7:30pm at the Vancouver Public Library - Central
Branch - Alice McKay Room. 350 Georgia St. Vancouver.
Check out our fabulous GHFC World Poetry Poster
At 7:30pm bagpiper Joe McDonals will
"pipe" the performers into the Alice MacKay room at the Vancouver
Public Library, Central Branch. The evening of poetry and music
will include singalongs, some poetry by Robert Burns and references to
Chinese New Year. We blend together Canadian contemporary poets
born in Scotland, China, or of Chinese or Scottish ancestry. Gung
Haggis Fat Choy World Poetry Night addresses what came before, what is
in-between and what is beyond.
Fred Wah is our featured poet -
retired University of Calgary English Professor and winner of the
Governor General's Award for Poetry for his prose poem collection
"Waiting for Sasketchewan. Fred says his father was
Scottish/Irish/Chinese - Canadian and his mother was Swedish-Canadian.
Joe McDonald is our featured musician - bagpiper and leader of the ethno-fusion band Brave Waves. Joe and Brave Waves were featured last year in the CBC TV special "Gung Haggis Fat Choy." Joe is also a fascinating contemporary singer/songwriter.
Dugald Christie is an activist lawyer and champion of human writes. He was born in Scotland and writes poetry in Canada. In February he will be given a life-time achievement award by the World Poetry Society.
Shirley Sue-A-Quan is a writer, and poet, born in China - she also writes for local Chinese language newspapers. She brings an insightful global vision to her work. She is married to writer Trev Sue-A-Quan, born in Guyana, who was featured at last year's inaugural Gung Haggis Fat Choy World Poetry Night, as well as the Gung Haggis Fat Choy dinner.
And... there will be a poems and words from co-hosts Toddish McWong, Ariadne Sawyer and Alejandro Mujica-Olea. A specially composed original group poem will also be presented for the evening...
...and maybe a surprise!
