The Pillow Book Reimagined: Generations in Conversation

What makes your heart beat faster? What things have lost their power? What remains elegant, even now?

In 1002, Sei Shōnagon—a woman serving in the Japanese imperial court—kept a private notebook of observations. No grand philosophy. Just what she noticed: infuriating moments, beautiful things, the particular quality of dawn in different seasons. Her Pillow Book survived a thousand years because she paid attention to what actually mattered.

Now, women in Vancouver are writing their own lists. Not as homage, but as necessity—because paying attention is still the most radical act we have.

The Pillow Book Reimagined brings elders and students, scholars and artists into one room for an evening of intergenerational dialogue. We'll share contemporary lists inspired by Shōnagon's ancient prompts. We'll discover what changes across generations and what stubbornly endures. We'll find out if elegance still exists, and where.

This isn't about studying a classic text. It's about claiming the same permission Shōnagon gave herself: to write down what you notice, without apology, without waiting for it to be profound.

Your observations matter. They always have.

Come see what happens when we place them side by side—across ages, across centuries, across the particular distance between knowing something and saying it out loud.

Program Highlights:

Voices Across Generations
Hear contemporary Shōnagon—women ranging from their 50s to 90s—read entries from The Modern Pillow Bookproject. What makes a heart beat faster in 2026? What things have lost their power? What remains elegant despite everything? Their answers surprise, delight, and cut deep.

Scholarly Illumination & Dialogue
Dr. Sharalyn Orbaugh (UBC Department Head, Modern Japanese Literature and Popular Culture) and Dr. Sonja Arntzen (Professor Emerita, University of Toronto, and translator of The Pillow Book) offer brief lectures on Shōnagon's literary innovation and enduring cultural legacy—insights only decades of scholarship can provide. Then, they step into dialogue with our contemporary Shōnagon and the audience. Academic rigor meets lived wisdom. Historical context meets present urgency.

Shōnagon Now: A Documentary Glimpse
Watch excerpts from our video project capturing older women as they write, reflect, and claim Shōnagon's legacy as their own. See the moment a woman discovers she has something to say. Witness the laughter, the pauses, the fierce honesty of those who've earned the right to notice what matters.

Your Turn: Live List-Making
The evening concludes with an invitation: What's on your list? We'll provide Shōnagon's prompts and space for you to write. Some observations you'll keep private. Others you might share. All will matter. Because noticing—truly noticing—is how private experience becomes collective wisdom.

Plus:

• Complimentary refreshments will be served
• Opportunities to meet the like-minded and connect with fellow observers
• A chance to add your voice to a conversation that started 1,000 years ago and shows no sign of ending

Know what’s Happening Next — before everyone else does.

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Host or Publisher Vancouver Arts Colloquium Society