Wayson Choy (崔維新 Pinyin: Cuī Wéixīn; Jyutping: Ceoi1 Wai4-san1) (April 20, 1939 – April 28, 2019) was a Canadian novelist. Publishing two novels and two memoirs in his lifetime, he is considered one of the most important pioneers of Asian Canadian literature in Canada,"Wayson Choy, bestselling author of The Jade Peony, dies at 80" . Toronto Star, April 28, 2019. and as an important figure in LGBT literature as one of Canada's first openly gay writers of colour to achieve widespread mainstream success."On Queer / Asian / Canadian Critique" . Canadian Literature, 227 (Winter 2015), pp. 191-193.
Personal life and education Choy, whose birth name was Choy Way Sun, was born in Vancouver on April 20, 1939, and was adopted by parents Toy and Lilly. A Chinese Canadian, he spent his childhood in the city's Chinatown.
He graduated from Gladstone Secondary School and went on to attend the University of British Columbia, where he studied creative writing. He was the first Chinese-Canadian student accepted into the program.
He learned later in life that he had been adopted, which formed part of the basis for his memoir Paper Shadows.
In 2001, Choy suffered an asthma attack, which led to him being placed in a medically induced coma for 11 days during which he also suffered cardiac arrest."'Being human is worth something'; Wayson Choy reflects on life - and brushes with death". Montreal Gazette, May 16, 2009. He remained in hospital for four months to recuperate and recover with physiotherapy. In 2005, he had a second heart attack, and underwent quadruple bypass surgery."Trailblazing Vancouver-born author Wayson Choy dies" . The Georgia Straight, April 28, 2019.
In 2010, Wilfrid Laurier University presented Choy with an honorary Doctorate of Literature.
Career Choy published a number of short stories while studying creative writing at the University of British Columbia, with one of his stories appearing in the annual Best American Short Stories anthology, but after graduating he devoted himself primarily to teaching, resuming writing only later in life. Choy moved to Toronto in 1962, where he taught English at Burnhamthorpe Collegiate (1966–1967), then at Humber College from 1967 to 2004. He continued to teach at the Humber School for Writers, and served as president of the Cahoots Theatre Company."Cahoots Theatre Projects" . Canadian Theatre Encyclopedia.
Choy published his first novel, The Jade Peony in 1995. It won the Trillium Book Award and the City of Vancouver Book Award. In 2010, it was selected as one of five books for the CBC's annual Canada Reads competition, where it was defended by physician Samantha Nutt."Crash course in CanLit; Canada Reads will mean a lot more to you if you've read the books". Vancouver Sun, February 27, 2010.
His first memoir, Paper Shadows: A Chinatown Childhood, was published in 1999. Written about his childhood within the Chinese Canadian community in Vancouver, the book explores both his discovery that he was adopted and his process of coming to terms with being gay."Play it again, Wayson". National Post, October 16, 1999. It won the Edna Staebler Award for Creative Non-Fiction,"Wilfrid Laurier University announces that Paper Shadows: A Chinatown Childhood has won the 2000 Edna Staebler Award". Canada NewsWire, October 12, 2000. and was shortlisted for the Governor General's Award for English-language non-fiction at the 1999 Governor General's Awards."Governor-General's award nominees". Vancouver Sun, October 20, 1999.
His second novel, All That Matters, was published in 2004Michael Redhill, "Hot dogs, sandwiches with chopsticks". National Post, October 16, 2004. and was nominated for the Scotiabank Giller Prize. All That Matters won Choy's second Trillium Book Award in 2004.
In 2005, he was named a member of the Order of Canada."Governor-general announces 82 new appointments to the Order of Canada". Montreal Gazette, August 31, 2005.
In 2009, Choy published Not Yet: A Memoir of Living and Almost Dying, his second and final memoir about dealing with the life-threatening health challenges."Unspiritual Awakening; Wayson Choy forgoes melodrama in book about his brush with death". Calgary Herald, May 3, 2009.
In 2015, he received the George Woodcock Award, the lifetime achievement award for writers from British Columbia presented by the Writers' Trust of Canada and the Vancouver Public Library.
Three recently published monographs have featured chapters on Choy's publications up to Not Yet; these are: John Z. Ming Chen's The Influence of Daoism on Asian-Canadian Writers (Mellen, 2008), John Z. Ming Chen and Wei Li's A Study of Canadian Social Realist Literature: Neo-Marxist, Confucian, and Daoist Approaches (Inner Mongolia University Press, 2011), John Z. Ming Chen and Yuhua Ji's Canadian-Daoist Poetics, Ethics, and Aesthetics (Springer, 2015).
Awards and honours Choy was named a Member of the Order of Canada in 2005. In 2015, he received the George Woodcock Award, a lifetime achievement award for writers from British Columbia presented by the Writers' Trust of Canada and the Vancouver Public Library. Three years later, the City of Vancouver recognized him with their Civic Merit Award.
In 1999, The Globe and Mail named Paper Shadows among the year's noteworthy books.
In 2010, The Jade Peony was selected as one of five books for the CBC's annual Canada Reads competition, where it was defended by physician Samantha Nutt, founder of War Child.
In 2012, Project Bookmark Canada presented two plaques in Vancouver's Chinatown with excepts from The Jade Peony written in both English and Mandarin. +Awards for Choy's writingYearTitleAwardResultRef.1995Trillium Book Award (English)Winner"Atwood and Choy share Trillium prize". Ottawa Citizen, April 24, 1996.1996City of Vancouver Book AwardWinner1999Paper ShadowsGovernor General's Award for English-language non-fictionShortlist2000Paper ShadowsCity of Vancouver Book AwardFinalist2000Paper ShadowsEdna Staebler AwardWinnerFaculty of Arts (2000). "Edna Staebler Award for Creative Non-Fiction ". wlu.ca. Headlines (News Releases). Previous winners. Wayson Choy. Retrieved 11/18/2012.2004All That MattersTrillium Book Award (English)WinnerAnne-Marie Tobin, "Wayson Choy wins Trillium Book Prize for All That Matters". Sault Star, April 29, 2005.2004All That MattersScotiabank Giller PrizeShortlist2005All That MattersCity of Vancouver Book AwardFinalist
Publications
Novels The Jade Peony – 1995 All That Matters – 2004
Memoirs Paper Shadows: A Chinatown Childhood – 1999 Not Yet: A Memoir of Living and Almost Dying – 2009
References
External links Records of Wayson Choy are held by Simon Fraser University's Special Collections and Rare Books