OBASAN

One of Canada's most cherished authors: Joy Kogawa, and her iconic novel OBASAN.
With Canada being the Frankfurt guest in 2020, publishers are looking for those classic Canadian texts to publish and OBASAN definitely falls into that category.

Originally published in 1982, OBASAN remains the definitive novel about the Canadian governments deplorable treatment of Japanese Canadians during the Second World War, which included the suspension of all rights, forced internment and labour, and the fracturing of families. Worst of all, though, in the eyes of narrator Naomi Nakane as she recalls the events of her childhood, was the repeated exile. In a powerful blend of historical fact and rich symbolism, Naomi finds herself pushed aside from Canadian society and forced to live in ghost towns and abandoned mining camps, places already forsaken by Canadians.

In 1986, Kogawa was made a Member of the Order of Canada and 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.” You will see from the praise and awards attached that OBASAN represents a definite opportunity for publishers looking for those award-winning, bestselling, classic texts. Unfortunately, OBASAN is a novel that is more timely and political than ever. The story itself is also a literary gem so Joy Kogawa brings a lot to the table.

A powerful and passionate novel, OBASAN tells, through the eyes of a child, the moving story of Japanese Canadians during the Second World War. Naomi is a sheltered and beloved five-year-old when Pearl Harbor changes her life. Separated from her mother, she watches bewildered as she and her family become enemy aliens, persecuted and despised in their own land. Surrounded by hardship and pain, Naomi is protected by the resolute endurance of her aunt OBASAN and the silence of those around her. Only after Naomi grows up does she return to question the haunting silence.

JOY KOGAWA was born in Vancouver in 1935 to Japanese- Canadian parents. During WWII, Joy and her family were forced to move to Slocan, British Columbia, as part of the Canadian government's policy to relocate and intern Japanese-Canadians. Kogawa is the author of several award-winning novels and volumes of poetry. 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. She lives in Toronto.