Category Archives: Literary Events

Inaugural writer-in-residence John Asfour poses with life-size picture of Joy Kogwa, and the board members of the Historic Joy Kogawa House Society.
– photo Deb Martin

Historic Joy Kogawa House chooses first writer-in-residence

Historic Joy Kogawa House is pleased to announce our first writer-in-residence, Montreal poet John Asfour.

Upon
arriving in Vancouver, Asfour said: “I am pleased to be chosen as the
first writer-in-residence at Kogawa house. I’m here to learn how a
community like the Japanese Canadian would turn a part of their
historical suffering into something positive by establishing a place
where writers can live and work. Japanese Canadians were very
supportive of the community of Arab Canadians and what it had to endure
after September 11.”

Asfour
is the author of four books of poetry in English and two in Arabic. He
translated the poetry of Muhammad al-Maghut into English under the title Joy Is Not My Profession (Véhicule Press), and he selected, edited and introduced the landmark anthology When the Words Burn: An Anthology of Modern Arabic Poetry, 1945–1987 (Cormorant Books).

The majority of the writer’s time in residence will be devoted to work on a book of poems entitled Blindfold,
which exposes the “rich and strange” possibilities of a life that has
undergone some frightening transformation and is displaced from its
element. The book is partly autobiographical—born in Lebanon, Asfour
was blinded in 1958 at age 13 during the Civil War there.

The
poems also explore feelings of loss, displacement and disorientation
experienced by the disabled and relates them to immigrant themes that
Asfour has previously addressed. Asfour suggests that the disabled
often feel like foreigners in their own land, hampered by prejudice
(sometimes well-meaning), communications barriers and the sense of
“limited personality” that characterizes the second-language learner.

While
in Vancouver between now until the end of May, Asfour will present
poetry workshops to a variety of audiences, in collaboration with the
Canadian National Institute for the Blind, Simon Fraser University’s
Writers Studio and the Vancouver Public Library. Opportunities for
consultation on work in development are also available.

Further information can be found on the website of the Historic Joy Kogawa House Society at www.kogawahouse.com and TLC, The Land Conservancy of BC, at www.conservancy.bc.ca or by calling (604) 263-6586.

Contacts: Kogawa House Society: Ann-Marie Metten (604) 263-6586

TLC, The Land Conservancy of BC: Tamsin Baker (604) 733-2313

Information on Historic Joy Kogawa House Historic
Joy Kogawa House is the former home of the Canadian author Joy Kogawa
(born 1935). It stands as a cultural and historical reminder of the
expropriation of property that all Canadians of Japanese descent
experienced after the bombing of Pearl Harbor in 1941. Between 2003 and
2006, a grassroots committee fundraised in a well-publicized national
campaign, and with the help of The Land Conservancy of BC, a non-profit
land trust, managed to purchase the house in 2006.

Together
with Joy Kogawa, the various groups decided that the wisest and best
use of the property would be to establish it as a place where writers
could live and work. Following the models of the writer-in-residence
programs in place at the Berton House Writers’ Retreat in Dawson City,
Yukon, and Roderick Haig-Brown House in Campbell River, BC, the
Historic Joy Kogawa House writer-in-residence program brings
well-regarded professional writers in touch with a local community of
writers, readers, editors, publishers, booksellers and librarians.

While
in residence, the writer works to enrich the literary community around
him or her and to foster an appreciation for Canadian writing through
programs that involve students, other established and emerging writers
and members of the general public.

Beginning
in March 2009, as a partner with TLC, the Historic Joy Kogawa Society
will begin hosting writers to live and work in the house on a paid
basis. Funding is provided through the Michael Audain Foundation for
the Arts, the Canada Council and through donations from the general
public.

CELTIC FEST – Lots of events… where will I be?

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Celticfest is one of Vancouver's most exciting ethno-cultural festivals:
Saturday I will check out “Battle of the Bards” King O' Men (about Robbie Burns, and the annual Gung Haggis Fat Choy entry in the St. Patrick's Day Parade.

Celticfest started on Wednesday and goes to Sunday March 15th. St. Patrick's Day is on Tuesday March 17th.

Check out the website: www.celticfestvancouver.com for lots of great events featuring Ashley McIssac, Lunasa, Irish Pipes Regiment, Battle of the Bards etc. etc.

This year there is a play about Robbie Burns, titled King O'Men – featuring bagpiper Rob McDonald and actor John Hardie. All the more to celebrate the 250th Anniversary of the birth of poet Robert Burns.

I was involved in the augural “Battle of the Bards” event last year, playing poet Robbie Burns. It's a great fun event, where performers “channel” the spirit of the poets, and read the poems. Check out my story from last year: www.GungHaggisFatChoy.com :: Toddish McWong's “Robert Burns” wins Battle of the Bards

The annual St. Patrick's Day Parade is lots of fun too! We usually hang out at the Celticfest Village following the parade. This year's parade is on Georgia St. Starting at Broughton, the parade route heads East ending at Howe St. The Village is on the North lawn of the Vancouver Art Gallery.

Check out my story from last year: www.GungHaggisFatChoy.com :: Gung Haggis Fat Choy puts a dragon (not a snake) in the parade.

Here are 3 events that I will be attending – hope to see you there!

Saturday March 14
2:00 PM – 6:00 PM

Battle of the Bards – A Literary Pub Crawl and Grand Finale

Three cheers! The Battle of the Bards is back for 2009, whisking you along on a flying tour of Granville Street’s best Irish pubs.

Dynamic spoken word artists Sean McGarragle, Duncan Shields and Warren Dean Fulton
channel W.B. Yeats, Oscar Wilde and Robbie Burns respectively as they
duke it out to be crowned “top bard” in an on-the-move poetry
slam-style contest, judged by members of the audience in each venue.

The crawl culminates at The Cellar, where the bards will do final “battle” with Vancouver’s first official poet laureate George McWhirter
presiding over the event. Expect plenty of artistic license as the
performers offer their own hilarious perspectives on the masters with
the help of improv fiddler Caitlan Read.

Who will be this year’s “top bard”? Why don’t you be the judge!

Pub Crawl
Round 1 – 2:00 PM @ Doolin's Irish Pub
Round 2 – 2:45 PM @ Ceili’s Irish Pub
Round 3 – 3:30 PM @ Johnnie Fox's Irish Snug
No admission charge @ Pub Crawl venues

Open Mic & Finale Event
The Cellar, 1006 Granville St. @ Nelson
4:25 PM to 6:00 PM

Saturday March 14

2 shows:
2:00 PM & 4:00 PM

King o' Men – A Robbie Burns Stage Play & 250th Birthday Tribute

Featuring John Hardie & Rob MacDonald

A
literary and musical costumed event that will send you spinning back in
time to the glorious days of Scotland’s most legendary poet and
lyricist. 2009 marks the 250th anniversary of the birth of Robbie
Burns, a cultural icon in Scotland and around the world. This tribute
features Rob MacDonald, a local piper, Chairman of “A
Swarm of Drones” and a Burns aficionado. He’ll be telling the
fascinating story of the life and times of Burns and playing some of
the tunes Robert set words to.

His performance will be followed by King o’ Men, an exciting new one-man play directed by writer and actor John Hardie
and making its Vancouver premiere at CelticFest. The production
imagines one of Burns’ closest and oldest friends reminiscing to a
curious journalist following the news of the great poet’s final
passing. This show will appeal to loyal fans of Scotland's favourite
literary son as well as those who are new to Burns’ story and works.

Here's
what Chris White, Artistic Director of the Ottawa Folk Festival, had to
say about a recent production of the play at the National Arts Centre:
“With minimal set and few props, Hardie delivered the piece with
enormous skill and subtlety, somehow managing to be humorous,
informative and intensely moving all at once. The performance, which
elicited an overwhelmingly positive audience response, is one that I
will be forever grateful to have witnessed.”

Tom Lee Music – Music Hall
3rd floor – 929 Granville St.

Sunday March 15
11:30 AM

6th Annual St. Patrick's Day Parade

Where can you find hundreds of thousands of people, all seized with Celtic fever? At the St. Patrick’s Day Parade, of course! This year the parade travels a new route along Georgia Street, beginning at Broughton St., ending up at the Celtic Village
outside the Vancouver Art Gallery at Georgia and Howe. Round up your
family and friends (and favourite green attire) and enjoy the spectacle
of over 2,000 colourfully costumed participants, from pipers and
drummers to acrobats and stilt-walkers. The price is still right –
absolutely free!

Presented by Downtown Vancouver Business Improvement Association

Jen Sookfong Lee reads Feb 12 for The On Edge reading series at Emily Carr University of Art + Design

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Jen Sookfong Lee will give a reading on Granville Island at Emily Carr University of Art + Design.

I really enjoyed reading Jen Sookfong Lee's debut novel, The End of East. It updates “the Chinatown story” from past incarnations by Wayson Choy in “The Jade Peony” or “Disappearing Moon Cafe” by SKY Lee.

Jen brings a grittier edgier approach to dealing with family and Chinese-Canadian identity issues. In fact, the protaganist tries to escape her family and its issues by disappearing into Montreal, until she is dragged back to face then in Vancouver.

Lee's writing is thoughtful, and her in-person readings and talks are very delightful. She will sometimes address that it was her grandfather's head tax certificate that inspired her to write some of the aspects of this story. Sometimes it's the third generation that often tries to rediscover what the 2nd generation was trying to cover up, or deemphasize in their own ambitions to blend in and assimilate into Canadian society.

Check out my May 2007 article about meeting Jen Sookfong Lee at the CBC Book Club

Jen Sookfong Lee featured at CBC Radio Studio One Book Club – we check it out!

The following information is courtesy of Rita Wong, our featured poet at the 2009 Gung Haggis Fat Choy Robbie Burns Chinese New Year's Eve Dinner.

The On Edge readings series presents:
Jen Sookfong Lee
Thurs, Feb 12 – 7 pm

in South Building Room 406
Emily Carr University of Art + Design
Granville Island

This reading is free and open to the public. All are welcome.

Jen
Sookfong Lee’s novel, The End of East (Knopf Canada, New Face of
Fiction 2007), delves into the underside of Chinese Canadian history
through the eyes of the Chan family. The National Post calls The End of
East “impressive, both in terms of its accomplished prose and its
ambitious three-generational scope.” The Calgary Herald notes that “Jen
Sookfong Lee is aware, it would seem, of the dark side of mythmaking,
its distorting and even parasitic price. It's one of many things that
make her a novelist to watch.” Jen, who edits two online magazines,
Schema and Wet Ink, is a member of the noted writing group SPiN. To
find out more, visit www.sookfong.com.

*****

Here is the spring schedule:

Feb 26 – Taien Ng-Chan
March 12 – Weyman Chan
April 2 – Shirley Bear

All
readings are at 7 pm on Thursday evenings in SB 406 at Emily Carr
University, Granville Island, Vancouver. Please come, and bring
friends, students, colleagues…

The On Edge series gratefully acknowledges the support of the Canada Council and Emily Carr University.

Note: There is free parking in the parkade under the ECU South Building after 7 pm.

**********
Bios of writers:

Taien
Ng-Chan is the author of Maps of Our Bodies and the Borders We Have
Agreed Upon, anthology editor of Ribsauce, and co-editor with Dana Bath
of Navigating Customs. She has written drama for stage, screen, and
radio, and her short films have played at festivals in Canada and the
US. Based in Montreal, she currently writes a regular movie column in
Matrix Magazine, and is in post-production on a trilogy of videopoems
called Sum-tung (heartache). As well, she is trying to finish her
first collection of stories, Blueprints for a Red Paper House.

Weyman
Chan is the author of Before A Blue Sky Moon, the 2002 recipient of the
Alberta Book Award for best book of poetry. Noise From the Laundry,
his latest book of poems, was published by Talonbooks in 2008 and
shortlisted for the Governor General's Prize in Poetry. hypo-derm,
more poetry,will be released in 2010 by Frontenac. Weyman Chan lives
and works in Calgary.

The author of a book of poems entitled
Virgin Bones (McGilligan Press, 2007), Shirley Bear is a multi-media
artist, writer, activist, and native traditional herbalist. Born on
the Tobique First Nation, she is an original member of the Wabnaki
language group of New Brunswick, Canada. Shirley Bear was the 2002
recipient of the Excellence in the Arts Award from the New Brunswick
Arts Board.

Happy Chinese New Year! Gee…. it's a lot like Scottish Hogmanay!

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A very multicultural group of poetry loving revelers shared food and drink at Library Square Pub on Chinese New Year's Day. Two international students from Brasil joined us along with Karen, a man from Iran, 5th generation Vancouverite Todd Wong, born in Scotland June Ventners-Clark, Peter Clark, Phoenix and Sherry Shigasu.

After the World Poetry Gung Haggis Fat Choy Gala at the Vancouver Public Library, some of us went to the Library Square Pub. Monday night appetizers were 2 for 1. We had nachos, spring rolls, popcorn shrimp and chicken wings. Our multicultural crowd counted ancestry from around the world: Brazil, China, Japan, Scotland, Iran, Germany, India and more!

There are many similarities between Chinese New Year's Eve and Scottish Hogmanay:

1) Make lots of noise. Chinese light firecrackers to create loud noises to scare away bad spirits. Scottish also create loud noise by clanking kitchen pots and setting off cannons and church bells. Doors are opened to let out bad spirits.

2) Pay off your debts.
Chinese like to ensure that you start off the New Year with no debts
hanging onto your personal feng shui. I think the Scots do the
same but especially to ensure that they aren't paying anymore interest.

3) Have lots of good food and visit friends. Eat lots and be merry. Both Scots and Chinese enjoy eating, hosting their friends and visiting their friends. If you spend all your time visiting friends, then you don't have to cook for anybody. But good guests always bring good gifts too!

4) Party on dude! In
Asia, Chinese New Year celebrations will go on for days, lasting up to
a week! Sort of like Boxing week sales in Canada. In
Scotland, the Scots are proud partyers and are well known for making
parties last for days on end.

World Poetry Gung Haggis Fat Choy performs at Vancouver Library on Chinese New Year Day

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Monday night was the 6th Annual World Poetry Gung Haggis Fat Choy Gala. This event was first created when I noticed there were no readings of Robbie Burns at the library… I contacted Ariadne Sawyer of the World Poetry Reading series to collaborate for this now popular program.

Just before our 7:30 start time, I chatted with the audience, explaining the origins of Gung Haggis Fat Choy, and sharing some of the events that happened the night before at the big Gung Haggis Fat Choy dinner, and at our small ceremony at the Robert Burns statue in Stanley Park – to celebrate the 250th Birthday of Robbie Burns.

We bring together the elements of Gung Haggis Fat Choy within a world context. We feature poetry of Robbie Burns, China, as well as contemporary Scottish-Canadian and Chinese-Canadian poets. And sometimes we add in music and dance and of course… singalongs.

This year's program was a lot of fun. It was hosted by Ariadne Sawyer, Diego Bastianutti and myself.

We featured poet James Mullin and myself reading poetry by Robbie Burns. I also brought my accordion to play some tunes too.

Rita Wong, the 2008 BC Book Prize Poetry winner, read from her books
Monkey Puzzle and Forage. With the World Poetry theme, Rita even read
a poem by Pablo Neruda, which Diego read in Spanish afterwards.

Tommy Tao, explained how he ended up doing poetry translations of 9th
and 15th Century poetry, and how he has come to love it. He read a few
poems about food and celebrations.I talked about some of the similarities about Chinese New Year and Scottish Hogmanay.

I read the Burns poem “A Man's A Man For A' That”, then later performed “Address to A Haggis.”

James Mullin led a group of four volunteers to dance my parade dragon around the room while I played “Scotland the Brave” on my accordion.

There were a number of Korean ESL students in the audience, and they really had a lot of fun.

My earlier attempt at playing and singing “My Luv is Like a Red Red Rose” was easily redeemed by my playing of Scotland the Brave, and leading the audience in a group singalong of “Auld Lang Syne”

Evrerybody really got into the spirit of the evening. This photo features poets James Mullin, Tommy Tao along with a Korean language student and Peter Clark originally from the U.K.

Check out more photos:

World Poetry Gung Haggis Fat Choy Gala

250th Anniversary of Robert Burns recognized with poems at statue in Vancouver’s Stanley Park

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Informal gathering celebrates the 250th Anniversary of poet Robbie Burns birth, at Stanley Park statue

2009_January 178 by you.

Our group of Burns celebrants included bagpipers Trish and Allan McMordie (very rear), members of the Burns Club of Vancouver, members of the Centre for Scottish Studies at Simon Fraser University, some visitors from Scotland, and lots of Vancouverites included myself.

Three television cameras from CBC, CTV and Global came out to film our little ceremony. Friends would later report that they saw me on the evening news on Sunday.

I had never before attended a “wreath laying” at the Robbie Burns statue. In fact, I had never before visited the the Robbie Burns statue on Robbie Burns Day. Often, I simply passed it, as I drove along Georgia Street enroute to the Stanley Park Causeway and Lion’s Gate Bridge.

But this year was different. It was the 250th Anniversary of Robert Burns, and I had contacted a few organizations back in December. Dr. Leith Davis of the Centre for Scottish Studies at Simon Fraser University, had committed to contacting Burns Clubs and Scottish organizations around the world whose cities also had statues of Robert Burns

When I arrived just before 12 noon, there were already some bagpipers playing tunes in front of the statue. Surprise! It was Trish and Allan McMordie, of the JP Fell Pipe Band from North Vancouver. It was exactly one year ago on Robbie Burns Day, when Allan and I first met at the Rock 101 Bro’ Jake show. Allan also came to Vancouver City Hall, when I received the City Proclamation for Tartan Day, and we created a photo op with then Mayor Sam Sullivan, and councilors Heather Deal, George Chow, Tim Stevenson, BC Lee, Kim Capri. See: Tartan Day (April 6) proclaimed in City of Vancouver, April 3.

My friend Stuart Mackinnon, newly elected Parks Commissioner, was there with his doggy companion Kiku. Stuart was dressed in his kilt and sweater ensemble. To see Stuart this past week, at the VDLC and Gung Haggis Fat Choy Burns suppers, you would think he’s been wearing kilts all his life – but it’s not true. He only started wearing kilts less than 2 years ago, after he joined the Gung Haggis Fat Choy dragon boat team.

Also attending, were some members of the Burns Club of Vancouver, and from the Centre for Scottish Studies at Simon Fraser University. Some onlookers came up to ask if they could take our pictures – especially with the bagpipers, as Trish and Allan McMordie were wearing their “dress whites.”

Ray Eagle sang “My Luv is Like a Red Red Rose” and I put a red rose into his hand, to the delight of the crowd.

Robert Barr of the Burns Club of Vancouver, talked about how when the Robbie Burns statue was put up in 1929, it was the first statue in Vancouver, and a thousand people came to watch the statue unveiling by J. Ramsay MacDonald, Prime Minister of Britain, on 25th August, 1928.

Dr. Leith Davis, director for the Centre for Scottish Studies at Simon Fraser University, talked about her new virtual project of setting up a wreath laying and Burns statue in Second Life. She only arrived back in Vancouver the night before after having spent 2 weeks in Scotland for Homecoming Scotland activities. We took a group picture, that Leith then sent to other Burns statues ceremony groups around the world. With the television cameras on us, I led spontaneous singings of “Happy Birthday Dear Rabbie” and “Auld Lang Syne.”To close our ceremonies, I performed the immortal Burns poem, “Address to a Haggis” with audience participation repeating the last line of each verse. Both Leith and the Burns Club members complimented my performance as one of the best they’ve seen. I have definitely improved over my last year’s reading of “Address to the Haggis” at last year’s Burns Club Vancouver Burns Supper. I actually know the entire thing by heart now

Here’s the bottle! It was auctioned off that evening at the Gung Haggis Fat Choy: Robbie Burns Chinese New Year’s Eve Dinner for $750 CDN. Half of the funds will stay in Vancouver, and half will go to Scotland’s National Trust to help sponsor the Chinese punch bowl that Robbie Burns used at his brother Gilbert’s wedding.

Here are previous articles I wrote about the George Lawson statue of Robert Burns:

Robert Burns Statue in Vancouver’s Stanley Park\

on Tue 09 Dec 2008 Burns statue in Stanley Park

SFU’s Leith Davis is creating a world wide Burns Statue recognition both in the real and the virtual world

on Sat 24 Jan 2009

Burns Statue in Vancouver’s Stanley Park, The rededication plaque reads: “This
statue of Robert

Vancouver’s Robert Burns statue is a copy of the George Lawson original from Ayr Scotland

on Wed 10 Dec 2008

Burns statue in Vancouver’s Stanley Park can also be seen in other Canadian cities

Check out the rest of my pictures on Flickr.

Robbie Burns statue 250th…

Photos from 2009 Gung Haggis Fat Choy: Toddish McWong's Robbie Burns Chinese New Year's Eve Dinner

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Gung Haggis Fat Choy is always a wonderful event for photographs. Special thanks to our incredible photographers Patrick Tam, Lydia Nagai and VFK.

If you like their photos, please contact them and purchase them. We have asked them to put “water marks” on their photos, so that we will advertise and promote them.

They help us with our event, because they believe in the community work and social consiousness raising that we do.

DSC_3928_103489 - Mayor Gregor Robertson doing the honours by FlungingPictures.

A wonderful job by everybody last night –
Veteran Gung Haggis performers Joe McDonald and Heather pronounced last
night as “The Best Gung Haggis Dinner yet”

And Dr. Leith Davis
(Director of Centre for Scottish Studies, Simon Fraser University) said it was the best Burns Supper she had ever attended – and she just
spent 2 weeks in Scotland for Homecoming Scotland!

Congratulations
to everybody. The energy was brilliantly contagious and fun. There
were lots of nice surprises in the program, with the Mayor reading a
Burns poem, a treatise on the details of scotch drinking, Parks
Commissioner Stuart Mackinnon singing A Man's A Man For A' That, and
hip hop artist Ndidi Cascade coming up from the audience to rap a verse
of Burns' Address to A Haggis.

But it was the performances by
Silk Road, Joe McDonald, Adrienne Wong, Jan Walls, Tommy Tao, Rita
Wong, Catherine Barr, Heather Pawsey & DJ Timothy Wisdom, Bob
Wilkins & the Gung Haggis Fat Choy pipe band, supplemented by
Alland & Trish McMordie with Don Scobie from Seattle… and an
immortal address by Dr. Leith Davis – that knocked the audience over!

With wonderfully warm co-hosting from Gloria Macarenko and Catherine Barr….

And strong support from stage manager Charlie Cho, and sound technician Carl Schmidt.

Many
Many thanks…. to helping rise funds for Historic Joy Kogawa House,
Asian Canadian Writers' Workshop/Ricepaper Magazine and Gung Haggis Fat
Choy dragon boat team.

We will have some pictures available for you soon.

Thank yous and Blessings to
everybody!
Toddish

Patrick Tam – Flunging Pictures
www.flunging pictures.com

661 – 20090125 – Robbie Burns’… – Patrick Tam photo set.

Lydia Nagai – Lydia Nagai Photography
www.lydianagai.com

Gung Haggis Fat Choy 2009 – Linda Nagai photo set.

VFK Photography

http://www.flickr.com/photos/24064901@N00/sets/72157613036584552/

GHFC 2009 VF3_4664.JPG by vfk Silk Road Music performing in front of life-size photos of Nellie McClung, Mungo Martin, Emily Carr and Todd Wong – courtesy of Royal BC Museum.- photo VFK

BBC Radio Scotland celebrates Robert Burns – and somewhere Toddish McWong will be heard…

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Robert Burns

Last year, in early December BBC Radio producer Louise Yeoman contacted me about my involvement with Burns celebrations in Vancouver.

And Dr. Leith Davis from the SFU Centre for Scottish Studies, was also interviewed too!

So sometime on January 25th, if you are listening to BBC Radio – you just might hear the immortal Burns poem “Address to a Haggis” performed as a rap song, by Vancouver's own Toddish McWong and Burnaby's Joe McDonald. Gung Haggis RAP Choy was produced by Trevor Chan, of No Luck Club.

We released on this website back on January 24th, 2007. It played on CBC Radio's “On the Coast” and I was interviewed by then host Priya Ramu, who also co-hosted Gung Haggis Fat Choy dinner with me that year.

Last year, Joe and I performed our “Gung HAGGIS RAP Choy” on CBC Newsworld television.
Check out the MP3 attahchment here:
http://www.gunghaggisfatchoy.com/blog/RobbieBurnsDay/_archives/2007/1/24/2679414.html

In the meantime, check out Robbie Burns on BC Radio Scotland.

The Complete Burns

Janice Forsyth goes behind the scenes of a major BBC Radio Scotland project, to record every single Burns poem.

The Linguistic Legacy of Robert Burns

Billy Kay investigates Robert Burns, and discovers what remains of the native Scots tongue.

Listen Live

There is an 8 hour difference between Vancouver and Glasgow.

10:30–11:00

The Complete Burns

Janice Forsyth talks to participants of a project to record every single Burns poem.
13:05–15:00

Reel Blend

25/01/2009

Join Robbie Shepherd in celebrating Robert Burns' 250th Anniversary.
15:05–15:30

The Linguistic Legacy of Robert Burns

Billy Kay talks to Scottish people and finds out what's left of the poet's native tongue.
17:05–19:00

Jazz House

21/01/2009

4 days left to listen

Richard Michael and the Euan Burton Trio perform jazz versions of songs by Robert Burns.
19:05–20:00

Pipeline

24/01/2009

Gary West with music and news from the piping world.
20:00–22:00

Auld Lang Syne

A concert recorded at Celtic Connections celebrating the 250th anniversary of Robert Burns

CBC TV's Gloria Macarenko to co-host Gung Haggis Fat Choy! Where is Clan Macarenko from?

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What Scottish clan is CBC TV News anchor Gloria Macarenko from?

Celebrity Media co-hosts are confirmed!
Gloria Macarenko, CBC TV News anchor “Vancouver at Six”
Catherine Barr, Metro News / Radio 650 AM

Gloria Macarenko from CBC TV's “Vancouver at Six”
Gloria first got to learn about deep-fried haggis won ton when I
brought some down to her newscast, when CBC was promoting the 2004 Gung
Haggis Fat Choy television performance special.

View Clip

I'm really happy that CBC TV news anchor Gloria Macarenko is coming to co-host the 2009 Gung Haggis Fat Choy dinner with myself and Catherine Barr. It turns out that Gloria and Catherine also know each other and are really looking forward to having some fun at the Gung Haggis dinner.

I looked in a tartan clan wesbite and found MacA'chailles, MacAchounich, MacAdam, MacAdie, MacAindra, MacAldonich, MacAlduie, MacAlex, MacAlister, MacAllen, MacAndeoir, MacAndrew, MacAngus, MacAra, MacAree, MacAskill, MacAslan, MacAuselan, and MacAy… but no MacArenko!

What clan is Catherine Barr from? I found there are clans named Barrie and Barron, and of course there is MacNeil of Barra, or the Barra MacNeils. I know that Catherine's family has a family tartan… In fact, it was
her father Robert Barr that introduced me to the Burns Club of
Vancouver about 5 years ago. Last year Cat managed to get 10 kilted men on stage all singing a “Toast to the Lassies” – what will she lead us into this year?

Special musical performers:

Silk Road Music Ensemble:
Qiu Xia He and Andre Thibault have become good friends since I first met them on the set of the 2004 CBC television performance special “Gung Haggis Fat Choy.” I really appreciated what they were doing musically, and they really appreciated what I was doing. They have performed at the Gung Haggis dinner in 2004, 2007. Qiu Xia plays virtuoso pipa (Chinese lute) and Andre can play fiery flamenco music – but they also play scottish and french-canadian reels and jigs too! For their 2009 Gung Haggis performance they are adding a Scottish-Canadian percussionist, Liam MacDonald.

Gung Haggis Fat Choy Pipe & Drums
Last year, Bob Wilkins approached me with the idea of creating a Gung Haggis Fat Choy pipe band… with lion dancers and chinese drums. Okay… I was hooked. Our paths have crossed in our mutual appreciation of BC Scottish and Chinese pioneer histories, and Bob has a vision of a multicultural pipe band that could also incorporate BC's Chinese cultural history and traditions. Okay… we have the pipers but are still searching for Chinese lion dancers.

Heather Pawsey opera soprano
Heather sings in Mandarin, Cree, Italian, French, German, Spanish and probably Russian and Scottish too! Heather has graced stages with Vancouver Opera, Vancouver Symphony and many other ensemble and chamber groups throughout BC. She always lights up the stage when she comes to Gung Haggis dinners, such as 2004 and 2007. Heather grew up wearing kilts on the Saskatchewan prairies, and she really loves the Gung Haggis concept. In 2008 she was paired with DJ Timothy Wisdom to create something new and exciting. She called me up and said “Todd – I've got something for you and Gung Haggis!”

Timothy Wisdom DJ
I only met Timothy last week, when he came to the Gung Haggis Fat Choy rehearsal dinner on January 11th. He brought with him a dvd of his performance with Heather Pawsey. What was on it? Opera with hip hop beats… Scottish and Chinese musical notes and references… And hopefully Timothy will spin some tunes after the Gung Haggis dinner, so we can party until midnight for a countdown to Chinese New Year! “Best Party Rockin DJ in Vancouver…a sonic genius” – Vancouver Folk Festival “so much exhilaration in his sets…slaying audiences” – E13 Records

Joe McDonald, our “rapping bagpiper”
I first met Joe McDonald when he performed with a South Asian tabla drummer in 2001. I saw the kind of world music sounds they were creating and three weeks later, his music ensemble Brave Waves was performing at the Gung Haggis Fat Choy dinner. Joe has performed at every Gung Haggis dinner since, including the Gung Haggis Fat Choy CBC television performance special too! A few years ago, we starting “rapping” the Robbie Burns immortal poem “Address to a Haggis.” We created an MP3 file with Trevor Chan of the No Luck Club… and it is going to be played on BBC Radio Scotland's Robbie Burns radio special on January 25th for Burns' 250th birthday – Woo-hoo!

Adrienne Wong – Neworld Theatre actor/writer for “Mixie and the Half-Breeds“
Adreinne is a long time friend of Gung Haggis Fat Choy. She co-hosted the 2004 dinner, and in 2003 she paddled on the Gung Haggis Fat Choy dragon boat team. Growing up with Chinese and French ancestry, heritage and culture, Adrienne knows what it's like to walk in both worlds, as well as in-between. She's written a new theatrical play called “Mixie and the Half-Breeds.” We think it's perfect for a Gung Haggis Fat Choy world… and she's going to give us a sneak preview before the show opens later this year. I saw Adrienne give a stage reading of “My Name is Rachel Corrie” last fall – fantastic!

Special guests include: The Famous Grouse whisky 37 year old blend
Larry Grant, Musqueam Elder
Rita Wong, 2008 BC Book Poetry Prize winner “Forage”
Dr. Leith Davis, SFU Centre for
Scottish Studies
Jan Walls, former SFU Director of International Communications
Tommy
Tao, poet translator
Chuck Lew QC, keeper for the flame for 49 years of Burns Dinners for the Vancouver Chinatown Lions Club.
+ 1 bottle of 37 year old Famous Grouse scotch – one of only 250 made to be featured at Burns Suppers around the world.

Free Event: Gung Haggis Fat Choy World Poetry Night at Vancouver Public Library

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Jan 26/09–Gung Haggis Fat Choy at the VPL!

Vancouver Public Library
Central Branch
350 West Georgia St.
Alma Van Dusen and Peter McKay rooms
7:30 PM on Monday, January 26th
(the day after the BIG Gung Haggis Fat Choy Robbie Burns Chinese New Year's Eve Dinner at the Floata Restaurant January 25th)

Every year we do a FREE poetry evening at the Vanocuver Public Library in partnership with World Poetry collective. Ariadne Sawyer and Alejandro Mujica-Olea are the wonderful organizers of World Poetry, which presents poetry readings at the Vancouver Public Library each month.

We bring together contemporary Scottish-Canadian and Chinese-Canadian poets, as well as reading Robbie Burns and presenting something very traditionally Chinese for Chinese New Year. Many years ago, I noticed that there wasn't a Robbie Burns poetry night at the Vancouver Public Library, so I called up Ariadne, and we created something special.

Here's the message from Ariadne:

The World Poetry Reading Series and co-sponsors explorASIAN and the Asian Canadian Writers Workshop
invite you to celebrate the poetic traditions of Robbie Burns Day and
Chinese New Year with a distinctly Canadian twist — multilingually,
from Scotland, China, and countries around the world.
Hosts: Todd Wong (AKA Toddish McWong, right) and Diego Bastianutti.
Featured Poets:
•   Steve Duncan
•   Tommy W.K. Tao
•   James Mullin
•   Rita Wong

Featured Performances:
•   Ji-Rong Huang — Chinese Erhu
•   Ariadne Sawyer — Dragon Dream Dance
•   Bob Wilkins — Gung Haggis Fat Choy Pipe Band

Admission: FREE!
(But come early — seating is limited.)
Contact: 604-331-3603

Gung HAGGIS Fat Choy

Toddish McWong's Misadventures in Multiculturalism: through arts, culture, food, dragon boats, travel + more…

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Free Event: Gung Haggis Fat Choy World Poetry Night at Vancouver Public Library

Jan 26/09–Gung Haggis Fat Choy at the VPL!