Joy Kogawa



Joy Nozomi Kogawa, CM, OBC (born June 6, 1935) is a Canadian poet and novelist of Japanese descent.

Life
Born Joy Nozomi Nakayama in Vancouver, British Columbia, she was sent with her family to the internment camp for Japanese Canadians at Slocan during World War II. After the war she resettled with her family in Coaldale, Alberta.

She has worked to educate Canadians about the history of the internment camps, and was active in the fight for government redress.

Although the majority of her writing is poetry, Kogawa's best-known work is Obasan (1981), a semi-autobiographical novel. A sequel, Itsuka (1992), was rewritten and retitled Emily Kato (2005). Obasan has been named as one of the most important books in Canadian history by the Literary Review of Canada and was also listed by The Toronto Star in a "Best of Canada" feature. Obasan was later adapted into a children's book, Naomi's Road (1986), which, in turn, Vancouver Opera adapted into a 45-minute opera that toured elementary schools throughout British Columbia. The opera was also performed before the general public in the greater Vancouver area, Red Deer and Lethbridge, Alberta, Seattle, Washington, and Ottawa, Ontario at the National War Museum.

Although the novel Obasan describes Asian Canadian experiences, it is routinely taught in Asian American literature courses in the USA, due to its successful "integration of politically understanding and literary artistry" and "its authentication of a pan-Asian sensibility."

Kogawa currently divides her time between Vancouver and Toronto, Ontario.

Recognition
In 1986, Kogawa was made a Member of the Order of Canada; in 2006, she was made a Member of the Order of British Columbia.

In 2010, the Japanese government honored Kogawa with the Order of the Rising Sun "for her contribution to the understanding and preservation of Japanese Canadian history."

Campaign to save Kogawa House
The Save Kogawa House committee initiated a campaign to save Kogawa's childhood home in the Marpole neighborhood of Vancouver from demolition. They developed national support from writers and writing organizations across Canada demonstrating that the house at 1450 West 64th Avenue was regarded by many as having historical value and literary significance, similar to Berton House, Emily Carr House and the Haig-Brown Institute. The Save Kogawa House committee made a successful presentation to the City of Vancouver councilors to create an unprecedented 120-day delay of the processing of a demolition permit on November 3, 2005, two days after the city had pronounced Obasan Cherry Tree Day and planted a graft of the cherry tree at Vancouver City Hall from the original tree at Kogawa House.

The Land Conservancy of British Columbia, became involved in the saving of Kogawa House on December 2, 2005. Working with the Save Kogawa House committee, TLC took over the fund-raising efforts and media attention. TLC became the owners of the house on May 31, 2006. They now are attempting to raise funds to renovate the house to its appearance when Joy lived there in the late 1930s and early 1940s.

The Historic Joy Kogawa House Society has operated a writer-in-residence program in the house since 2008. They have hosted two writers to date: poet and editor Dr. John Asfour of Montreal in 2009, and novelist and writing educator Nancy Lee of Richmond in 2010. The next writer will be in residence beginning September 15, 2011, and continuing until March 15, 2012. Applications for writers are solicited in an open call to writers' associations and arts councils across Canada. Application guidelines are posted on the Society's website at www.kogawahouse.com.

Poetry

 * The Splintered Moon. Fredericton, NB: Fiddlehead Poetry Books, 1967.
 * A Choice of Dreams. Toronto: McClelland & Stewart, 1974.
 * Jericho Road. Toronto: McClelland & Stewart, 1977.
 * Six Poems. Toronto: League of Canadian Poets, 1980.
 * Woman in the Woods. Oakville, ON: Mosaic Press, 1985.
 * A Song of Lilith. Vancouver: Polestar, 2000.
 * A Garden of Anchors: Selected Poems. Oakville, ON: Mosaic, 2003.
 * What do I Remember of the Evacuation?

Novels

 * Obasan. Toronto: Lester & Orpen Dennys, 1981.(winner of the 1982 Books in Canada First Novel Award)
 * Itsuka. Toronto: Penguin, 1992. (rewritten as Emily Kato - 2005)
 * The Rain Ascends. Toronto: Knopf, 1995

Children's literature

 * Naomi's Road. Toronto: Oxford University Press, 1986.
 * Naomi's Tree - 2008

Except where noted, bibliographic information courtesy Brock University.