{"id":441,"date":"2012-06-15T19:34:56","date_gmt":"2012-06-15T19:34:56","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/library.ryerson.ca\/asianheritage\/authors\/anosh-irani\/"},"modified":"2026-04-10T17:50:54","modified_gmt":"2026-04-10T21:50:54","slug":"irani","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/library.torontomu.ca\/asianheritage\/authors\/irani\/","title":{"rendered":"Anosh Irani"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Anosh Irani is a playwright and novelist who was born in Bombay\/Mumbai, India. He completed a B.Comm. at the University of Bombay before immigrating to Canada in 1998. At the University of British Columbia, Irani completed a B.F.A. in creative writing. His play Bombay Black<\/em>, about a blind man and a dancer, had its world premiere in Toronto in January 2006. That production went on to win five Dora Mavor Moore Awards, including one for Outstanding New Play. His play My Granny the Goldfish<\/em> was staged by the Arts Club Theatre Company in Vancouver from Apr 15-May 15, 2010. Irani lives in Vancouver. In 2023 Irani was awarded the Writers’ Trust Engel Findley Award<\/a> that recognizes a “mid-career writer in recognition of a remarkable body of work, and in anticipation of future contributions to Canadian literature.” Irani teaches fiction and playwriting in the School of Creative Writing at the University of British Columbia.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Fiction<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The Cripple and His Talismans<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Vancouver: Raincoast Books, 2003.
Toronto: Anchor Canada, 2010.
PS8617 .R36 C74 2010<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Publisher’s Synopsis<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

The Cripple and His Talismans<\/em> takes place in Bombay, India, and it begins and ends with a search for the narrator’s severed arm. Fables and clues lead the narrator to a master of the underworld named Baba Rakhu. Gradually, Baba reveals the story of the lost arm along with a new way to understand suffering in the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Awards and Honours<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

2004 Alcuin Society Award for Excellence in Book Design in Canada–Prose Fiction (Second Prize); Designer: Ingrid Paulson.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Fiction<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Dahanu Road<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Toronto: Doubleday Canada, 2010.
PS8617 .R36 D35 2010<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Publisher’s Synopsis (from its website)<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Zairos is a dissolute young landowner’s son living in the town of Dahanu, just outside Bombay, when his life of careless luxury is brought up short by a mysterious death: the sudden suicide of Ganpat, a tribal worker on his family’s estate. Soon Zairos has fallen in love with Ganpat’s daughter Kusum, and finds himself defying taboos with their relationship. At the same time his grandfather, Shapur, reveals to him the story of their family and of the land that Zairos stands to inherit. Violence and hatred echo through history, and Zairos learns the terrible truth his grandfather has spent a lifetime hiding.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Fiction<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The Parcel<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Toronto: Knopf Canada, 2016.
PS8617 .R36 P37 2016<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Publisher’s Synopsis (from its website)<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

The Parcel<\/em>‘s astonishing heart, soul and unforgettable voice is Madhu–born a boy, but a eunuch by choice–who has spent most of her life in a close-knit clan of transgender sex workers in Kamathipura, the notorious red-light district of Bombay. Madhu identifies herself as a “hijra”–a person belonging to the third sex, neither here nor there, man nor woman. Now, at 40, she has moved away from prostitution, her trade since her teens, and is forced to beg to support the charismatic head of the hijra clan, Gurumai. One day Madhu receives a call from Padma Madam, the most feared brothel owner in the district: a “parcel” has arrived–a young girl from the provinces, betrayed and trafficked by her aunt–and Madhu must prepare it for its fate. Despite Madhu’s reluctance, she is forced to take the job by Gurumai. As Madhu’s emotions spiral out of control, her past comes back to haunt her, threatening to unravel a lifetime’s work and identity. This is a dark, devastating but ultimately redemptive novel that promises to be one of the most talked-about publications of the year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Awards and Honours<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

2016 Rogers Writers’ Trust Fiction<\/a> Prize (Finalist)
2016 Governor General Literary Award<\/a>–Fiction, English language (Finalist)
2017 Ethel Wilson Fiction Prize<\/a> (Finalist)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Fiction<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The Song of Kahunsha <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Toronto: Doubleday Canada, 2006.
PS8617 .R36 S65 2006<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Publisher’s Synopsis<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

It is January 1993 and Bombay is on the verge of being torn apart by racial violence. Ten-year-old Chamdi has rarely ventured outside his orphanage, and entertains an idyllic fantasy of what the city is like–a paradise he calls Kahunsha, “the city of no sadness.” But when he runs away to search for his long-lost father, he is thrust into the chaos of the streets, alone, posessing only the blood-stained cloth he was left in as a baby. There Chamdi meets Sumdi and Guddi, brother and sister who beg in order to provide for their sick mother, and the three become fast friends. …<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Awards and Honours<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

2007 CBC Canada Reads<\/a> (Nominated)
2007 Ethel Wilson Fiction Prize<\/a> (Finalist)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Fiction (Short stories)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Translated from the Gibberish: Seven Stories and One Half Truth<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Toronto: Knopf Canada, 2019.
PS8617.R36 T4 2019<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Publisher’s Synopsis (from its website)<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Here are seven superb, subtle, surprising stories that show, through a prism of unforgettable characters, what it means to live between two worlds: India and Canada.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In these stunning stories and one “half truth” (a semi-fictional meditation on the experience of being an immigrant) we meet a swimming instructor determined to reenact John Cheever’s iconic short story “The Swimmer” in the pools of Mumbai; a famous Indian chef who breaks down on a New York talk show; a gangster’s wife who believes a penguin at the Mumbai zoo is the reincarnation of her lost child; an illegal immigrant in Vancouver who plays a fateful game of cricket; and a kindly sweets-shop owner whose hope for a new life in Canada leads to a terrible choice. The book starts and ends with a gorgeous, emotionally raw “translation” to the page of the author’s own life between worlds, blurring the line between fiction and fact. Translated from the Gibberish<\/em> confirms Anosh Irani as a unique, inventive, vitally important voice in contemporary fiction.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Drama<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Behind the Moon<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Vancouver: Talonbooks, 2024.
PS8617.R36 B44 2024<\/a>
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Publisher’s Synopsis (From its website)<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

In a Mughlai restaurant in Toronto, a late-night visit from a mysterious stranger rattles the cage and shatters the peace. Now the restaurant’s employee Ayub must face reality, the family he\u2019s left behind, and the dreams he\u2019s abandoned, all while keeping the restaurant shiningly clean.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From the award-winning playwright and novelist Anosh Irani, Behind the Moon<\/em> is a story of love and loss, freedom and faith, the meaning of brotherhood, and how we begin a new life.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Drama<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The Bombay Plays: The Matka King and Bombay Black<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Toronto: Playwrights Canada Press, 2007.
PS8617 .R36 B64 2007<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Publisher’s Synopsis (from its website)<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

The Matka King
In a story that pits human nature against love and chance, a landscape of betrayal and redemption comes to life in the red-light district of Bombay, India. One very powerful eunuch, Top Rani, operates an illicit lottery through his brothel, and when a gambler who is deeply in debt makes an unexpected wager, the stakes become life and death. Can a fortune-teller and a ten-year-old girl beat Top Rani at his own game?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bombay Black
Apsara, Bombay\u2019s most infamous dancer, lives with her iron-willed mother Padma in an apartment by the sea. Padma takes money from men so they may watch her daughter perform a mesmerizing dance. Apsara\u2019s extraordinary beauty and erotically charged dancing cast a powerful spell over her wealthy and famous clientele. One day, a mysterious blind man named Kamal visits for a private dance. His secret link to their past threatens to change each of their lives forever. At turns lyrical and brutal, Bombay Black<\/em> charts the seduction of Apsara by Kamal, and Padma\u2019s violent enmity toward the blind man and the secrets he holds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Awards and Honours<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

2007 Governor General’s Literary Award–English–Drama (Shortlist)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Drama<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Buffoon<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Toronto: House of Anansi, 2021.
PS8617.R36 B84 2021<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Publisher’s Synopsis (From its website)<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Born to circus folk who prefer trapezing over parenting, Felix quickly learns to turn life\u2019s misfortunes into jokes. His longing for family and home is piqued at the tender age of seven when he falls hopelessly in love with an older woman, the beguiling Aja, who is eight. In the process, a clown is born, and we watch him grow into a middle-aged buffoon. Over time, Felix stops waiting for someone else to love him; his journey becomes one of loving himself. A story of love, loss, and the fate that binds us, Buffoon<\/em> is a gut-wrenching one-man show that expertly walks the tightrope between heartbreak and hilarity.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Drama<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The Men in White<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Toronto: House of Anansi Press, 2018.
PS8617 .R36 M46, 2018<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Publisher’s Synopsis (from its website)<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Eighteen-year-old Hasan Siddiqui lives in a bustling Muslim quarter of Bombay. He escapes the drudgery of his work at a chicken slaughterhouse by fostering two fervent dreams \u2014 to become a star in cricket, a sport at which he happens to excel, and to win the affections of Haseena, a fiercely intelligent young woman two years his junior. When it comes to her, however, he is not so proficient, and Hasan\u2019s close-to-nonexistent prospects \u2014 along with the rather unfortunate setting of their budding romance, Baba\u2019s Chicken Centre \u2014 make advancing either cause look impossible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Half a world away in Vancouver, Hasan\u2019s older brother, Abdul, has been working under the table at an Indian restaurant, attempting to set down roots with the hope of one day reuniting with his brother. For Abdul the immigrant dream shows little sign of materializing, but he finds solace in his amateur cricket team. When he and the team\u2019s captain decide to take action to end their losing streak, they talk of recruiting the talented Hasan for the rest of the season. But bringing Hasan from India to Canada will take much more than just a plane ticket, and rising tensions demonstrate that not all members of the team agree with the high cost.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alternating between Bombay and Vancouver and exploring urgent themes surrounding the complexities of the modern immigrant experience, Islamophobia, and racial violence, The Men in White<\/em> is by turns disarming, hilarious, and brutally poignant \u2014 the masterful playwright and novelist Anosh Irani at his finest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Awards and Honours<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

2018 Governor General’s Literary Awards, English Drama<\/a> (Finalist)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Anthology (Drama)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The Arts Club Anthology: 50 Years of Canadian Theatre in Vancouver<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Irani, Anosh. “The Matka King.” In The Arts Club Anthology: 50 Years of Canadian Theatre in Vancouver<\/em>, edited by Rachel Ditor. Toronto: Playwrights Canada Press, 2015, 77-134.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

PS8315.7.V35 A78 2015<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Anthology (Drama)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Love, Loss, and Longing: South Asian Canadian Plays<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Irani, Anosh. “Bombay Black.” In Love, Loss, and Longing: South Asian Canadian Plays<\/em>, edited by Dalbir Singh. Toronto: Playwrights Canada Press, 2015, [27]-99.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

PS8315.1 .L68 2015<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Selected Criticism and Interpretation<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

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Chilana, Rajwant Singh. “Anosh Irani.” In South Asian Writers in Canada: A Bio-Bibliographical Study<\/em>. Surrey, BC: Asian Publications, 2017, 168.
Z1376 .S68 C45 2017<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ewart, Christopher. “Limping Towards Representation: Writing Disability in Three Twentieth Century Narratives.” M.A. diss., University of Calgary, 2005.
Available from Proquest Dissertations and Theses<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Keren, Michael. “Fiction and the Study of Slums: Anosh Irani’s The Cripple and his Talismans<\/em>.” Chap. in his Politics and Literature at the Turn of the Millennium<\/em>. Calgary: University of Calgary Press, 2015, 89-100.
PN51 .K47 2015<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Links<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Anosh Irani personal website<\/a> (includes excerpts from the novels)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Publisher House of Anansi Press<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Publisher Penguin Random House Canada<\/a> (publisher of Doubleday Canada and Knopf Canada)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Publisher Playwrights Canada Press<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Publisher Raincoast Books<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Publisher Talonbooks<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Interview with Michael Enright from the CBC Sunday Edition broadcast 2004\/6\/27 (21:47 duration)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anosh Irani on Dahanu Road,<\/em> part of CBC Radio One’s The Next Chapter with Shelagh Rogers<\/a>,  episode “Anosh Irani” first broadcast June 14, 2010<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Anosh Irani is a playwright and novelist who was born in Bombay\/Mumbai, India. He completed a B.Comm. at the University of Bombay before immigrating to Canada in 1998. At the University of British Columbia, Irani completed a B.F.A. in creative … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"parent":16,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-441","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/library.torontomu.ca\/asianheritage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/441","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/library.torontomu.ca\/asianheritage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/library.torontomu.ca\/asianheritage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/library.torontomu.ca\/asianheritage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/library.torontomu.ca\/asianheritage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=441"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/library.torontomu.ca\/asianheritage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/441\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":22045,"href":"https:\/\/library.torontomu.ca\/asianheritage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/441\/revisions\/22045"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/library.torontomu.ca\/asianheritage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/16"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/library.torontomu.ca\/asianheritage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=441"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}