The Artistry of Wordsmiths
We asked the members of Writers Beyond Borders, “The importance of writing is more than just creative expression it is ...?”
The importance of writing
Writing is much more than just creative expression. Before I had my writing, there was my father’s voice, a rich baritone who would make me savour the nuances and riches of the French language. Whenever he would welcome our midnight mass congregation with Les anges dans nos campagnes/Angels on high, the little girl that I was knew that it was really Christmas. His voice and the language he used so skilfully were coloured by an ancestral past rich with heady promises; it was also a language riddled with many dangers.
Writing allows me to tap into my ancestors’ past, to write about the present or the past, and also to imagine what is yet to come. Writing makes it possible for me to explain who I am and to discover others through their words and their worlds whereby the importance of using the correct word, paying attention to nuance, imagery, sound, and of taking place, time and space into account.
Writers Beyond Borders is a welcoming setting for Canadians of diverse backgrounds to share their experiences via the spoken and written word. Some phrasing is melodious, some is more guttural, and some is harsh like the land it comes from, while some is airy like the sky above, no matter the harshness of the land. Some texts bring tears to our eyes, others make us giggle like school children, and others make us taste the spicing that flavours daily meals, while others cause us to reflect, imagine other realities, and to imagine ourselves in different contexts, on different continents, leading different lives.
If ever we are to live in peace, learning about others through their writing is of primordial importance, for how can we build bridges between peoples if we do not know where the other is from, what matters to him or her, what has shaped our neighbour, what has nourished his heart and soul as well as his or her body?
Writing goes beyond daily life, but it originates in the daily life of all of us.
– Jocelyne Verret
Writing is more than creative expression
Writing is more than creative expression. It communicates one’s feelings, thoughts, and transfers knowledge. The difference between humans and other animals is that we can communicate well through speech. Above all, it can go beyond borders to other countries, and even to the future generations.
Many famous and important writings are translated and preserved in human history, with some of the most common and important examples being religious books like the Bible and the Koran.
Other good literary examples are Shakespeare’s dramas. They represent the highest level of literately excellence. They are translated into many languages and inspire people not only of their own countries; they cross borders to other countries and future generations.
The famous British detective stories of Sherlock Holmes should be well read by police forces all over the world. He is a fictional character, but the stories teach the magical use of good logic in order to solve criminal cases.
Another example is the “Art of War”, a book written by ancient Chinese war strategist Sun Tzu. It is not just good logic about fighting war, but has also been adopted by the western world in business field. Smart strategy like concentrating all soldiers at one point during an attack is analogous to concentrating all capital on one good project rather than doing a few less profitable projects at the same time. Another superior strategy of fighting a war is to run away. It does not mean to flee or to give up, rather it means that it is more profitable to solve problems by negotiation than by fighting.
Because of writing, all these wisdoms can be preserved in all countries of the human civilization.
Due to modern technologies in transportation, the world is much smaller and closer knit than ever before. Doctors Across Borders is the first cross-border exchange of knowledge through medical co-operation. My brother-in-law is a US medical doctor who volunteers his time in operating on the poor children in rural China to correct birth defects like cleft-lip. In so doing he learns the technique of using acupuncture in operations.
The world has also seen many teachers across borders lately. Many North American teachers are teaching English in the oriental countries and many Chinese teachers are teaching the Chinese language in African countries, for instance. It is important to the world that more people can speak the language of other countries so they can communicate, do business, exchange ideas, co-operate and live together in harmony.
In modern China, they choose the way of peaceful development. In disputes with other countries about their borders, they instead join efforts to do business such as drilling off-shore for oil. With these good examples, many countries are encouraging doctors, teachers and writers to work beyond their borders.
Writers Beyond Borders (WBB) has the same idea where writers from all different cultures share their knowledge . In Canada, in old Residential Schools, they wanted to wipe out the native culture and taught Native children “the Canadian way”. Their methods are under strong criticism. Now they change to better tactics. They encourage more people from The First Nation to write so that others can understand their culture and their difficulties. It is also incumbent upon us to let indigenous people to know that we do not intend to wipe out their culture but to respect and to learn what they have to offer.
WBB also serves another important function which is to provide an ample supply of translators who can translate influential writings from one language to another. Another important job is to train writers that are good in one language to be fluent to write in another language. With immerse support and help, they produce good results because these writers have the intensive passion, good habit and keen hobby to write. They write not for the sake of writing, but because they have so much in their hearts and minds to share with others.
– Rapidmath Joe Li
Writers Beyond Borders is a writing group for multi-lingual writers. To volunteer or become a member e-mail This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it