Join us on Tuesday, Aug. 4, from 5:30 to 7 p.m., for a special evening of readings and conversation. Author Suzanne Elki Yoko Hartmann visits Vancouver for the first time to chat with fellow writers Keiko Honda and Raymond Nakamura and celebrate their shared Japanese heritage.

Toronto-based Hartmann will read from her hybrid memoir The Nail That Sticks Out: Reflections on the Postwar Japanese Canadian Community. The work of creative non-fiction is a next-generation account that explores an evolving community through memories of places, events and traditions. It tackles issues of identity, belonging and racism. Steeped in cultural arts, it includes portraits of family and community members.

The book was nominated for a Heritage Toronto Book Award and been featured on CBC radio, in print and online. Media coverage includes CBC’s “54 Works of Canadian nonfiction to check out this fall,” Vancouver’s The Bulletin, the Toronto Star, Open Book and Discover Nikkei.

Honda, a scientist and artist, will share readings from her two memoirs — Accidental Blooms (Caitlin Press, 2023) and Hidden Flowers (Heritage House, 2025) — to show how her voice as a writer and her relationship to her Japanese roots have evolved together.

Accidental Blooms was featured on CBC’s list of 46 works of Canadian nonfiction to read in fall 2023, and Hidden Flowers appeared on CBC’s list of 45 Canadian nonfiction books to read in fall 2025 and was awarded third prize in Prose Illustration at the 43rd Alcuin Society Awards for Excellence in Book Design in Canada. Her other books include The Broken Map Home (Caitlin Press, 2025), a translation of her late grandfather's wartime memoir. Her fourth book, Words That Last (Caitlin Press), is forthcoming on Sept. 18, 2026. 

Following the readings, Nakamura, a cartoonist and educator, will moderate the discussion and question-and-answer session. Meet the authors, enjoy light refreshments and join in the conversation. The event is free but space is limited. Books will be available for sale and signing. Thank you for supporting the authors and your local bookstore.