Tsang wins Vancouver Book Award
October 31st, 2024
Author Henry Tsang (at right) was presented the Vancouver Book Award at the Awards Ceremony last week, for his book, White Riot: The 1907 Anti-Asian Riots in Vancouver (Arsenal Pulp Press $32.95).
Tsang’s book provides an in-depth look at the violent 1907 anti-Asian riots, where members of the Asiatic Exclusion League organized a demonstration that escalated into mob violence against Chinese and Japanese Canadian communities. Through Tsang’s 360 Riot Walk—a 360-degree video tour—this book combines historical analysis with contemporary reflections, using colorized photos of the riots and images of modern Vancouver. Essays by Tsang and others explore the colonial and exclusionary policies that fueled racial violence and situate these events within today’s anti-Asian sentiment. By examining this history, White Riot questions how society, in an age of anti-racism and decolonization, can truly reconcile with its past within the enduring structures of white supremacy.
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ABOUT THE AWARD
The annual City of Vancouver Book Award has been recognizing authors of excellence of any genre since 1989. These authors contribute to the appreciation and understanding of Vancouver’s diversity, history, unique character, or the achievements of its residents. The $3,000 prize is funded by their Publishing Reserve, which was established in 1977 as a permanent legacy for Vancouver writers and publishers.
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