Li Charmaine Anne is a writer residing on the unceded territories of the of the xwməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and səl̓ilwətaɁɬ (Tseil-Waututh) Peoples.
Holding a BFA from the University of British Columbia in Creative Writing and English Literature, her writing can be found in Canadian literary journals and online. In addition to fiction and creative non-fiction, she is also a content marketer at Pianote, an online piano lessons platform. Outside of literature, her inspirations include skateboarding, snowboarding, music, birds, and the Pacific Northwest, where she grew up. Her work is informed by her lived experience as a queer person of colour and a second-generation settler of Han Chinese (Hong Kong) descent. She believes that by sharing our stories and listening to others, we create a more just world. Her debut young adult novel, Crash Landing, is now available from Annick Press.
We had the pleasure of catching up with Char to ask her more about Crash Landing.
YA books like Crash Landing—exploring the intersection of queer and immigrant identity—didn’t exist when you were growing up. What’s been your journey as a writer and how does it feel to see your debut go out into the world?
When I was a kid, the only books I saw that featured Asian characters were historical fiction or serious, issue-driven books. There were few books about the second-generation, diaspora experience, and I felt there was an absence of “fun.” What I would have wanted was a book about everyday life and the trials and tribulations of being a modern teenager—with a character that just so happens to be Asian.
I’ve been writing novels since before I was a teenager and I first started writing one about a girl skater when I was around 16. Between then and Crash Landing getting acquired, I wrote several different stories about a girl skater named Ash (one of them was about snowboarding instead!).
I wrote Crash Landing during the pandemic and made a deal with myself to get it as close to publishing as I could. I was walking down the laneway behind my house when I saw in my head two girls meeting there for the first time on their skateboards. That’s the first scene in Crash Landing.
I’m stoked to see my book in the world. I was in L.A. recently and saw my book on the shelf of an indie bookstore right next to the iconic Venice Beach Skatepark. That was surreal!
In Crash Landing, 17-year-olds Jay and Ash bond as they skateboard around Vancouver. What does the city of Vancouver mean to you and why was it the perfect setting for this story?
I was born in Toronto, but I’ve lived in Vancouver since I was three. I am 100% a stereotypical West Coaster. I love hiking, camping, canoeing, skateboarding, snowboarding, and eating sushi and pho!
Metro Vancouver is on the Pacific Rim. It has an Asian population so big, in some areas you’ll wonder if you’re in North America at all because you’re surrounded by Asian stores. Cantonese-speaking people (my people) have lived here for generations and have done a lot to shape the city. As a second-generation member of the diaspora, I’m grateful that I got to grow up eating traditional food, shopping for traditional groceries, and listening to Cantonese radio with my parents in the car.
Of course, racism and xenophobia are serious issues here. But that’s all the reason to set a story about Asian diaspora identity in Vancouver, where Asian Vancouverites deal with these challenges every day.
Crash Landing feels distinctly rooted in time. Why did you decide to set the story in 2010? How did that change your writing?
Well, the simple answer is that I was a teenager in 2010! So I remember what it was like.
The longer answer: I think 2010 was a transitional time. Facebook and YouTube were getting big (Instagram would come later). We were transitioning from the wild west Internet of the early aughts to the more sophisticated, social media-driven age we are in now.
I got really into board sports during that time, all thanks to YouTube. I remember watching “sponsor me” videos other kids had uploaded, and binge-watching snowboarding, skateboarding, and longboarding videos late into the night. I remember fantasizing about nailing those tricks one day. It was an aspirational time, and I can only imagine those same videos being equally inspiring to Jay and Ash.
Like learning to skateboard, growing up involves trying new things, taking risks, falling and learning to get back on your feet. What lessons have you learned from skateboarding and did they make it into the book?
Writing this book inspired me to get back into skateboarding and oh man, it’s been life-changing.
Skaters will tell you that skateboarding is mostly mental. It’s about conquering fear and having the courage to keep trying despite what seems like zero progress. But it’s also about community and self-expression. I’ve met so many awesome people through skating, and my mental health has improved dramatically since returning to skating.
I hope that community aspect made it into Crash Landing. Jay is initially intimidated by the boys at the skate park, but upon meeting Ash’s friends, realizes they are super supportive and get her stoked. That’s been my experience, too.
If you visit a skatepark, you’ll often see people tapping or banging their boards against the ground. That’s our way of applauding a job well done, and I’ve even been applauded for slamming because skaters respect a good try!
There are queer and immigrant youth who have never seen their identities reflected on the page who now will, thanks to Crash Landing. What message do you have for teens who pick up your book?
Your immigrant parents come from a completely different time, culture, and context. So of course they will have different perspectives from you. Some parents (like Jay’s) are flawed but have your best interests at heart. Other parents (like Ash’s) are toxic and require some hard boundaries.
Figuring out which one of these is your parents, drawing boundaries, and growing up with such dissimilar adults is tough. Sometimes, it can be a lifelong project. But I promise you: you’re not the only one dealing with this.
Friends are one of life’s most important things. Especially if your home life isn’t great, friends can become chosen family—a lifeline. Try to make friends with folks from all walks of life. I often say that I’ve met many Ashes—people who have walked into my life and completely upended my perspective. They’ve humbled and inspired me.
To learn more about Li Charmaine Anne, visit licharmaineanne.ca.