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Hiromi Goto

ヒロミ・ゴトウ

Hiromi Goto

Profile

Gender
Female
Born
1966-12-31 （Chiba Prefecture, Japan）
Nationality
Canadian
Languages
English, Japanese
Residence History
Chiba Prefecture, Japan — birth → British Columbia, Canada — lived during childhood → Nanton, Alberta, Canada — grew up

Career

Occupations
Writer, Editor, Creative writing instructor
Active Years
1993-
Affiliations
Athabasca University (Writer-in-Residence 2012-2013), University of Alberta (Writer-in-Residence 2009-2010), Simon Fraser University (Writer-in-Residence 2008), Vancouver Public Library (Writer-in-Residence 2007), Emily Carr University of Art and Design (visiting/guest roles)
Influenced By
Japanese folktales told by her grandmother, Her father's life stories from Japan, Aritha Van Herk, Fred Wah

Education

University of Calgary
English
Degree: B.A.
Period: 1985-1989
Year of Graduation: 1989
Country: Canada
Received creative writing instruction from Aritha Van Herk and Fred Wah while a student

Awards

Commonwealth Writers' Prize (Best First Book, Canada & Caribbean)
1995
Work: Chorus of Mushrooms
Category: Best First Book (regional)
Organization: Commonwealth Writers' Prize
Result: winner
Canada-Japan Book Award (co-winner)
1995
Work: Chorus of Mushrooms
Organization: Canada-Japan Book Award
Result: co-winner
James Tiptree, Jr. Award
2001
Organization: James Tiptree, Jr. Award
Result: winner

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

The Skin on Our Tongues

1993 Editor (poetry/essays)

Co-edited collection featuring poetry and essays.

voiceexpression

Chorus of Mushrooms

1994 Novel (magic realism / diaspora literature)

Follows three generations of Japanese women in Canada, blending memory, myth and issues of identity, belonging, and assimilation.

diasporaidentityfood culturefamily and memory
Translations
  • Published in multiple languages (Israel, Italy, Germany, UK)

The Water of Possibility

2001 Short fiction / short stories

A collection of short fiction mixing fantastical elements with cultural memory.

fantasymemorycultural inheritance

The Kappa Child

2001 Novel (speculative fiction)

Uses kappa folklore as a device to explore identity, motherhood, and belonging.

folklorefamilyself-discovery

Hopeful Monsters

2004 Novel (speculative / feminist)

A novel addressing the body, transformation, and social marginalization.

transformationembodimentfeminism

Half World

2009 Children's / YA novel

An imaginative novel aimed at younger readers.

coming of ageboundaries

Darkest Light

2012 Children's / YA novel

YA dark fantasy elements addressing identity and belonging.

dark fantasyidentity

Shadow Life

2021 Graphic novel

A graphic novel blending speculative and personal histories.

memoryhistoryvisual storytelling

Bibliography

  • The Skin on Our Tongues (co-editor), 1993
  • Chorus of Mushrooms, 1994
  • The Water of Possibility, 2001
  • The Kappa Child, 2001
  • Hopeful Monsters, 2004
  • Half World, 2009
  • Darkest Light, 2012
  • Shadow Life, 2021

Style & Themes

Literary Style
Magic-realist blending of fantasy and realityConcretely embodied descriptive styleLayered handling of diaspora and feminist concerns
Recurring Motifs
eating and the bodyfolklore and yokai (e.g. kappa)family memory and intergenerational relations

Legacy

Hiromi Goto is an important diasporic voice in Canadian literature, lauded for work addressing migration, gender, and embodiment. Her awards, writer-in-residence appointments, and recent graphic novel recognition have brought broad readership and academic interest.

In Popular Culture

  • Served as Guest of Honor at WisCon (2014)
  • 'Shadow Life' selected as One Book One SFU by Simon Fraser University Library (2022)

Quotes

  • My work explores the complexities of identity, belonging, and the body.
    Source: WisCon Guest of Honour Speech (2014)

Trivia

  • Immigrated from Japan to Canada with her family in 1969.
  • Grew up in Nanton, Alberta; her father farmed mushrooms.
  • 'Shadow Life' was selected as SFU Library's One Book One SFU choice (2022).