Dilinie
Hi everyone! My name is Dilinie. I am a fifth-year English Honours literature student. I am a first generation Canadian, meaning I was born here, but my parents were born elsewhere. Our family originates from Sri Lanka. Through this course, I have found myself becoming more critical of my identity as a Canadian and my heritage as a settler. This course-and the works in this course-have opened my eyes to a lot of the problematic aspects of Canada that I had unintentionally been ignorant to. It has also reinforced my thought of literature as a powerful tool in shaping collective consciousness.
Kendra
My name is Kendra, and I am in my fourth-year of the Interdisciplinary Studies program. The focus of my degree is in social and environmental determinants of health. I enjoy bridging the connections between the humanities, environmental, and social sciences, and using spatial analysis to suggest solutions to human health concerns within communities. My interest in human health and our environments has stemmed from the diversity of environments I have lived in. Originally from Vernon, BC, I spent my childhood and adolescence in the lower mainland and teenage years as an ex-pat in Portland, OR. I have since had the good fortune to live in Vancouver, Montreal, and Camiri, Bolivia. I now reside in Hamilton, ON with my life partner.
It is interesting to me how literature can be used to bring voices to those typically not heard through mainstream publications. With our project, I look forward to researching accessibility of e-publishing and ‘non-profit’ editors who work with diverse communities to help bring these voices to the front and centre of Canadian literature.
Laryssa
I am a fourth year student at the University of British Columbia at the Kelowna campus. I have had a whirlwind year this past year. I was in my hometown in Alberta for a wedding, when I began to fell very unwell. My family took me to the hospital, at the first hospital they diagnosed me with a rupturing ovarian cyst. Terrified they rushed me by ambulance to a different hospital, and informed me that my ovarian cyst had a heart beat…They tell me that I am pregnant and am in labor. SHOCK! Due to the size of my stomach (very flat stomach) they believed my baby was unbelievably premature and told me that they would try to save the baby.
Around 5 o clock that evening my baby girl was born at a very healthy size of 6 pounds 4 ounces. It was quite the shock to come back from a family wedding with this small being! Anyways, I missed a few days of school and am very determined to finish my degree this year.
My main focus in life right now is to find ways to benefit this world not only for myself but my new young family!
Laura
My name is Laura and I’m a fourth year English Honours student at UBC in Kelowna. I look forward to one day teaching high school English, and encouraging in my students the level of critical thinking I have been exposed to in both my travels abroad and my studies at home. I love literature, travelling, vegetarian food, and my dog.
My interest in our specific area of study is the effects of neoliberalism on the literary arts. I want to determine the extent to which limited arts funding and a privatized market wherein publishers glorify profits, determine which literary voices are able to contribute to the canon of Canada.