Ashok Mathur
Encyclopedia
Ashok Mathur is an Indo-Canadian writer and visual artist, an associate professor of English and modern languages at Thompson Rivers University
. He holds a Canada Research Chair in Cultural and Artistic Inquiry, and is the director of the Centre for Innovation in Culture and the Arts in Canada.
Mathur is the author of a volume of poetry (Loveruage; a dance in three parts, Wolsak and Wynn, 1994), and three novels:
Additionally, Mathur's artwork "one hundred thirty-three thousand five hundred twenty-eight words and a super-8 grab" was part of a 2009 acquisition by the Canada Council Art Bank.
Mathur was born in Bhopal, India
; in 1962, at the age of one, he emigrated with his family to Canada. He worked as a journalist from 1981 to 1985, and then completed his studies at the University of Calgary
, earning a bachelor's degree and master of arts. Prior to joining Thompson Rivers in 2005, he taught at the Emily Carr Institute of Art and Design.
Thompson Rivers University
Thompson Rivers University is a comprehensive university located in Kamloops, British Columbia, Canada. It offers students a broad range of courses, career streams, and the ability to ladder credits from diploma programs into full degrees...
. He holds a Canada Research Chair in Cultural and Artistic Inquiry, and is the director of the Centre for Innovation in Culture and the Arts in Canada.
Mathur is the author of a volume of poetry (Loveruage; a dance in three parts, Wolsak and Wynn, 1994), and three novels:
- Once Upon an Elephant (Arsenal Pulp Press, 1998, ISBN 978-1551520582) recounts the story of the birth of Ganesh as a Canadian courtroom drama.
- The Short, Happy Life of Harry Kumar (Arsenal Pulp Press, 2002, ISBN 978-1551521138) was nominated for the Commonwealth Writers' PrizeCommonwealth Writers' PrizeCommonwealth Writers is an initiative by the Commonwealth Foundation to unearth, develop and promote the best new fiction from across the Commonwealth. It's flagship are two literary awards and a website...
, and blends the RamayanaRamayanaThe Ramayana is an ancient Sanskrit epic. It is ascribed to the Hindu sage Valmiki and forms an important part of the Hindu canon , considered to be itihāsa. The Ramayana is one of the two great epics of India and Nepal, the other being the Mahabharata...
with modern Canada. - A Little Distillery in Nowgong (Arsenal Pulp Press, 2009, ISBN 978-1551522586) follows three generations of a ParsiParsiParsi or Parsee refers to a member of the larger of the two Zoroastrian communities in South Asia, the other being the Irani community....
family from India to North America. Along with the novel, Mathur also produced an associated art installation, which was shown in Vancouver, Ottawa, and Kamloops.
Additionally, Mathur's artwork "one hundred thirty-three thousand five hundred twenty-eight words and a super-8 grab" was part of a 2009 acquisition by the Canada Council Art Bank.
Mathur was born in Bhopal, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
; in 1962, at the age of one, he emigrated with his family to Canada. He worked as a journalist from 1981 to 1985, and then completed his studies at the University of Calgary
University of Calgary
The University of Calgary is a public research university located in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Founded in 1966 the U of C is composed of 14 faculties and more than 85 research institutes and centres.More than 25,000 undergraduate and 5,500 graduate students are currently...
, earning a bachelor's degree and master of arts. Prior to joining Thompson Rivers in 2005, he taught at the Emily Carr Institute of Art and Design.