Description
Join us for an evening to celebrate the launch of PP Wong’s second novel, Slice the Water, a magical new work called “a knockout,” by novelist Annabel Lyon and one of 49th Shelf’s Most Anticipated Fall Fiction. Wong will be in conversation with tech journalist Lisa Tanh to explore themes in her novel, including how social media and AI not only reshapes our world but redefines what it means to be human.
Born on the lush island nation of Mahana, Fred lives under the tyrannical rule of a book-burning king. Under the king’s rule, Mahanians are controlled by a military dictatorship and threatened with forced starvation, while people with disabilities are exiled. After Fred’s father suddenly disappears, Fred joins an underground movement of dissenters and becomes an unwitting global icon in the fight for Mahanian freedom. When he is recruited and relocated by an organization that appears sympathetic to Fred’s cause, he arrives in a seemingly peaceful foreign nation, where the impact of social media and technology creates a new, stranger struggle.
A dystopian thriller, a speculative fiction, and a coming-of-age story, Wong’s novel thrums with biting bursts of staccato-like prose — a fitting accompaniment to a fascinating exploration of contrasting political systems. As Fred unpeels layers of truth and sees beyond the optics of altruism and the illusion of choice, Slice the Water unpacks the myriad amplifying impacts of technology, addiction, and complacency. Watch the book trailer here.
Limited tickets are $10, purchased here, and can be credited toward the purchase of your signed copy of the novel. Books will be on hand for sale and signing!
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 and 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.
Endorsements
“This novel is a knockout.” —Annabel Lyon, author of Consent
“A feast to read.” —Nalo Hopkinson, author of Blackheart Man
“Uniquely alive and wondrously imagined.”—Kevin Chong, author of The Double Life of Benson Yu
