Name: From Japanese to English: An Evening of Translation with Kanako Nishi, Allison Markin Powell & Janet Hong
Start: 2026-04-25T18:00:00-04:00
End: 2026-04-25T19:30:00-04:00
Location: Upstart & Crow Studio

Description

In recent years, Japanese literature has surged in global readership, appearing on shelves, in book clubs, and in conversations worldwide. But how do these stories travel across languages, and what does it take to bring them into English?

Join us on Saturday, April 25 at 6PM for the rare opportunity to hear directly from acclaimed Japanese author Kanako Nishi and her longtime translator Allison Markin Powell, in conversation with writer and translator Janet Hong.

In celebration of Nishi’s long-awaited official debut in English — Sakura — this event will include a bilingual reading and discussion of contemporary Japanese literature, what it takes to bring a book into translation, and the recent influx of East Asian fiction by women writers.

The registration fee for this event is $10. All proceeds of the event go to Upstart & Crow’s non-profit programming, including writer residencies, book clubs, grants and more. Please RSVP here to reserve your spot.

More about Upstart & Crow:

Upstart & Crow is a not-for-profit creative studio and literary incubator that champions writers, readers and stories, and the role they play in shaping our lives. We develop original programs, support artists and revel in creative projects focused on Literature In Translation / Climate Solutions / Poetry / Civic Dialogue / Community & Skills Building … all with the aim of elevating the role of literature and storytelling in our lives. Find us on Granville Island, Gibsons and online at upstartandcrow.com.

Accessibility:

The main studio of our shop is accessible for folks with mobility aids. There is a washroom on the main floor available for attendees.

Questions: hello[at]upstartandcrow.com.

Sakura

Available in English at last, Sakura is an international bestseller from one of Japan’s most acclaimed authors. In the wake of a devastating loss, a broken family contends with the pain of the past in order to live in the present. Tender, bittersweet, funny, and beautifully told, the Hasegawas finds solace in an unexpected place — a special dog named Sakura.

View Book

About the author:

Kanako Nishi is a Japanese writer and artist. She is the author of the novels Sakura, which was a major bestseller in Japan; Tsutenkaku (Osaka Tower), which won the Sakunosuke Oda Prize; Fukuwarai (Lucky Laugh), which received the first Hayao Kawai Prize; and Saraba!, which won the prestigious Naoki prize in 2015. She was named Vogue Japan’s Woman of the Year in 2015 and among Granta’s Best of Young Japanese Novelists 2016. Several of her books have been adapted for film. Born in Tehran in 1977, Nishi grew up in Cairo and Osaka and lives in Tokyo.

About the translator:

Allison Markin Powell is a literary translator, editor, and publishing consultant. She received the 2020 PEN America Translation Prize for The Ten Loves of Nishino by Hiromi Kawakami. Her other translations and co-translations include works by Osamu Dazai, Shiori Ito, Ryunosuke Akutagawa, and Kaoru Takamura.

About the moderator:

Janet Hong is a writer and translator based in Vancouver, Canada. She received the TA First Translation Prize and the LTI Korea Translation Award for her translation of Han Yujoo’s The Impossible Fairy Tale. She is a two-time winner of the Harvey Award for Best International Book for her translations of Keum Suk Gendry-Kim’s Grass and Yeong-shin Ma’s Moms. Recent translations include Kim Ho-Yeon’s The Second Chance Convenience Store and Hwang Jungeun’s Years and Years. She has been a mentor for ALTA’s Emerging Translator Mentorship Program since 2020. Her debut novel, When We Swallowed the Sea, is forthcoming from Flatiron Books next year.