news | Monday September 29, 2014

Launched! dream / arteries by Phinder Dulai

On Saturday evening, September 27, 2014, Phinder Dulai launched his book, dream / arteries, a collection of poetry that commemorates the Komagata Maru incident. By drawing on ship records, nautical maps, passenger manifests, and the rich, detailed record of the Komagata Maru, Dulai demonstrates in dream / arteries how the 1914 incident encapsulates a broader narrative of migration throughout the New World.

The launch was held at the Surrey Arts Centre in Surrey, British Columbia on Saturday evening, with about seventy people in attendance (standing room only!). Mo Dhaliwal, the highly respected Chair of Vancouver International Bhangra Celebration (VIBC), emceed the launch, and Naveen Girn, project manager for the Komagata Maru centennial project (follow it on Twitter!), gave the audience some background about the Komagata Maru episode.

Dulai’s reading was noted for its enthusiasm and eloquence. The author also publicly thanked a few in the audience, including Ajmer Rode, bilingual author of Indian Diaspora, and Sadhu Binning, playwright and author with TSAR Publications, who many years ago taught Dulai about the Komagata Maru and its history.


dream / arteries by Phinder Dulai (2014)


Phinder explains how transparent pages work together at the front of the book, expressing the ghostly life of the Komagata Maru throughout history (Photo by Mandeep Wirk)


Audience members queue up to buy the book and have it signed. Dulai sits at the table with Talon staffers Spencer Williams and Ann-Marie Metten nearby (Photo by Mandeep Wirk)


Dulai inscribes a book during the signing portion of the launch (Photo by Mandeep Wirk)

One audience member tweeted a few photos, and another, Karen Hansen, shared a gorgeous set of professional photos on Flickr.

dream / arteries is available from Talonbooks for $19.95.