After not publishing for a decade, Shyam Selvadurai, the accalaimed author of Funny Boy, is back with a new, provocative tale, The Hungry Ghosts.
He has been briefly absent from the literary world, but is certainly back with a bang. Selvadurai is pushing the envelope with The Hungry Ghosts, exploring gay culture in Canada and abroad a little more candidly than he did in his previous works; Funny Boy and Cinnamon Gardens only flirted with the subject. The new book isn’t holding anything back.
The story centers on a 19-year- old Sri Lankan boy named Shivan Rassiah, who moves to Toronto from Colombo with his family to flee the escalating ethnic tension between the Sinhalese and Tamils.As a new immigrant, Shivan goes through trials and tribulations of assimilation and battling with his identity in a society that is so different from the one he left while also coming to terms with his sexuality.
Set in the early 80s and 90s, Selvadurai’s story masterfully interweaves two cultures. After an hour-long train ride from Scarborough to downtown Toronto on a cold, rainy night, I sat in the front row across from Shyam Selvadurai as he read from his new book at the Elizabeth Beeton Library.
He nostalgically described the sights and smells of Sri Lanka — its food, people, and rich culture. I later spoke to him about his new novel. I first asked him about his time at York, both as a student and then later returning as a professor to teach creative writing.
Excalibur: How did York help shape your writing career?
Shyam Selvadurai: I studied theatre at York. I learned how to write a scene and how to act a scene. I learned how dialogue worked. When you are acting, or actually using dialogue, you get a sense of how it functions. I found the creative writing course I took was really excellent. All that shaped me as a writer.
He has been briefly absent from the literary world, but is certainly back with a bang. Selvadurai is pushing the envelope with The Hungry Ghosts, exploring gay culture in Canada and abroad a little more candidly than he did in his previous works; Funny Boy and Cinnamon Gardens only flirted with the subject. The new book isn’t holding anything back.
The story centers on a 19-year- old Sri Lankan boy named Shivan Rassiah, who moves to Toronto from Colombo with his family to flee the escalating ethnic tension between the Sinhalese and Tamils.As a new immigrant, Shivan goes through trials and tribulations of assimilation and battling with his identity in a society that is so different from the one he left while also coming to terms with his sexuality.
Set in the early 80s and 90s, Selvadurai’s story masterfully interweaves two cultures. After an hour-long train ride from Scarborough to downtown Toronto on a cold, rainy night, I sat in the front row across from Shyam Selvadurai as he read from his new book at the Elizabeth Beeton Library.
He nostalgically described the sights and smells of Sri Lanka — its food, people, and rich culture. I later spoke to him about his new novel. I first asked him about his time at York, both as a student and then later returning as a professor to teach creative writing.
Excalibur: How did York help shape your writing career?
Shyam Selvadurai: I studied theatre at York. I learned how to write a scene and how to act a scene. I learned how dialogue worked. When you are acting, or actually using dialogue, you get a sense of how it functions. I found the creative writing course I took was really excellent. All that shaped me as a writer.
E: You taught creative writing at York. What gave you that passion to teach?
SS: They asked me to come and teach, and I said “Sure!” It was just a pleasant thing to do. It was nice to return a different way to York, as a teacher, and I found the students very interesting. Their commitment to try to be writers was very commendable.
E: You talked about a professor here inspiring you to write, so are you willing to give his name?
SS: His name is Professor Mat- thew Corrigan. He is long retired now.
E: In your new book, your char- acters attend York. Was that some kind of a shout-out?
SS: I think that it was part of an experience of coming here for me. I wanted to in some way inscribe York, what the expectations are in the reality of these buildings, and this kind of campus, which is so big, that it is alienating, especially if you are coming from a foreign country.
SS: His name is Professor Mat- thew Corrigan. He is long retired now.
E: In your new book, your char- acters attend York. Was that some kind of a shout-out?
SS: I think that it was part of an experience of coming here for me. I wanted to in some way inscribe York, what the expectations are in the reality of these buildings, and this kind of campus, which is so big, that it is alienating, especially if you are coming from a foreign country.
E: In The Hungry Ghosts, the lead characters Shivan and Mili struggle to come to terms with their sexuality. What advice would you give to LGBT students, and particularly South Asian LGBT students, who are battling with their sexuality?
SS: I think it is hard for South Asians because they have the added burden of coming from very traditional cultures that are not very open to the idea of being queer. I think people struggle to make the decision about whether to come out to their families or not. But, whether you do or not, you should come out and live your life. You have only one life, and it sometimes goes faster than you think. And what’s the point living for everybody else? You don’t need to in this country. It doesn’t require you to. Survival is not dependent on your conformity.
SS: I think it is hard for South Asians because they have the added burden of coming from very traditional cultures that are not very open to the idea of being queer. I think people struggle to make the decision about whether to come out to their families or not. But, whether you do or not, you should come out and live your life. You have only one life, and it sometimes goes faster than you think. And what’s the point living for everybody else? You don’t need to in this country. It doesn’t require you to. Survival is not dependent on your conformity.
E: This book appears to portray gay intimacy far more candidly. Was this deliberate? Or was it something that came about?
SS: It just came about. I certainly wasn’t going to pretend it wasn’t happening, because gay men, especially when they are young and coming out, have a lot of sex. So, I thought it is just natural. It’s just the way it. I did not put it in to be gratuitous or to shock.
E: Is violence against the LGBT community a significant issue in Sri Lanka?
SS: Yes it is [an issue], but it is not a significant issue. But it is a present issue. It is not as bad as say, Pakistan or countries like that. But it is bad, not terrible.
E: Are you involved in any way with LGBT rights in Sri Lanka and South Asia?
SS: Well, I’m not involved in actually participating in the movement because it is an ongoing movement. I certainly lent my name to the organization when
I did my launch of The Hungry Ghosts this year. I did it through Equal Ground, which is a lesbian and gay organization [in Sri Lanka] because I wanted to support them. I go to their pride events when I can.
E: What can students do to help, both here and abroad, deal- ing with LGBT rights?
SS: I think to be aware of [LGBT rights], and to be aware of the countries that have problems with them, and to push for change.
SS: It just came about. I certainly wasn’t going to pretend it wasn’t happening, because gay men, especially when they are young and coming out, have a lot of sex. So, I thought it is just natural. It’s just the way it. I did not put it in to be gratuitous or to shock.
E: Is violence against the LGBT community a significant issue in Sri Lanka?
SS: Yes it is [an issue], but it is not a significant issue. But it is a present issue. It is not as bad as say, Pakistan or countries like that. But it is bad, not terrible.
E: Are you involved in any way with LGBT rights in Sri Lanka and South Asia?
SS: Well, I’m not involved in actually participating in the movement because it is an ongoing movement. I certainly lent my name to the organization when
I did my launch of The Hungry Ghosts this year. I did it through Equal Ground, which is a lesbian and gay organization [in Sri Lanka] because I wanted to support them. I go to their pride events when I can.
E: What can students do to help, both here and abroad, deal- ing with LGBT rights?
SS: I think to be aware of [LGBT rights], and to be aware of the countries that have problems with them, and to push for change.
Mathis Bailey
Contributor
