If only he’d known then what he knows now.
Author Nick Noorani immigrated to Canada from India, via Dubai, 17 years ago and realized very quickly that visiting a country and living in it was a different sport.
That’s why Noorani — all of his work is targeted at newcomers to Canada, including when he launched the Canadian Immigrant magazine in 2003 — has written his fifth book, 365 Tips for Newcomers: Your First Year in Canada, which provides practical tips for recent and settled immigrants.
And as part of the free, Read Local BC event — organized for the first time by the Association of Book Publishers of British Columbia (ABPBC) — which starts next week at Richmond Public Library, Noorani will share his experiences and advice with the public.
“There’s a huge immigrant population in Richmond, so this is perfect for them,” said Noorani, whose second book, Welcome to Canada, was handed to every new immigrant when they arrived in the country.
“Sometimes the answers can be so simple when you move to a new country, but it’s not as easy as that.”
For example, when Noorani arrived in Canada in 1998, there was the wrong presumption that all of your healthcare costs were free.
“I keep thinking that there’s so much I would love to have known when I first arrived,” said Noorani, who also advises the federal government about breaking down barriers to employment for new immigrants.
“Things like medical coverage. Everyone assumes that you’re covered automatically in Canada. You’re not. And people don’t know to ask about extended medical coverage at job interviews.
“And Canada, as a country, is very risk adverse, so it’s difficult to get people to take a chance on you when it comes to employment.
I’ve lived it; I’ve seen it and I’m still learning every single day.”
ABPBC’s executive director, Margaret Reynolds, said the event has been a long time coming, after a successful BC Book Day in the Legislature in Victoria last year.
Reynolds said the province-wide event is about showcasing B.C.’s best publishers and authors.
“This is something we’ve wanted to do for a while,” she said.
“When people go into a bookstore, they rarely look at the spine for the publisher, who are pretty anonymous.
“But without us, there wouldn’t be anyone to edit, design and distribute the books that everyone loves.”
Noorani will give his drop-in talk on Saturday, April 18 from 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at Richmond Public Library’s Brighouse branch in the Kwok-Chu Lee Living Room.
From April 1-22, Read Local BC will bring together 23 publishers, 300 authors, 60 speakers and presenters, 50 bookstores and 40 libraries to celebrate the talent of B.C.’s writers.
Some of the seven Richmond events — all free — include:
* The Beauty of Chinese Poetry & Drama: In partnership with the Hua Xia Multiculture Society, Mr. Ya Hsien with Ms. Bai Long discuss Chinese literary arts;
* Playing with Words: Children’s book author Wah Ying Chan, poetry book author Catherine Shi, novelist Yuping Li, and author Zhaoyuan Liang discuss the process of writing.
To register, visit any branch of the Richmond Public Library, register at www.yourlibrary.ca/events or call 604-231-6413.
