David Chariandy facts for kids

Quick facts for kids David Chariandy
Chariandy in 2019
Born	David John Chariandy 1969 (age 55–56) Scarborough, Ontario, Canada
Occupation	Novelist and academic
Alma mater	Carleton University York University
Period	2000s–present
Notable works	Soucouyant (2007); Brother (2017)

David John Chariandy (born in 1969 in Scarborough, Ontario) is a Canadian writer and university professor. He teaches English literature at the University of Toronto. His book Brother, published in 2017, won several important awards. These include the Rogers Writers' Trust Fiction Prize and the Toronto Book Award.

About David Chariandy

Early Life and Family

David Chariandy's parents moved to Canada from Trinidad in the 1960s. He was born in 1969 in Scarborough, Ontario. His father's family came from India, and his mother's family came from Africa.

Both of his parents were working people who came to Canada for a new life. His last name, Chariandy, shows his family's roots in Tamil and South Indian cultures.

Education and Career

David Chariandy studied at Carleton University, where he earned a Master of Arts degree. He then went on to get his PhD from York University. For many years, he lived in Vancouver. There, he taught in the English Department at Simon Fraser University.

In 2024, he joined the University of Toronto as a Professor in the English Department. In his writing, he often explores what it means to belong. He looks at how people who move to a new country, or their children, connect to their original homeland.

David Chariandy is married and has two children. He has a son and a daughter.

Exploring Themes in Chariandy's Books

Scarborough Stories

Many of David Chariandy's novels are set in Scarborough. This is an area in eastern Toronto, Ontario. Scarborough is known for having many people from different countries. Sometimes, it has been unfairly seen as a place with a lot of crime. However, this idea is not supported by facts.

Chariandy once shared why he writes about Scarborough. He said he wanted to show the real lives of young Black people growing up there. He felt that newspapers often showed only negative stories about Scarborough. He wanted to tell a bigger story.

His books show the challenges people face. But they also highlight the strong and lively spirit of the community. This is a side of Scarborough that headlines often miss.

Personal Inspiration for Writing

His non-fiction book, I’ve Been Meaning to Tell You: A Letter to My Daughter, has a special meaning. It was inspired by a difficult experience he had with his young daughter. Years later, a sad event at a mosque in Quebec City also influenced the book.

Books on Screen

David Chariandy's novel Brother won the Rogers Writers' Trust Fiction Prize in 2017. This book was made into a film. The movie, also called Brother, started filming in 2021. It was directed by Clement Virgo.

The film first showed at the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival. In 2023, it won 12 Canadian Screen Awards. Another one of his books, Soucouyant, is also being developed into a movie. It is planned to be directed by Ian Harnarine.

Awards and Recognitions

In 2019, David Chariandy received the Windham-Campbell Prize for Fiction. He shared this award with another writer, Danielle McLaughlin. This prize is given to English-language writers from around the world. It helps them focus on their writing without worrying about money.

The award gave him $165,000 to support his work. This allowed him to continue writing his amazing stories.