Meet KPU: Renée Sarojini Saklikar

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Kwantlen Polytechnic University creative writing instructor Renée Sarojini Saklikar released her epic fantasy book, Bramah’s Quest, the second in a multi-book series in June. Revolving around climate change and global inequality, the book presents a juxtaposition by combining elements of the East and the West. Saklikar also reimagines the cultures and traditions of Hinduism, Islam, and Christianity in the book. 

Saklikar has an English degree from the University of British Columbia and was a part of the Writer’s Studio creative writing program at Simon Fraser University. From 2015 to 2018, Saklikar was also the poet laureate for the City of Surrey followed by her stint as the writer in residence for the Surrey School District in 2019. Her first book, children of air india, about the bombing of Air India flight 182 on which Saklikar lost her aunt and uncle, was adapted for an opera by the Irish Arts Council. Born to immigrants from India, Saklikar has been writing for as long as she can remember. 

When did you join the KPU community and why?

I joined in October of 2021. I was hired to teach a course I’m teaching again, it was an advanced poetry workshop. I am a published author and a lawyer by training. So, it’s kind of well known in the community. The creative writing department at KPU had a need for an instructor to come in and teach a fourth-year level advanced poetry workshop. This was when the pandemic was still going on. It was kind of a magical time, although very stressful for students and all of us, but also a very focused time because there were so many other things that weren’t happening. But the class was happening, in-person. This is a serious fourth year level poetry course and the students just captivated me. They were thoughtful and engaged, we would meet up in Fir 3414, which is where a lot of creative writing happens. I fell in love with this campus and the community, although it was very quiet. The students were dealing with a lot of socio-economic, pandemic related, and cultural challenges. The diversity of the students, the diversity of their needs, their thoughtfulness and how much they wanted to express themselves in the work we were doing together really won me over.

What is your favourite story of your time at KPU?

I think my favorite story is a series of stories about what students share with me about how creative writing helps them, even heals them. A lot of students, whether it’s about gender, culture, race, language, or just telling a story about their family or imagining different worlds, to see them get empowered through story is probably my favourite moment. It happens every semester. It’s a moment of magic.

What is something you’d like to say to people new to KPU?

Reach out and find out more about all the programs and the communities. As a new hire, I’m still learning. There are a lot of different offices, programs, fitness, wellness, and culture. We have an onsite religious community, a chaplain, The Runner, so check them out and get involved is my message. I think in a commuter campus, there’s a tendency to just do your studies, exams, assignments, and go. Discover the library, the librarians are great. Also discover the KPU Learning Centres. I think there’s so much to offer here so reach out and get involved.

What are you working on right now?

I launched my new book, Bramah’s Quest, an epic fantasy in verse in June, it’s a multi-book series. Currently, I’ve just come out with book two, and I’m working on book three now. It’s a saga like the Ramayana, or the Mahabharata, any of the great Vedic myths, or The Odyssey by Homer. I always say it’s Game of Thrones without some of the elements. The book includes time travel and magic but also deals with really serious issues like climate change, and global and local inequality. Because who is climate change really hitting hard? It’s often people in the so-called developing world, or workers and migrants, or immigrants doing really tough labor. 

I’m really interested in weaving that all into my epic fantasy. So hopefully, it’s a really good read. I also am hoping to do a children’s book based on the hero of my series, named Bramah. It’s going to be called “Bramah and the Seed Jar.” I was very grateful a couple years ago to get a Canada Council research grant for this children’s book, which I’m still working on. The other thing is inspired by my work in CRWR 1200, Introduction to Craft and Process in Creative Writing, where we have a project called the ancestor project in which students get to learn and write about their origins and their family. This inspired me to write an essay in a creative nonfiction anthology called “Sharp Notions,” and it will be launching in October. I am very proud to have an essay in this book and I hope to continue the series of essays about my own family, fabric and textiles in India, and my journey with all of that.

What is something you’d like people to know about you?

I love learning the stories of other people. But be careful, as a writer, I might take some of your stories and put them into my story. I love listening to people’s origin stories, their belonging stories, whether they feel like they belong or not.