Lunar Workshop
Intriguing Connections
Book Club
Ocean Artworks,
Granville Island
To read is to have an intimate conversation with the author.
Reading helps people to develop the ability of independent thinking; to read, is to understand the meaning of independence.
If you are an avid reader who enjoys studying a subject from alternative points of view, you may find an intriguing connection with one of the interesting souls behind the books, dead or alive.
February 14 – Books From Taiwan: From “Nowhere” to “Now Here”
February 15 – A Diasporic Reflection
February 16 – Across the Strait
February 21 – Gender & Culture
February 22 – Utopia
Writers from the Asian Canadian Writers’ Workshop Society (ACWW) will be sharing some of their original work. Join us in exploring stories from local Asian Canadian perspectives!
Lillian Au – Feb 15 – 12:30pm
Cynthia Chan – Feb 15, 12:45pm
Cynda Yeasting – Feb 16, 2:00pm
Chris Wong – Feb 16, 2:15pm
Tariq Malik – Feb 22 – 1:15pm
Allan Cho – Feb 22 – 1:30pm
Sung Ming Chow – Feb 22 – 1:45pm
Saturday, February 14 – Books From Taiwan: From “Nowhere” to “Now Here”
Iris Chen
Showcase recent publications from Taiwan.
In the island without censorship, writers can freely express themselves and explore new ideas. Come and immerse yourself in a colourful world created by free spirits.
Books recommended by Nowhere Bookstore:
Nowhere bookstore serves as an ark for the diaspora community, safeguarding their shared values in a free, offshore realm. It also acts as a rest place for the wandering souls, so “Nowhere” becomes “Now Here”.
Sunday, February 15 – A Diasporic Reflection
VanKongers
In this era of global turbulence, departure and separation have become part of everyday life. While technology appears to bridge distances, feelings of homesickness, loneliness, cultural dissonance in living in a foreign land are often difficult to articulate. The loss or reshaping of identity, shifts in social relations, and the ongoing effort to adapt to new environments, new cultures, and sometimes new ideologies create a constant tension between the old and the new.
Through selected readings, this selection hopes to offer moments of comfort and resonance amid an unsettled era, inviting us to steady ourselves in uncertainty, and to extend that understanding to others.
*VanKongers Are Reading is a book club formed by a group of book lovers from Hong Kong currently residing in Vancouver. We meet once a month to read, share, and reflect together. If you’re interested in learning more or joining our gatherings, please follow our Instagram page
Monday, February 16 – Across the Strait
Yu-Ching
We will first zoom out to look at “the other shore”, diving into all the events that pushed them down a path so different from ours. Then, we’ll bring the camera back to “our shore,” to see where we came from, where we stand right now and what might be coming next.
To Yu-Ching, history is just the present in disguise. Without those old clues, it’s really hard to navigate through the blurry mess of today. If we want to understand today, we’ve got to flip back through the chapters of yesterday. After all, with everything going on in the world, none of us can really just sit on the sidelines.
Yu-Ching has picked out some “bite-sized” books that won’t give you a headache. They’re perfect for a quick read during your busy day to understand more about the before-and-after of the strait.
Saturday, February 21 – Gender & Culture
Yu-Hsuan
The book selection centres on gender, featuring a curated selection of titles and on-site sharing that invite participants to reflect on identity, relationships, and everyday gender norms through cultural, social, and personal perspectives. The booth host, Yu-Hsuan, has a background in psychology and experience living and learning across different countries, with a focus on how gender issues are understood and reinterpreted in cross-cultural contexts. The booth aims to offer a space for reading, dialogue, and cultural exchange as part of the Lunar New Year celebrations.
Sunday, February 22 – Utopia
April Hung
The idea of the ideal state begins with Plato’s writings on Socratic philosophy and later takes on a clear yet paradoxical name in Thomas More’s Utopia. Coined from Greek, utopia means both a “good place” and “no place,” holding together the desire for a perfect society and the recognition of its impossibility. When people grow dissatisfied with the present and begin to imagine a society where all may live in stability and shared prosperity, utopia becomes a vessel for hope. Yet, as political scientist Lyman Tower Sargent reminds us, human desires are inherently in conflict, and this irreducible diversity often leads utopian projects toward distortion or collapse. This selection explores how ideal states are imagined, mobilized, and mythologized, and what remains in their wake
The Asian Canadian Writers’
Workshop Society
The Asian Canadian Writers’ Workshop Society (ACWW) is a community-focused literary organization in Canada that champions Asian Canadian writing and writers — nurturing voices, building connections, and helping stories thrive. ACWW provides a space for Asian Canadian writers of all backgrounds and experience levels to connect, learn, and grow together. Since 1995, ACWW has built a vibrant literary community and lifted up voices that historically haven’t been represented in Canada’s literary scene. One of its core activities is organizing writing workshops and mentorship opportunities that help writers sharpen their craft, receive feedback, and navigate the manuscript development process. ACWW has been involved in producing literary anthologies and supporting emerging writers through awards and showcases. Over the years, it’s helped launch or amplify many writers who have gone on to publish novels, memoirs, poetry, and more. ACWW hosts and helps organize events that celebrate stories and bring people together, from open mics like Words on Rice to larger festivals like LiterASIAN Festival, which spotlights contemporary Asian Canadian writing with panels, readings, workshops, and conversations about culture, identity, and storytelling.
Sponsors & Partners
About LunarFest
An annual celebration of the Lunar New Year through arts and storytelling. We invite the diverse communities of Canada to join us in creating new traditions to welcome a new year, together!
LunarFest Vancouver is grateful to be held on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territories of the Coast Salish peoples of the xʷməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam Indian Band), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish Nation), and Səl̓ílwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh Nation). We acknowledge our privilege to be gathered on this land, and commit to work with and be respectful to the Indigenous peoples whose cultures and stories inspire us to bring communities together.