My friend Gurjinder Basran, a fellow Writer’s Studio graduate, wrote a beautiful first novel about a young second-generation Punjabi girl growing up in BC. The novel was shortlisted for Amazon.com’s 2008 search for the Next Breakthrough Novel and earned her a place in the Vancouver Sun’s annual speculative arts and culture article, “Ones To Watch”. I read an earlier version of the novel and loved it. I think we could use more second-generation narratives in Canadian literature. A few months ago I read about a Mother Tongue Publishing Search for the Great BC Novel Contest, and e-mailed Gurjinder the link. I just found out that she went on to win the contest! Her novel “Everything Was Goodbye” will be coming up this fall. Congratulations, Gurjinder! I can’t wait to read it!
