Celebrating half a century of nurturing Asian Canadian talent, the Asian Canadian Writers’ Workshop’s (ACWW) Effie Pow and Sean Gunn talk about the history of the organization, why it’s important to nurture creative voices, and Sean sings us "Asian Canadian Blues"!

Effie Pow is a writer/editor and cultural connector interested in storytelling, creative collaboration, and arts-based community engagement. Effie was a storyteller in Gateway Theatre’s True Voices: Pride Storytelling & Tea and Zee Zee Theatre’s Queer Asian Story Collection, and has produced Perilous Words writing workshops (LiterAsian Festival), HakkaBridges, and Transforming Trauma through Words and Music, inspired by themes of identity, home, and migration. IG @perilouswords

Sean Gunn was born in Vernon, BC, in August 1948 and wantsyou to know that he is the son of a Chinese head tax payer, grandson of a railway worker, and great-grandson of a gold prospector. Jang Won Jeong (1831-1907; known as On Lee) was his maternal great-grandfather, a prominent member of the Chinese community in Yale, BC. From a childhood in Vernon to Vancouver, Sean’s time at UBC in the late 60s and early 70s was the heart of the Asian Canadian movement as Chinese and Japanese Canadians explored Asian historyand identity together. To mark the 50th anniversary of the Asian Canadian Writers Workshop (ACWW), Sean shared a few personal highlights of the people and community connections that helped shape ACWW.

Sean sings at 18:24 “Asian Canadian Blues” and reads his poem Sid Tow Chan at 22:37. RIP activist Sid Tow Chan (https://www.dignitymemorial.com/en-ca/obituaries/vancouver-bc/sidney-chow-tan-10948733).

Effie’s interview with Sean on ACWW's journey: https://ricepapermagazine.ca/2025/09/rooted-in-community-sean-gunns-50-year-journey-with-acww/

Websites: http://www.asiancanadianwriters.ca/,

https://ricepapermagazine.ca/

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