Lydia Forssander-Song

Lydia Forssander-Song is a Professor of English at Trinity Western University (TWU), located in Langley, British Columbia. She has been teaching since 1998 and holds affiliations with ACCUTE, the Christianity and Literature Study Group, and the International Society for Religion, Literature, and Culture. Her research focuses on postcolonial literatures, particularly South Asian diasporic narratives and Islamic-influenced works.

Education:

• B.A. English, First Class Honours (University of British Columbia, 1995)
• M.A. English (University of Toronto, 1997)

Research Interests: Explores postcolonial identity construction through works by authors like Salman Rushdie, Michael Ondaatje, and Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. Examines intersections of religion, migration, and cultural hybridity in global literatures. Recent work emphasizes ethical storytelling in pluralistic contexts.

Publications: Over 20 articles and book chapters analyzing postcolonial authors, including critical studies of Rushdie’s migration themes and Ondaatje’s historical narratives. Regular contributor to Canadian Literature and Canadian Book Review Annual.

Awards: Recipient of the University of British Columbia Scholarship and twice named to the Dean’s Honour List during her undergraduate studies.

Teaching: Instructs foundational writing courses (WRTG 100, ENGL 102) and advanced seminars on postcolonial women’s novels (ENGL 290), Booker Prize winners (ENGL 400), and South Asian diasporic fiction (ENGL 607). Also edits literary works, including Karl Petersen’s children’s novels and memoirs.

Conferences: Active presenter on themes like “Incarnational storytelling in Joy Kogawa’s Obasan” and “Postmodern faith in Yann Martel’s Life of Pi” at venues in Canada and Sweden. Served as panel chair for sessions on trauma and transcendence in 20th-century literature.