Aamina Ahmad, Tsering Yangzom Lama and Jasmine Sealy have written very different books set in very different parts of the world, but all explore intergenerational experiences, family lore, and enduring connections. These fiction writers discuss inheritance as it relates to identity and storytelling. And what a conversation it’s likely to be. Ahmad’s The Return of Faraz Ali was hailed by the NYT Book Review as “stunning not only on account of the author’s talent, of which there is clearly plenty, but also in its humanity. Sealy’s debut, The Island of Forgetting, has been called “moving and masterfully woven.” Lama’s We Measure the Earth with Our Bodies—a nuanced portrait of Tibetan exiles—has been picked as a top read by dozens of media outlets. Don’t miss this moving and profound discussion. Hosted by Marsha Lederman.

Event Participants:

Aamina Ahmad

AAMINA AHMAD, a graduate of the Iowa Writers’ Workshop, has received a Stegner Fellowship from Stanford University, a Pushcart Prize, and a Rona Jaffe Writers’ Award. The Return of Faraz Ali is her first novel. She is also the author of a play, The Dishonored. (UNITED KINGDOM/PAKISTAN/UNITED STATES)

Tsering Yangzom Lama

TSERING YANGZOM LAMA A holds an MFA from Columbia University. Born and raised in Nepal, Lama has lived in Toronto, New York City, and Vancouver, where she now resides. We Measure the Earth with Our Bodies was one of Booklist’s Top 10 Historical Fiction Debuts. (BRITISH COLUMBIA/NEPAL)

Marsha Lederman

MARSHA LEDERMAN is the author of the nationally bestselling memoir Kiss the Red Stairs: The Holocaust, Once Removed. She is the Western Arts Correspondent for the Globe and Mail, and previously worked for CBC Radio, where she held a variety of positions, including National Arts Reporter. (BRITISH COLUMBIA)

Presented thanks to the generous support of Sam Znaimer in memory of Nancy Richler.

Jasmine Sealy

JASMINE SEALY is a Barbadian-Canadian writer based in Vancouver. A graduate of UBC’s MFA program in creative writing, Sealy is the former prose editor at PRISM international. Her short fiction has been shortlisted for several prizes. In 2020 The Island of Forgetting won the UBC/HarperCollins Best New Fiction Prize. (BRITISH COLUMBIA/BARBADOS)