• Age: 18
• Grade: 12

The Hyphen, a collection of essays and poignant vignettes, explores cultural heritage, hyphenated identity and the enduring pull of memory through the perspective of an Azorean Canadian immigrant and academic. Navigating disparate worlds while embracing the subtle nuances of language and history, Maria João Maciel Jorge reflects on a myriad of topics (saudade, folklore, Portuguese literature, emigration and exile) while finding comfort in the pleasure of her “in-between life,” a realm brimming with uncharted possibilities. These deeply personal essays are a testament to the strength and joy of discovering—through wandering and wondering—one’s unique place in the world.

Maria João Maciel Jorge is Associate Professor at York University’s Department of Languages, Literatures and Linguistics. She holds a PhD from the University of Toronto. Her research focuses on the immigrant experience with insights that address hyphenated identity.

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“An exquisite exploration of immigrant life: bent by empires, living in between…no book connects me better to my Azorean ancestors.” ~ Elaine Ávila, Fulbright Scholar to the Azores and author of FADO: The Saddest Music in the World