Grow Together

Published in 2020, IWA’s second anthology – Grow Together – was co-authored by fifteen of its members, first-time or published immigrant authors.

Co-Authors

David Albertyn , Gabriela Casineanu, Mareme Diongue, Marni Dieanu, Alice Fomen, Claudiu Murgan, Paul Lebedev, Emanuel Petrescu, Gaston Nyabul di Kanza Mabaya, Gabriela Covaci, Phyllis Koppel, Warda Warsame, Soulsne, Y M Palmer-Clarke, Rodica Mariana Nicolescu

From the anthology Foreword:

When I asked… why a non-immigrant to write the book foreword, she replied that she wanted a different perspective. I thought I was doing her a favour; she in fact did one for me. This anthology, as did the first, gave me a different perspective.
Although I have worked with, employed, and mentored immigrants in my career, I still have so much more to learn. If I can offer one bit of advice to readers, it is to get involved. Be open and understanding. Be aware of how brave are these individuals who took the journey away from everything they know, and how that resilience benefits our communities.
At a recent webinar on unconscious bias and diversity, I took away that you don’t have to know everything to be a champion for something. Be curious, be open to learning. This book provides you with that opportunity.

Audie McCarthy _{President & CEO Mohawk College Enterprise (MCE)}

After each of these stories – I needed to take a break, to let them sink in. Even if some of the works were fictional they were so real, so relatable… not only to an immigrant, but to us all as human beings. 
These completely different individuals put their hearts together and shared stories with the world, and their understanding on how togetherness can help a person grow. Add to this, the feelings and struggles immigrants experience, and the multicultural environment, and you get a compelling bouquet into the psyche of the human mind, a bouquet with rare flowers showcasing how different and special we all are, fragile as individuals and strong in our togetherness. 

~Marni

A delightful – and delightfully varied – collection of writings contributed by immigrants to Canada. Reflecting the authors’ lives in echoes of the past or in an imagined other time, each story is a testament to the determination and perseverance of the immigrant community in Canada. 
The collection has the feel of meeting people at a gathering and finding out about them – and learning that everyone has a fascinating story, or quite a few!

Ulla de Stricker

Writing that lacks passion, emotion, care, struggle, empathy, will always be insufficient, no matter how well written. Grow Together’s chapters are filled with genuine emotion, a desire for positive change, a collective spirit, and an enduring hopefulness.
This book deals with the pain of uprooting and the clash of cultures, and yet it contains a sense of potent optimism and togetherness. It is a book that is equally heartbreaking and heartwarming. It is inspiring.

David Albertyn