Cirrus@Austlit

Wendy Robbins interviews Bruce Bennett about his visit to Canada in 2001 when he investigated 'what kinds of recognition of Asia have occurred in Canada, especially in literature.' The interview canvasses the writing of Asian Canadian and Asian Australian writers and their varying degrees of integration and inclusion into the life and culture of their adoptive countries. Particular mention is made of writers from South Asian, Chinese and Japanese backgrounds. Although Canada and Australia, both former British Dominions, share some common elements in their national evolution, Bennett concludes that 'it is likely that differences in relations with Asian countries, and literary representations of them, will occur according to international alliances, trade, and the geography, history, economy, and demographic characteristics of the different parts of [the] two countries.'