The author Sharon Bala discusses her first novel The Boat People (McClelland & Stewart, 2018), that looks at a father’s escape from Sri Lanka to Canada, where as he seeks asylum to find himself detained and considered suspicious by authorities in Canada, with Joseph Planta.

The Boat People by Sharon Bala (McClelland & Stewart, 2018). Click to buy this book from Amazon.ca: The Boat People

Text of introduction by Joseph Planta:

I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver, at TheCommentary.ca.

Sharon Bala joins me now. Her debut novel The Boat People is one of the more anticipated books of the season, one that has already gotten good notices. Mahindan is one of five hundred fellow refugees who flee Sri Lanka’s bloody civil war via ship for Canada’s shores. He and his six-year old son think once here they’ll begin a new life, however they’re soon thrown in prison and detained. The so-called boat people face suspicion. In the book, Mahindan is represented reluctantly by a second generation Sri Lankan-Canadian, Priya. Another character is Grace, a third-generation Japanese-Canadian adjudicator who must decide Mahindan’s fate. I’ll get Ms. Bala who joins me now to tell us about her book, these characters and those that seek asylum that are in this book. Sharon Bala lives in St. John’s, Newfoundland, but she joined me from here in Vancouver last week while in town for an appearance with the Vancouver Writers Fest’s Incite series. She is a member of the Port Authority writing group. Visit www.sharonbala.com for more. The book is published by McClelland & Stewart. Please welcome to the Planta: On the Line program, Sharon Bala; Ms. Bala, good morning.

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