Sky Lee facts for kids

Sky Lee (born Sharon Lee on September 15, 1952) is a talented Canadian artist and novelist. She writes both fiction (made-up stories) and non-fiction (true stories).

About Sky Lee's Life

Sky Lee was born on September 15, 1952, in Port Alberni, British Columbia. Her mother, Wong Mowe Oi, was a homemaker. Her father, Lee Gwei Chang, worked at a mill.

In 1967, Lee moved to Vancouver to go to university. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Fine Arts from the University of British Columbia. She also received a Diploma in Nursing from Douglas College. Sky Lee is a member of the Asian Canadian Writers Workshop. Today, she lives on Saltspring Island, British Columbia.

Sky Lee's Creative Work

Sky Lee first became known as an illustrator. She drew pictures for the children's book Teach Me to Fly, Skyfighter! in 1983. This book was written by Paul Yee. It tells four stories about growing up as a Chinese-Canadian. The stories explore life in communities with links to both Asian-Canadian and Anglo-Canadian cultures.

Disappearing Moon Café

Lee's first novel, Disappearing Moon Cafe, came out in 1990. This book follows the Wong family through four generations. It tells their story as they run the cafe mentioned in the title. The novel was nominated for the Ethel Wilson Fiction Prize. It was also nominated for the Governor General's Award. Disappearing Moon Cafe won the City of Vancouver Book Award.

The book was reissued in 2017 by NeWest Press. It included new writings by Chris Lee and an interview with Sky Lee. Chris Lee noted that the novel was very important in Canadian literature. It explored the role of Chinese migrants in Canada. It also looked at family and community connections.

Other Books and Stories

In the same year, Lee helped write Telling It: Women and Language Across Culture. This book was written by a group called the "Telling It Book Collective." Sky Lee was a part of this group. The book discusses challenges faced by women from different backgrounds.

In 1994, Lee published Bellydancer: Stories. This is a collection of 15 short stories. These stories explore different themes about women's experiences. Many stories use the "bellydancer" as a symbol of survival. The back cover of the book explains that bellydancing was originally performed to help women during labor. It was seen as a dance of creation.

Her short stories have also appeared in Vancouver Short Stories. You can also find her work in magazines like West Coast Line and Makara.