Joy Kogawa is a Canadian author known for her poignant writing that often explores themes of identity, displacement, and the Japanese Canadian experience. Born on April 6, 1935, in Vancouver, British Columbia, she is best known for her novel Obasan, which tells the story of a Japanese Canadian family during and after World War II. Kogawa's work has received numerous accolades, including the Order of Canada and the Governor General's Award for Fiction. In addition to her novels, she has written poetry and children's literature, contributing significantly to Canadian literature and raising awareness about the injustices faced by Japanese Canadians during the war.