Quote, unquote: Meeting a real need

"I truly believe that for a strong literature to emerge, writers need opportunities, they need doors to open, support in the from grants and nominations, all of which translates into visibility. If not, some writers will lose the opportunity, at crucial stages of their career, to perfect their craft. Literature is a craft that requires time, commitment, a paycheque at the right moment, publisher support, and intelligent critical response. Certainly, the astonishing works created by women writers in the 20th-century are a testament to this fact."

-- Writer Madeleine Thien, speaking at the LiterASIAN festival, a fundraiser for Ricepaper magazine. She was talking about need such a magazine fills. She was briefly editor of the magazine starting in 1999. [h/t to the National Post]