LiterAsian Festival, Vancouver, October 9 - 12, 2014

The past week had been nothing short of amazing beginning with my flight to Vancouver for the literAsian Festival in its second year. A Pacific Rim literary festival, it featured select authors and poets from the Asian-Canadian literary society. I was honoured and delighted when director Jim Wong-Chu invited me to be one of the fourteen writers featured at this year's festival. I found myself in the company of these literary luminaries: Lily Chow, Louise Bak, Tom Cho, Kim Fu, Doretta Lau, Edwin Lee, Souvankham Thammavongsa, Yasuko Thanh, Fred Wah, Elaine Woo, Raymond Nakamura, Corinna Chong, Serena Leung. What a wonderful opportunity to meet and network with these published authors and poets and learn from them.

My book Ghost Cave: a novel of Sarawak was launched at the Festival, along with fiction and poetry books by other featured writers. I conducted a workshop entitled "Aspiring to be a blockbuster author? Reconciling the reality with the dream," at which I talked about my trials and struggles as a writer, and offered hints and suggestions to participants as they embark on their writing journey. The festival ended with a well-attended celebration banquet at the Pink Pearl Restaurant close to Vancouver's chinatown.

This highy successful literary event has ended, but the camaraderie among the participants will continue.

At the launch of Ghost Cave: a novel of Sarawak

Featured writers and festival organizers at the banquet marking the closing of the Festival