 others, across 49 countries. Yuan was a poetry judge for Canada’s 2021 National Magazine Awards. Early in 2022, Yuan began writing and publishing fiction.
Ling Ge Chen
Ling Ge studies creative writing and works as a statistician in Toronto. She is a graduate of The Writer’s Studio at Simon Fraser University. In her literary work, she explores a combination of Eastern metaphysics and the English language’s plasticity. As a first-generation Chinese immigrant, she writes to promote diversity and inclusion. She has had short stories published in The Spadina Literary Review and Ricepaper. Her first published short story was nominated for The 2020 Pushcart Literary Prize. Her poems have appeared in Ribbons, Wales Haiku Journal, The Rising Phoenix Review, and are forthcoming in emerge 23.
Carla Crujido
Carla Crujido is the author of the short story collection, The Strange Beautiful, as well as the chapbook, The Bear. She is also the co-editor of the anthology, Nonwhite and Woman: 131 Micro Essays on Being in the World. Her work has appeared in Ricepaper Magazine, Tinfish Press, Yellow Medicine Review, Crazyhorse, and elsewhere. Carla is the Nonfiction Editor at River Styx Magazine, and holds an MFA in Creative Writing from the Institute of American Indian Arts. She lives in the Pacific Northwest.
Garry Engkent
Garry Engkent, a Chinese-Canadian, has a Ph.D. and taught at various universities and colleges for over 30 years. He co-authored three texts: Groundwork: Writing Skills to Build On; Fiction/Non-Fiction: A Reader and Rhetoric; and Essay: Do’s and Don’ts. 3rd ed. His fictional stories have appeared in Exile, Many-Mouthed Birds, Emerge, and Ricepaper Magazine. Most stories have a Chinese immigrant slant: “Why My Mother Can’t Speak English”,”Eggroll”, and “Rabbit”. His recent published foray into horror is “I, Zombie: A Different Point of View,””We Aren’t Bad Guys,” and “Merci.”
Marcel Goh
Marcel Goh was born in Singapore, grew up in Leduc, Alberta, and is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in combinatorics at McGill University. His short fiction has appeared in the Prairie Journal and Existere.
Elizabeth Han
Elizabeth Han is a Newfoundland-raised, British Columbia-based physician and writer. She is a graduate of the Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) program from the University of Toronto and practices family medicine in Chilliwack, BC. Her short fiction has recently appeared in Sine Theta, The Windsor Review, and Ricepaper. Connect with her at elizabethhan.com and on Twitter @effyhan.
Mihan Han
Mihan Han was born in Mudanjiang, China. As a child, he immigrated with his parents, first to the United States before settling in Canada. An unabashed gamer, nerd, and amateur musician, he lives in Toronto, Ontario and practices Internal Medicine in Scarborough. His poetry has appeared in Ricepaper Magazine, Juniper, Modern Haiku, Frogpond, and others. He can be found on Twitter: @MrMihanHan.
Riley-Grace Huggins
Riley-Grace Avelina Huggins is the author of the story “Heritage.” Her writing has been published in Ricepaper Magazine and In Her Space Journal. She is a graduate of Texas Woman’s University, where she studied English Literature, History, and Journalism. She lives in Fort Worth, Texas.
Amardeep Kaur
Amardeep Kaur is a Hongkonger and presently lives in Tkaronto. She holds a PhD in Geography and a graduate diploma in Asian Studies from York University. Kaur is a sessional lecturer at University of Toronto where she teaches Canada-Hong Kong Migration. When not writing or teaching, she likes walking and drinking endless cups of cha.
Hana Kim
Hana Kim, a first-gen Korean Canadian, is the Director of the East Asian Library at the University of Toronto. Formerly Head at the Asian Library at the University of British Columbia (UBC), her publications focus on Asian Canadian heritage and library studies. Hana initiated the Korean Canadian Heritage Archives Project in 2009 with UBC. She has been honoured with the 2018 Korean Canadian Heritage Award, the 2008 Harvard Sunshik Min Prize for poetry translation, and the Korea Times 41st Modern Korean Literature Translation Award for Poetry. Hana translated “Love is the Pain of Feverish Flowers” (2016) and edited “Asian Canadian Voices: Facets of Diversity” (2022).
James Kim
James Kim is a Korean-American art therapist and poet living in what is now known as Canada. After moving to Canada to attend a graduate program in art therapy, he continued to write and live in the country. When they’re not writing or being an art therapist, James enjoys playing video games, reading books, and watching movies or television. He is so grateful for the opportunity to have their poetry be written and read alongside other amazing poets and poems. Thank you for reading his and the many other wonderful poems that were included! (IG: @james00poetry)
Amy Grace Lam
Amy Grace Lam (she/they) is a Chinese Canadian-American writer-performer-healer creating immersive experiences for transformation and expansion. Amy explores the convergence of the spiritual, natural and physical worlds for bringing renewed awareness and consciousness of life to humanity. Amy’s writings are featured in AsianWeek, Asian American Literary Review, Feministing.com, Marsh Hawk Review, Moyama Press, Pochino Press, Ricepaper and VONA. She is currently working on Out of the Box, an experimental VR play (2021 San Francisco Arts Commission grantee). Amy develops innovative community mental health programs with immigrant/refugee organizations and is founder of Vibrational Energy Wellness. She resides with her family in San Francisco, CA, USA.
Wayne Mok
Wayne Mok is a writer originally from Hong Kong, now based in Sydney, Australia.
Sambriddhi Nepal
Sambriddhi Nepal (she/her) is a Nepali settler living on unceded Coast Salish Territories in what is now Vancouver BC. She works at an environmental organization by day and writes creative non-fiction and children’s books when everyone in her household has gone to bed.
Victoria Sa
Victoria Sa (she/her) is a Burmese-Karen Canadian writer and poet from Toronto, ON. She graduated from York University with a BA in English and Creative Writing. Her favourite genres to write are contemporary, romance, and comedy. Focusing on self-identity, she hopes to share more of the Burmese-Karen culture in her work. When she is not writing, Victoria can be found binging Asian dramas, reading novels, or starting DIY projects at home. Connect with her on vrssstudios.wixsite.com, or on IG as @thelitvicblog.
Donna Seto
Donna Seto (she/her) is a Vancouver-based writer, academic and self-taught artist who was once told that art wouldn’t get her anywhere. She is drawn to urban settings, marginalized communities, layered histories, and the complexity of memory. Donna is currently working on an illustrated history book on Vancouver’s Chinatown, a novel, and a book of essays.
Douglas Shimizu
Douglas is a multi-media artist from Vancouver. He grew up in the Powell Street Japantown area when there still was a Japantown. After finishing UBC, he lived in Japan for a decade, teaching and studying linguistics. After returning to Vancouver, he has been feeding his curiosity by writing, drawing, painting and playing music.
Klaus Tan
Klaus Tan is a professional writer trained in Literature, Psychology, and Philosophy. He’s spent much of his life studying Europe and Asia by book and by foot, learning about people and his own placement in the world. Much of his writing reflects such experience, leaving room for different perspectives from around the globe. His works include a variety of genres within Fiction, as well as Non-Fiction journalism work archiving the plight of minority groups in North America, Europe, and Asia. Born and raised in Canada, Tan is of mixed Filipino and Chinese descent with a smattering of European genes.
Kenneth Tanemura
Kenneth Tanemura has an MFA in Creative Writing from Purdue University. His stories have appeared in The Iowa Review, Every Day Fiction, Fractured Literary, Atticus Review and elsewhere.
Justin Timbol
Justin Timbol is a Filipino writer from Mississauga, ON. His work has been longlisted for the CBC Poetry Prize (2021) and shortlisted for CV2’s Foster Poetry Prize (2021). Poems of his can be found most recently in Vallum and Contemporary Verse 2, among others, and will be forthcoming in THIS Magazine. He recently graduated from the Humber School for Writers.
Saya Watanabe
Saya Watanabe’s second short story titled “Nishi,” was long listed for the CBC Short Story Prize in 2021. She received a Bachelor of Arts in English from SFU where she was the recipient of two creative writing awards. Her writing explores themes of identity, diaspora, and relationships. She currently resides and works as an educator in Vancouver, BC. Her poems and short stories have been published in Ricepaper magazine, PRISM international, and The New Quarterly.
Mary Zhu
Mary Zhu (she/they) is a poet based in British Columbia. A few of her previous works have been published in The Literary Canteen. When she is not in the process of writing, which includes a lot of self-imposed isolation, they can be found daydreaming in the middle of the produce section, or on Instagram @mewchive.
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