Luminous Ink: Writers on Writing in Canada

by Tessa McWatt, Rabindranath Maharaj (Editor), Dionne Brand (Editor)

Twenty-six writers in Canada were asked to contribute pieces of original work describing how they see writing today. From Atwood’s opening, through writing from Indigenous writers, the reader is given a sense of how twenty-seven of the country’s finest writers see their world today. With an introduction by the editors, Dionne Brand, Rabindranath Maharaj, and Tessa McWatt.

Contributors include:

Margaret Atwood
Michael Ondaatje
Madeleine Thien,
M G Vassanji,
Lawrence Hill
Pascale Quiviger
Nino Ricci
Sheila Fischman
Heather O’Neill
Camilla Gibb
Eden Robinson
Lee Maracle
Rawi Hage
Michael Helm
Lisa Moore
Rita Wong
Hiromi Goto
George Elliott Clarke
Nicole Brossard
Judith Thompson
David Chariandy
Richard Van Camp
Marie Hélène Poitras
Stephen Henighan
Greg Hollingshead
Leanne Betasamosake Simpson

Genres: Essays, Writing, Nonfiction, Canada

282 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 14, 2018

About the author

Guyanese-born Canadian writer Tessa McWatt is the author of six novels and two books for young people. Her fiction has been nominated for the Governor General’s Award, the City of Toronto Book Awards, and the OCM Bocas Prize. She is one of the winners of the Eccles British Library Award 2018, for her memoir: Shame on Me: An Anatomy of Race and Belonging. She is also a librettist, and works on interdisciplinary projects and community-based life writing through CityLife: Stories Against Loneliness. She teaches Creative Writing at the University of East Anglia.

Reviews

[Raimey Gallant · Rating 5 out of 5]

All the stars. To name a few, Margaret Atwood, Lawrence Hill, and Michael Ondaatje contributed essays to this anthology on the theme of what it means to write creatively in Canada, about Canada, or with Canadian experience. Within a few essays, I concluded this book should be read by all who write creatively, nay all storytellers, regardless of what ties you may or may not have to Canada, regardless of what branch of storytelling you devote your time to. This is MFA reading-list worthy. The essay by Hiromi Goto was one of my favorites.

[Gordon Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found Luminous Ink to be an eclectic, enjoyable, exceptional read. Some writers are white and born in Canada. Some are black and born in Canada. Some immigrated to Canada while others are expatriates.

Each writes from their own angle. Some talk about their current lives. Some tell us a story which comes from their past. Some explain on how they came to write. And some give their views on issues of great importance to them.

Some are humorous, some angry, some profound, some make your think but all of them are worthwhile to read.

The points of view are all varied and it's so wonderful to have such a diverse collection captured under one cover.

[Ann Douglas · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really thought-provoking collection of essays. I know I'll be re-reading this book and quoting from its pages repeatedly.

[Joy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This collection of essays about Canadian literature is quite broad in scope. It's diverse not only in its inclusion of Canadian writers of different ethnicities and backgrounds but also in its urban vs rural, Quebecois vs rest of Canada (which becomes a linguistic Quebec French vs France French vs Commonwealth English delineation), First Nations, old guard vs new wave, immigrant voices of discussion.

I've had the honor of reading the full length novels of some of the contributors including David Chariandy (Souyoucant), Rawi Hage (Beirut Hellfire Society) and of course those of the esteemed Margaret Atwood and Michael Ondaatje. Yet others I've heard of but haven't had the opportunity to read e.g. Madeleine Thein (Do Not Say We Have Nothing), Heather O'Neill (The Lonely Hearts Hotel), Eden Robinson (Son of a Trickster). One of the delightful byproducts of reading this is my TBR pile has increased (yet again!) to include Lee Maracle's Celia's Song and Hiromi Goti's Chorus of Mushrooms.

It is clear that CanLit has come a long way, as documented by Margaret Atwood in her candid 'Survival: The Origin Story.' The world of Canadian publishing and writing appears to be fairly close-knit, as the same small presses and prominent authors are mentioned by different contributors. The feeling of writing from the outside, whether as an other, an outlier, a foreigner is depicted in various forms such as the searing 'Living History' by George Elliott Clark and the thoughtful 'Night Thoughts: Notes from the Margins' by MG Vassanj. Some authors were very upfront in sharing their personal struggles and life experiences, which in my mind is both courageous and generous.

First Nations lands and Peoples being colonized is given prominence and recognition in many of the pieces. Accordingly, Lee Maracle's 'Why I Write' had the largest impact on me. I shared Hiromi Goti's delight and sadness in identifying a tree by its proper First Nation's name in 'First Landguage,' a 'synecdoche' of other deeper losses. Indeed, many of the authors write driven by urgent imperatives to 'refuse and resist white hegemony' (Goti), 'so that I may continue to be Salish in the colonial world I inherit' (Maracle), to 'counter the sexist notion that women are unimportant' (Maracle), to battle racism, xenophobia, francophone hostility etc. It can be a lonely depressing occupation, with only a select few gaining widespread recognition and acclaim.

[Omar Ramirez · Rating 3 out of 5]

My favorite essay in this book is "An Ambiguous Voice" by Stephen Henighan

Other highlights include:
- Survival: The Origin Story by Margaret Atwood
- Why I write by Lee Maracle
- Of Dislocation and Creation by Lawrence Hill

This book definitely gives the reader a glimpse into the vast collection of diverse voices that give life to what we call CanLit.

[Carmen G · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some iconic Canadian authors' thoughts...David Chariandy's piece stood out for me.