By Sasha Moedt (The Cascade) – Email
Print Edition: October 3, 2012
Shauna Singh Baldwin is coming to UFV. On October 10, with a reading and reception hosted by the Centre for Indo Canadian Studies, well-known writer Shauna Singh Baldwin will discuss her new novel, Selector of Souls.
Baldwin has won numerous awards for her novels and short stories, most notably the Commonwealth prize for best book for her novel What the Body Remembers. UFV students interested in literature, creative writing, women’s issues and social issues—even free snacks—should come out to the Centre for Indo Canadian Studies where the reading will take place.
Sharanjit Sandhra, coordinator for the Centre for Indo Canadian Studies, said Baldwin is an approachable author, one that students should look to for questions and discussion.
“She’s a very engaging author, open to speaking to anybody.”
Baldwin has spoken once before at UFV, in 2006, on her then-new book What the Body Remembers.
She will be reading a passage from Selector of Souls for the audience, and will take questions at the reception, which will also feature food.
A common theme running through many of Baldwin’s stories is women’s issues. Selector of Souls is about two women—one of whom is a Hindu midwife fleeing an abusive relationship, the other a Catholic sister dealing with her own problems—whose lives cross as they both make an effort to aid other women in their own way.
“Most of her novels are on women’s issues, because that’s just predominant, especially in South Asian culture and society, so she writes to those issues”
Set in India in the mid-1990s, Selector of Souls confronts social, political and religious issues with gender and abortion.
“It crosses cultures, women’s issues, it crosses so many boundaries,” Sandhra said. “It’s not like it’s just a South Asian issue, it’s issues that we all face as women, so that’s why her books touch everybody a little bit, that’s what makes her so amazing”
Baldwin will also be speaking on another topic: the shootings that took place at the Wisconsin Sikh temple. Though Baldwin is originally from Canada, she currently lives in Wisconsin. She had intended on going to the temple that morning when she got a call.
“She was getting ready to go to the Gurdwara, she’s putting on her bangles and then she got a phone call saying this has happened. So she just missed being there by a matter of, I don’t know, 20 minutes, half an hour,” Sandhra explained.
“Because she volunteers for the Red Cross, so when she got that phone call, she was there immediately assisting families, serving food and trying to assist in any way she could.”
“She’s going to speak on that issue; how near and dear it is to her heart and what happened.”
For an engaging and stimulating dialogue, about these varied issues, come out to room F 125. The event is free and open to public, and will take place at 7 p.m. on October 10.
