Family Tree By Chuqiao Yang (Grades 10+)

Chuqiao Yang was born in Beijing, grew up in Saskatchewan, and now lives in Ottawa. Her poems often focus on family connections, cultural and generational memories, diaspora, and the nature of self and identity. Inspirations include T.S. Eliot, especially his poem The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock, as well as William Shakespeare, John Keats, and Walt Whitman. She was a finalist for the Bronwen Wallace Award for Emerging Writers and her chapbook, Reunions in the Year of the Sheep, won the bpNichol Chapbook Award. She has a compelling and original voice, with poems that have been described as engaging, emotionally resonant, poignant, and honest. Her debut full-length collection, The Last to the Party, was released in 2024 with Goose Lane Editions (icehouse imprint).