Joy Kogawa

Joy Nozomi Kogawa is a writer and poet. Born in Vancouver to Japanese immigrant parents, Kogawa grew up in a predominantly white, middle-class neighbourhood. Following the bombing of Pearl Harbor, she and her family were forced into an internment camp in the British Columbia Interior. Kogawa's childhood experiences in the internment camp form the basis for her most famous book, the courageous Obasan, published in 1981 to widespread critical acclaim. She won numerous awards for the book, which she adapted for children in 1985 under the title, Naomi's Road. After the war, Kogowa and her family re-settled in Alberta. She launched her writing career with the publication of a book of poetry, The Splintered Moon, in 1967. Kogawa went on to produce seven more books of poetry, three novels, two children's books and a recent work of non-fiction. She has received many honours, including the Order of Canada.

“Where do any of us come from in this cold country? Oh Canada, whether you admitted it or not, we come from you we come from you.”
- Obasan