Chinksta rap is all the rage in Red Deer, Alberta. And the king of Chinksta is King Kwong, Run’s older brother. Run isn’t a fan of Kwong’s music – or personality, really. But when Kwong goes missing just days before his crowning performance and their mom gets wounded by a stray bullet, Run finds himself, with his sidekick, Ali, in the middle of a violent battle between Red Deer’s rival gangs – the Apes and the Necks – on the run from his crush’s behemoth brother, and rethinking his feelings about his family and their history, his hatred of rice-rap and what it means to be Asian.

Jon Chan Simpson grew up in Red Deer, Alberta. He is a graduate of the University of Toronto's MA Creative Writing program, and his work has been featured in Ricepaper magazine.

Jon Chan Simpson's profile page

• Short-listed, A.M. Klein Poetry Prize

'Confident in its tone and unapologetic in its uniqueness, Chinkstar is an unforgettable experience, and one that makes me hopeful to see more unique Asian Canadian voices in the literary scene soon.' - Maple Tree Literary Supplement

'Chinkstar is a refreshing read, as the narration is like a story from a friend a few beers deep at a winding down party; enthralling and informal, with so much action you know you should quit for some rest, but can't.' - Ricepaper

'What sets Chinkstar apart is the stylized presentation of a performer who is looking for an audience, a young man who is seeking a place, a connection, something to call his own.' - Marion Milner, Buried in Print

National Post interviewer Chandler Levack writes that Simpson has a 'fresh voice and flair for vivid imagery ... [Chinkstar's] an entertaining and subversive summer read.'

"[Chinkstar is] the best debut novel I've read so far this year." - Michael Hingston, Edmonton Journal