Daniel Innes's extensive portfolio includes painting, installation, graphic and textile design, illustration, sign painting, and tattooing. He uses traditional commercial art techniques, with a focus on the process. He has a special interest in creating works that have the possibility of an immersive physical experience.

Daniel was born in the north end of Toronto and has lived in the Spadina-Chinatown neighbourhood for over 20 years. Watching the neighbourhood change over the years has ended his love affair with Toronto. His time is now spent between Toronto and his studio (an artist residency project) in Hyogo, Japan.

Christina Wong is a playwright, prose writer, and a multidisciplinary artist who also works in sound installation, audio documentaries, and photography. Her plays have been performed at Factory Studio, Theatre Passe Muraille Backspace, and Palmerston Library Theatre. Her work has also appeared in TOK Magazine, the Toronto Star, and on CJRU 1280AM.

Christina grew up with the sights, smells, and sounds of Toronto's Chinatown and Kensington Market neighbourhoods, which have shaped her identity and view of the world.

"In Denison Avenue, we watch a recent widow desperately tread water in a city drowning under waves of gentrification. This tender lyrical novel is an anthem of grief, a swan song to cities as we know them and the loved ones we lose along the way." -- Catherine Hernandez, author and screenwriter of Scarborough, the novel and film

"I spent my formative years in Kensington Market. I still go to Chinatown multiple times a week to eat. I love it so much, it's a place that truly brings me so much joy. Denison Avenue shows us the realness of how the buildings are changing, the restaurants are changing, and the love that has slowly been taken away in the process. A beautiful book that shares stories of love and loss." -- Matty Matheson, celebrity chef

"Wong and Innes have created something truly special in this multi-faceted book. Innes' detailed and beautiful hand-drawn illustrations depicting the changes in the community are eye-catching complements to Wong's writing and can stand on their own." -- Booklist, starred review

"But the true triumph of this production is bringing the Taosan dialect to life. The dialogue is performed first in Taosan and then in English. While most listeners will only understand the English, it is a rare and culturally astute choice that lets listeners experience the languages side by side...this audio will engage listeners craving something new and soothe anyone who knows what it's like to love a city that doesn't always love you back." -- Booklist

"The magnificent Denison Avenue will tell you a story you've never heard before -- about people you think you know in your neighbourhood. It will change you. It will change how you look at people on the bus and on the streets. It will change how you live your life." -- Naheed Nenshi, former Mayor of Calgary, for CBC's Canada Reads

"The book reminds those of us who live in cities across the world that it is important to consider the heritage and legacies of neighborhoods in many cities and the ways that gentrification affects the people who live there." -- Shondaland

"Wong's performance captures the isolation and displacement often experienced by the elderly, along with the scourge of gentrification. It's a thought-provoking lament for what used to be." -- AudioFile

Publisher: ECW Press

Pub date: 2023-05-02

Length: 328 pages