When Lin Lin and her father immigrate to Canada from China, they bring with them one of their most treasured possessions - a traditional Chinese violin. From the beauty of their new country to the uneasiness of not fitting in, this violin sees them through all their experiences, good and bad. One day, however, a terrible misfortune occurs when the Chinese violin is broken.

Madeleine Thien's novel Do Not Say We Have Nothing was shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize 2016 and won the Scotiabank Giller Prize 2016 and the Governor General's Award 2016. She is also the author of the story collection Simple Recipes (2001) and the novels Certainty (2006) and Dogs at the Perimeter (Granta, 2012), which was shortlisted for Berlin's 2014 International Literature Award and won the Frankfurt Book Fair's 2015 LiBeraturpreis. Her books and stories have been translated into 23 languages. The daughter of Malaysian-Chinese immigrants to Canada, she lives in Montreal.

Madeleine Thien's profile page

Born in Shenyang in Northeast China, Joe Chang earned an arts degree in oil painting and printmaking at the Lu-Xin Art University of China. After graduation, he was invited to teach at the university. Four years later, he entered Tama Art University in Tokyo to pursue his studies in fine art.

Joe has had his work exhibited in national and international art exhibitions, with solo exhibitions in China, Japan, Vancouver and Victoria.

Joe Chang's profile page