Guest Poet, Chris Gatchalian

Born, raised and based in Vancouver, Filipino-Canadian author C. E. (Chris) Gatchalian writes

drama, poetry, fiction and non-fiction. An alumnus of the University of British Columbia’s

Creative Writing program (BFA: 1996; MFA: 2002), his plays, which include Broken, Crossing,

Claire, Motifs & Repetitions, People Like Vince and Falling In Time, have appeared on stages

nationally and internationally, as well as on radio and television. His book of poems, tor/sion,

was published in 2005, and his poetry has appeared in numerous periodicals such as

Contemporary Verse, ricepaper and SHAMPOO. As a person of Filipino heritage with twelve

years of classical music training (ARCT - Performer’s), music runs through his blood (talk

about perpetuating stereotypes, but there it is!). The 2013 recipient of the Dayne Ogilvie

Prize, awarded annually by The Writers' Trust of Canada, he is currently Artistic Producer of

the frank theatre company and an Adjunct Professor at the University of British Columbia.