Roy Miki wins SFU's Nora and Ted Sterling Prize in Support of CONTROVERSYl-r: Rev. Tim Nakayama, Roy Miki, Joy Kogawa and Todd Wong
- at the inaugural One Book One Vancouver event for Obsasan May 2005.
Congratulations to Roy Miki, English professor at Simon Fraser University,
and noted advocate for Japanese Canadian Redress. This has been quite
the year for Roy, as he was awarded the Order of Canada earlier this year.
Roy Miki, truly is an amazing person. His book of poetry "Surrender" recieved
the Governor General's Award for Poetry in 2005. I first met him in 1994, when
I interviewed him for an article about Asian Canadian arts and culture in the
SFU student newspaper The Peak.
Last year our paths crossed several times, at the opening event for One Book One
Vancouver when Joy Kogawa's book Obasan was presented. Roy has been an advisor
for the Kogawa House Committee, and read at events for the Save Kogawa House
campaign, such as the Joy Kogawa Emily Kato book launch, and the Chapters
event titled Joy Kogawa & Friends.
In 2005, Roy was the featured speaker for the UBC/Laurier Institution lecture on
Multiculturalism, which I reviewed. During the last federal election, I read his book
Redress: Inside the Japanese Canadian redress movement. It's an incredible read,
and I found it very pertinent to my advocacy role for Chinese Canadian head tax redress.
The following message is from Simon Fraser University:
CONTROVERSY
In 1993 Nora and Ted Sterling established a prize at Simon Fraser
University to honor "work which challenges complacency and that
provokes controversy or contributes to its understanding."
Please join us for presentation of the 2006
Nora and Ted Sterling Prize in Support of Controversy
to
Roy Miki
Recognizing his long pursuit of justice and fairness in seeking
redress for the wrongs inflicted upon Canadians of Japanese descent
during the Second World War. A professor of English at Simon Fraser
University and winner of the 2002 Governor-General's award for
poetry, Dr. Miki will read from, and discuss, his work.
Transformations: The language of redress
Wednesday, October 11, 7 pm
Reception follows
SFU Vancouver
Morris J. Wosk Centre for Dialogue
580 West Hastings Street (enter from Seymour St. courtyard)
Sponsored by the Vice-president, Academic.
Information: www.sfu.ca/sterlingprize.
This event is free but reservations are required:
call 604.291.5100 or email cs_hc@sfu.ca.
--
Susan Jamieson-McLarnon
Director, Public Relations
Simon Fraser University Vancouver
515 West Hastings Street
Vancouver, B.C. Canada V6B 5K3
(604)291-5151/3210