Chorus of Mushrooms

Winner of the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize for Best First Book (Caribbean and Canadian Region)

Co-winner of the Canada-Japan Literary Award

Hiromi Goto’s acclaimed debut novel is a feminist examination of the Japanese Canadian immigrant experience. Focusing on the lives of three generations of women in modern day Alberta, Goto uses their stories to examine the impacts of privilege and cultural identity on Asian Canadian immigrants.

Since its publication in 1994, Hiromi Goto’s Chorus of Mushrooms has been recognized as a true classic of Canadian literature. One of the initial entries in NeWest Press’ long-running Nunatak First Fiction Series, Hiromi Goto’s inaugural outing was recognized by Commonwealth Writers as the Best First Book in the Caribbean and Canadian regions that year. It was also selected as co-winner of the Canada-Japan Literary Award.

This special edition was released for the 20th Anniversary of the book’s publication and includes an extensive afterword by Canadian novelist and Lambda Literary Award-winner Larissa Lai and an interview with the author on the impact the book has had on the Canadian literary landscape.