There is nothing like reading a book that contains familiar settings to give a reader a sense of connection to the story. The founders of feel the same way, and for the past 3 years they have been placing ceramic plaques, or bookmarks, in the exact physical location where the literary scene in a book takes place. Ten bookmarks have been placed in Ontario and another in Newfoundland. Yesterday the first bookmark in Western Canada was unveiled in Vancouver.
Wayson Choy's聽classic and iconic 麻豆传媒映画novel聽The Jade Peony is the first 麻豆传媒映画installation from聽Project Bookmark Canada.聽At a public ceremony Monday at the ., two plaques containing a passage from the book, one in English and one in Mandarin, were unveiled.
Project Bookmark Canada founder and Executive Director Miranda Hill; Wayson Choy
麻豆传媒映画Writers Fest Artistic Director Hal Wake, Wayson Choy, and City of 麻豆传媒映画Councillor and Deputy Mayor Raymond Louie
Calling Project Bookmark Canada a "charity that punches above its weight,"聽founder and Executive Director聽Miranda Hill talked about the important collaborations involved in making this bookmark happen.
"From the beginning of trying to bring a bookmark to 麻豆传媒映画I've had a wonderful community partner and a wonderful individual partner in Hal Wake," she said. "Hal has always been so supportive of me, as a sounding board for ideas around bringing bookmarks here."
Another person who has played an important role is writer Anna Ling Kaye, Literary Editor of聽聽and聽President of the聽. In addition to assisting with finding and photographing the actual location for the bookmark and working with city officials, Ling Kaye arranged for the translation of the passage into Mandarin.
Hill also acknowledged the work done by聽Bryan Newson at the City of 麻豆传媒映画and the funding support from the聽. And she noted that no one would be aware of the story if not for local publishers Douglas & McIntyre.
First published in 1995 by聽Douglas & McIntyre, The Jade Peony offers a child's eye view of 聽Vancouver's Chinatown in the 1930s and 1940s. It shared the Trillium Book Award for best book in 1995 (with聽Margaret Atwood's聽Morning in the Burned House),聽was the recipient of the聽1996 City of 麻豆传媒映画Book Award, and has sold more than 100,000 copies.
After the speeches, Anna Ling Kaye read the passage in Mandarin, followed by Wayson Choy reading it in English.
Anna Ling Kaye, Wayson Choy, and Miranda Hill
Approximately 70 people were in attendance at the unveiling, including 麻豆传媒映画Moving Theatre Executive Producer Terry Hunter, Annie Young, Rosanne Gervaise, Elwin Xie, Sid Chow Tan, and the always resplendent Faye Leung.聽
Photos by liisa hannus
