EN 646

South Asian Canadian Lit

This course considers the literature, histories and cultures of the South Asian diaspora in Canada, in light of a variety of genres, including political fiction written in response to the global war on terror, experimental poetic volumes that function as forms of literary activism, as well as satirical and comedic works by social and new media artists. We examine South Asian Canadian literature as a distinct body of writing and as an aspect of Canadian literature, in light of multicultural and diaspora theories, as well as in light of citizenship itself, as a discursive, legal and symbolic construct. Students are exposed to internationally acclaimed figures such as Anita Rau Badami, Michael Ondaatje, and Shyam Selvadurai, alongside a new generation of writers and artists including Mayank Bhatt, Soraya Peerbaye, Farzana Doctor and Maria Qamar. Exclusions: EN692Y.