Ottawa, December 1, 2004 - The Canada Council for the Arts announced today the winners of the 2004 Canada-Japan Literary Awards. The English-language winning work is Burning Vision, a play by Métis author Marie Clements, of Galiano, British Columbia. The French-language winning work is Wasurenagusa, a novel by Aki Shimazaki, of Montreal. Minister Kaoru Kusuda, Embassy of Japan, and Karen Kain, Chair of the Canada Council for the Arts, will present the winners with their awards at a ceremony, followed by a reception on Tuesday, December 14, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Embassy of Japan. Marie Clements and Aki Shimazaki will each receive a cheque for $10,000. Representatives of the media are invited to attend the presentation of the Awards at the Embassy of Japan, located at 255 Sussex Drive, Ottawa. The Canada Council for the Arts and the Embassy of Japan are pleased that the 2004 Canada-Japan Literary Awards are being presented during the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Japan and Canada. The Canada-Japan Literary Awards recognize literary excellence by Canadian authors writing on Japan, Japanese themes or themes that promote mutual understanding between Japan and Canada. The funds for these awards come from the investment return on that portion of the Japan-Canada Fund set aside as an endowment in perpetuity for a literary award. The amount of $20,000 was available for this year to be shared equally between two laureates, one for English-language and one for French-language. These awards are normally given out every two years. The jury members this year were Catherine Bergman (Ottawa), Dennis Bock (Guelph), Marie-Josée L'Hérault (Quebec City), Gerry Shikatani (Toronto) and Gaétan Soucy (Longueuil). Burning Vision by Marie Clements (Talonbooks)In awarding the prize to Marie Clements, the jury members said: "Marie Clements' Burning Vision is an exciting and imaginative exploration - and excavation - of an important historical event. It places us at the centre of a debate that began on the day the first atomic bomb was dropped on Japan. Informed with a deadly contemporary significance, and structured in a highly fractured and impressionistic manner, Burning Vision skillfully intertwines First Nations history and world events. Mystical, significant and powerful, it is clearly the work of a deep and compassionate intelligence." Marie Clements Marie Clements is an award-winning playwright, performer, director, and artistic director of urban ink productions. Her nine plays including Burning Vision, The Unnatural and Accidental Women and Urban Tattoo have been presented on some of the most prestigious stages for Canadian and international work including the Festival de théâtre des Amériques in Montreal (Urban Tattoo, 2001; Burning Vision 2003) and the Magnetic North Festival in Ottawa (Burning Vision 2003). Burning Vision was nominated for a 2003 Govenor General's Literary Award, six Jessie Richardson Awards, short listed for the George Ryga Awards for Literary Arts and was also selected to be translated into Spanish this spring. With urban ink, Ms. Clements just completed hours of water, a multi-media docu-drama that was produced to sold-out houses and will premiere to a national audience on CBC Radio in February. Marie Clements is currently working on her script Copper Thunderbird, and a new commission with Native Voices in L.A., titled Tombs of the Vanishing India. Her screenplay The Unnatural and Accidental Women is in development with Raven West Films. As well, The Unnatural and Accidental Women was produced by Native Earth Performing Arts in association with Buddies in Bad Times this fall, and it will be published by Talonbooks in 2005. Wasurenagusa by Aki Shimazaki (Leméac Éditeur)In awarding the prize to Aki Shimazaki, the jury members said: "With her novel Wasurenagusa, Aki Shimazaki has given us a novel that is similar to a haiku, with her elegant and poetic style, the colours, sounds and scents evoking changing seasons, places, and moods. In an intimate story of wonderful simplicity, against the background of the rise of fascism, the author touches on all of the themes that have been recurring in Japanese literature since the 19th century and that are still very present in Japan today." Aki Shimazaki Aki Shimazaki was born Gifu, Japan, in 1954. She studied kindergarten education at Teacher's College, and taught for four years. In 1981, she immigrated to Canada and lived in Vancouver and Toronto before settling in Montreal, where she has lived since 1991. After studying French at Katimavik School, Ms. Shimazaki began writing a series of five works in French. Her first novel, Tsubaki, published in 1999, has been translated into five languages. Ms. Shimazaki won the Prix Ringuet from the Académie des lettres du Québec for her second novel, Hamaguri. Her third novel is called Tsubame. Wasurenagusa is the fourth work in the series, and Hotary, the last novel of the series, was published in October. In addition to her writing, Ms. Shimazaki teaches Japanese. Canada-Japan Literary AwardsEligible books to the Canada-Japan Literary Awards include first edition works of fiction, nonfiction, poetry or drama. The works must be written in English or French by Canadian citizens or permanent residents of Canada. Canadian translations of works in the same genres translated from Japanese into English or French are also eligible. Authors may not submit their own books; publishers must submit books on behalf of the authors or translators for the awards. General informationThe Canada Council for the Arts, in addition to its principal role of promoting and fostering the arts in Canada, administers a certain number of prestigious prizes. Literary awards include the Governor General's Literary Awards and the Canada-Japan Literary Awards. The Council also administers the Japan-Canada Fund, which assists Canadian arts organizations to bring Japanese artists to Canada. Other noteworthy prizes administered by the Council are the Killam Prizes and the Killam Research Fellowships, the Canada Council for the Arts Molson Prizes, the Governor General's Awards in Visual and Media Arts and the Walter Carsen Prize for Excellence in the Performing Arts. For general information about these awards, including nomination procedures, contact Janet Riedel Pigott, Acting Director of Endowments and Prizes, or Danielle Sarault (see below). - 30 - General information:Janet Riedel PigottEndowments and Prizes1-800-263-5588 or (613) 566-4414, ext. 5041 Email this contactDanielle SaraultActing Program Officer1-800-263-5588 or (613) 566-4414, ext. 4116 Email this contact
