Wordfest 2024: A literary celebration featuring Teresa Wong’s All Our Ordinary Stories
By Maren Abuzukar, November 16 2024—
From Oct. 15-21, Calgary once again became the epicenter of Canada’s literary world with Wordfest’s annual Imaginarium festival. This vibrant festival, known for having hosted prominent authors like Margaret Atwood and Diana Gabaldon, also shines a spotlight on emerging Canadian voices. Among this year’s featured authors was Calgary’s own Teresa Wong, presenting her graphic memoir All Our Ordinary Stories.
Wong, making her debut as a Wordfest author, describes the event as inspiring and exposing what it’s like to live a creative life. Her participation marks a significant milestone in her career, having previously attended Wordfest as a host. The festival, which brings exciting authors and ideas to Calgary, offers a unique opportunity for writers to showcase their work and for readers to engage with their favorite authors.
All Our Ordinary Stories is Wong’s second graphic memoir, following her debut Dear Scarlet. The book explores the complexities of immigrant family relationships, sparked by Wong’s mother’s stroke in 2014. Through a series of illustrated stories, Wong delves into her family’s history, including her parents’ escape from China during the Cultural Revolution and their struggles as blue-collar workers in Canada.
Wong’s creative process for this memoir was both intuitive and deliberate.
“I drew and wrote at the same time,” she explained, describing how doodling often revealed unexpected story directions.
This approach allowed her to weave personal anecdotes with broader themes of identity and inheritance. The memoir ambitiously spans decades, even centuries, capturing a holistic view of immigrant experiences.
Cultural influences play a significant role in Wong’s storytelling. She describes her books as “quiet,” reflecting the often unspoken nature of communication in her family.
“So much is unspoken, with subtle shifts. Not a lot is said outright,” Wong noted, highlighting how this dynamic influenced her narrative style.
Interestingly, when she showed the book to her parents, their reaction was muted, underscoring the generational and cultural gaps she explores in her work.
Wong’s artistic style has evolved since Dear Scarlet, now showcasing more ambitious drawings while maintaining a simple, accessible visual approach. She cites influences from simple comics and graphic memoirs like Persepolis, appreciating how they demonstrate that comics can tell powerful stories without adhering to superhero-style artwork.
Participating in Wordfest has been a valuable experience for Wong. She appreciated the opportunity to see how other authors present their work and values the chance for Calgarians to meet renowned writers, and emphasized the importance of such events in bridging geographical and cultural divides.
For aspiring writers, especially university students, Wong offered practical advice.
“Just try. Give yourself small, achievable assignments,” she said.
She suggested starting with writing a single scene rather than tackling an entire book at once. Wong also emphasized the importance of reading widely and attending literary events, even if one feels intimidated.
All Our Ordinary Stories took Wong approximately two and a half years from draft to submission, a testament to the time and dedication required for such a project. She encouraged writers to be patient and allow themselves time to sit with their work.
Through her graphic memoirs and participation in literary events like Wordfest, Teresa Wong continues to contribute valuable perspectives on the immigrant experience, family relationships and the power of storytelling. Her work serves as both a personal exploration and a bridge between generations and cultures, inviting readers to reflect on their own ordinary yet extraordinary stories.
Wordfest’s 2024 Imaginarium festival, with its diverse lineup of authors and events, was an exciting celebration of literature, fostering a vibrant literary community in Calgary and beyond. As Wong aptly put it, it’s an opportunity for everyone interested in creativity to get inspired and gain exposure to the creative life.