Neil Bissoondath is among the vanguard of Canada’s influential writers of post-colonial fiction. Along with figures such as Rohinton Mistry, Shyam Selvadurai and Michael Ondaatje, Bissoondath alternates between books depicting the Canadian scene and those that present a Canadian view of political, social and religious predicaments in a South Asian context. Some of the contributors to this body of literature are described as writers of the Indian diaspora. Bissoondath himself was born in Trinidad, and has lived in Toronto and Montreal, but now calls Quebec City home. The Unyielding Clamour of the Night, his recent novel, does not place itself in a specific country. Early in the narrative we are offered the following geographical orientation as the book’s central character, a sensitive young man named Arun, embarks on what will turn out to be a transformative voyage:
He pictured the train’s progress the way classic films...
Norman Ravvin’s recent novel is The Joyful Child (Gaspereau Press, 2011). Previous books include a story collection, Sex, Skyscrapers and Standard Yiddish (Paperplates Books, 1997), and a volume of essays entitled A House of Words: Jewish Writing, Identity and Memory (McGill-Queen’s University Press, 1997). He lives in Montreal.
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