Historical connection of Punjabi explored through theatre, art and literary production
What: History and Sociology Speaker Series
Who Anne Murphy, associate professor in Asian Studies, UBC Vancouver
When: Tuesday, March 10 starting at 6:45 p.m.
Where: Okanagan Regional Library, 1380 Ellis Street, Kelowna
The histories of Canada and South Asia are deeply intertwined.
They are connected through the expansion of the British Empire and anti-imperial resistance, global histories of migration and cultural exchange, and the continuous unfolding of South Asian Canadian pasts.
Anne Murphy, associate professor in Asian Studies at UBC Vancouver, is writing a book on the social and cultural history of the modern Punjabi language movement in India and Pakistan. But her study of this subject began in BC, and is grounded in the vibrant life of the Punjabi language in this province.
That discovery has led her to a Punjabi cultural production here in BC, and to further explore the deep interconnections between the formation of this province and the Punjab region in India and Pakistan.
Using theatre, visual art and literary production, Murphy will explore different aspects of these connections with the audience. Her presentation will focus on the Punjabi language—as a Canadian and South Asian language—and how creative work like poetry and art express this dynamic relationship.
“It’s incredibly important that we all understand that we live in a deeply connected world,” says Murphy. “The connections between South Asia and Canada, and with other parts of our world, mean that to understand ourselves, we must look outward, not just within.”
The community is invited to join Murphy for this special history presentation on Tuesday, March 10 at the downtown Kelowna library. It is free to attend. Murphy will also share works of South Asian Canadian art that will be featured in two exhibitions at The Reach Gallery Museum in Abbotsford in summer 2020.
For more information and to register, visit: intertwinedubco.eventbrite.com
UBC Okanagan’s History and Sociology department, in partnership with the Okanagan Regional Library, brings leading thinkers from around the world to the Okanagan to discuss some of the big issues of today, tomorrow and the past.
