TORONTO, August 25, 2026 – The Canada Chinese Writers Association held its first Poetry Culture Festival in Markham on August 16. Writers, poets and cultural figures from across Canada attended the event, exchanging views on Chinese poetry writing, traditional verse and the development of modern poetry. Through recitation and discussion, participants also shared their observations of life and culture in Canada.
The event drew attention from political and cultural representatives. Federal Members of Parliament Jean Yip and Chi Yue sent congratulatory letters. Yip’s assistant, Li Sheng, attended the event to read the letter and presented it to Yan Fei, president of the Canada Chinese Writers Association. Markham Deputy Mayor Michael Chan also attended, speaking with participants and taking photos with guests.
In addition to local Canadian guests, literary circles in China and overseas also sent congratulations in different forms. Writers Han Shaogong and Xiao Jian, Poetry Magazine editor-in-chief Li Shaojun, Tianya editor-in-chief Lin Sen, Writers Net editor-in-chief Zhao Zhi, and China Poetry Network editor-in-chief Zhou Zhanlin were among those who sent messages. Several Chinese-language literary organizations from the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and Canada also sent congratulatory letters.
At the event, Long Muhua, president of Western Ontario Press, appointed Yan Fei as honorary editor-in-chief of the publishing house.
Yan Fei said in her opening remarks that she hopes the Poetry Culture Festival can become a long-term platform for Chinese-language writers in Canada to communicate and exchange ideas, while giving Chinese literature more opportunities to be showcased in Canada’s multicultural environment. Vice-presidents Yan Bo and Pang Jin also delivered remarks. Pang Jin brought a handwritten calligraphy work of Yan Fei’s seven-character regulated poem Autumn Colours in Algonquin, adding another cultural element to the event through the combination of calligraphy and poetry.
The event was mainly divided into two parts: a poetry seminar and a poetry recitation session.
During the poetry seminar, writers, poets, scholars and cultural figures spoke in turn, discussing traditional regulated verse and modern free verse. They shared their views on creative forms, language expression and the aesthetic characteristics of different poetic styles. During the seminar, Yan Fei also introduced his recent classical-style long poem series, Yan Fei’s Red Chamber Trilogy, and said his selected classical poetry collection, Walking Through the Dream of the Red Chamber, will soon be published.
During the event, Long Muhua, president of Western Ontario Press, also formally appointed Yan Fei as honorary editor-in-chief of the publishing house.
The second half of the event was a poetry recitation session under the theme “The Beauty of Canada.” Participants used Chinese-language poetry to describe Canada’s four seasons, multicultural society and the life experiences of overseas Chinese.
Works recited at the event included Summer in Toronto, The Beauty of Canada: A Four-Season Journey of Knights, Sun Snow, Canada, the Shape of Paradise, The Maple Leaves Turn Red, Without the Sound of Cicadas, Falling in Love with Toronto, Autumn in Canada, Ode to Toronto, and others. Some works were recited bilingually in Chinese and English.
The event also included a lucky draw and networking session, with prizes including artworks, books and calligraphy pieces. At the end, all participants sang Let Tomorrow Be Better together, bringing the first Poetry Culture Festival to a close.
The Canada Chinese Writers Association was founded in Toronto in March 2024. It mainly serves Chinese-language writers in Canada by organizing literary exchanges and cultural events. Through poetry seminars, recitations and in-person exchanges, the first Poetry Culture Festival provided a platform for local Chinese-language creators to connect, while further showcasing the development of Chinese literature within Canada’s multicultural environment.（LJI by Yuanyuan）
