Vajra Chandrasekera, a Sri Lankan author celebrated for his innovative approach to speculative fiction, discusses his groundbreaking novel, *Rakesfall*. The conversation dives into the blurred lines of identity and reality, as characters undergo continuous rebirths. Chandrasekera also critiques the interplay between Sri Lankan Buddhism and nationalism, exploring how storytelling can reflect and incite sociopolitical change. Listeners will find insights on censorship, cultural representation, and the nuances of power dynamics within the framework of his thought-provoking narratives.
Vajra Chandrasekera's novel 'Rakesfall' challenges conventional narrative structures by intertwining ancient myths with futuristic themes of identity and rebirth.
The discussion highlights the political implications of Sri Lankan Buddhism, illustrating how narratives can reflect and perpetuate societal violence and oppression.
Chandrasekera's work invites readers to engage critically with genre fiction, prompting reflections on escapism versus deeper societal issues within literature.
The podcast underscores the role of language in shaping narratives, advocating for a nuanced approach to storytelling that transcends rigid cultural binaries.
Deep dives
Introduction to All It Up
All It Up is presented as a unique online bookstore in Canada, specializing in independent Canadian literature. It aims to connect readers with a diverse range of genres, including quirky and acclaimed indie books. The bookstore features works from 60 literary publishers, offers author interviews and book recommendations, and has a collection of accessible eBooks. The store emphasizes the discovery and purchasing of contemporary Canadian literature, making it a vital resource for readers.
Kenzie Allen's Cloud Missives
Cloud Missives, a poetry collection by Kenzie Allen, is highlighted for its intimate exploration of indigenous themes and personal resilience. Allen's work reflects on the struggle to reimagine indigenous identity post-colonialism and poses profound questions about healing and love for the environment. Esteemed voices in literature have praised the collection, emphasizing its power and relevance. The collection is set for release on August 20th, showcasing Allen as an essential voice in contemporary literature.
Vadra Chandrasekara's Literary Approach
Vadra Chandrasekara's books are noted for their unconventional forms and deep political subtexts, which invite readers to engage with complex themes. The interview discusses how responses to his work have been varied, indicating a divide between those who embrace the radical shift in literary norms and those resistant to it. The complexity of his narratives encourages rich dialogue about identity, culture, and experience, especially concerning Sri Lankan Buddhist hegemony. Through his works, he aims to challenge and interrogate established literary tropes and genres.
Sri Lankan Buddhism and Storytelling
Chandrasekara analyzes how Sri Lankan Buddhism shapes narratives of self and other, often intertwining with socio-political histories. He argues that understanding these dynamics enriches the reading experience and highlights the potential for violence within idealized religious narratives. The conversation provides insights into how dominant cultural stories perpetuate cycles of oppression, contrasting the ideal with lived experiences. The exploration of Sri Lankan Buddhism reflects broader themes of identity and historical conflict.
Social and Political Commentary in Fiction
The framework of Chandrasekara's narratives allows for dialogue about broader societal issues and the intersection of mythology and reality. His works serve as commentaries on structural inequalities and highlight how storytelling can preserve or challenge oppressive systems. By examining historical injustices within his fiction, he creates a platform to reflect on contemporary issues facing marginalized communities. His approach to storytelling as entwined with activism underscores the responsibility of writers to engage with their societies.
Writing Against Genre Conformity
Chandrasekara discusses his decision to publish within the realm of genre fiction, seeking freedom from the constraints often associated with literary categories. He reflects on battles between escapism and literary value within genre narratives and critiques the oversimplification of complex themes. His works challenge genre conventions, inviting readers to reflect on deeper societal issues through a fantastical lens. This approach positions his writing as a bridge between literary criticism and genre experimentation.
The Role of Power and Resistance
The notion of power is central to Chandrasekara's writing, which portrays its totalizing nature while also illuminating the potential for resistance. He draws parallels between historical and contemporary struggles, emphasizing the continuity of societal conflicts across time and space. This reflection on various movements for liberation invites readers to engage with their own contexts critically. The interconnectedness of these movements suggests a shared quest for justice that resonates across cultures.
The Importance of Language in Narrative
Chandrasekara emphasizes the significance of language and expression in shaping narratives that reflect societal complexities. He critiques the idea of 'worldbuilding' in favor of a focus on the nuances of writing, arguing that the latter allows for a more authentic exploration of themes. His work seeks to dismantle rigid binaries and highlight the fluidity of identity, history, and culture through language. This exploration serves as a call to writers to interrogate their craft and the implications of their storytelling.
Sri Lankan writer Vajra Chandrasekera’s first novel, The Saint of Bright Doors, was shortlisted for or won nearly every major SFF award there is. Much of the buzz around this book circled the question:”what exactly is this?” Saints not only didn’t fulfill the expected tropes of the genre, but seemed to be actively working against them, subverting them. Vajra’s new book Rakesfall, however, makes his debut, for all its innovation, seem normative by comparison. Rakesfall is set both in an ancient mythic past and a far distant post-human future, calling into question where the past and the future begin and end. Rakesfall is a book with two characters (or maybe one) who are constantly dying and being reborn, changing names, changing bodies, where it isn’t always clear who is who, or where self and other begin and end. Rakesfall is continually changing shape, style and form, with stories within stories within stories, a rabbit hole of stories, a wormhole of stories, where you are never sure you will ever resurface into the “real world” again. Of course, we talk about form and trope and genre, but we also talk at-length about Sri Lankan Buddhism and how, as a political force, it has woven its own story into a mythos of nation-state and race. And how this very storytelling has led to violence, from the everyday and bureaucratic to outright genocide. Vajra’s books can be engaged with and enjoyed without any knowledge of this, but the more we explore his own interrogations of Buddhist hegemony in Sri Lanka the more the subtext of his books feels central, the more his subversion of form and genre feels outright political. In one of his essays he asks ‘how do we write in a monstrous world?’ How do we write toward liberation, toward solidarity, whatever the odds? Today’s conversation provides one great example of just that.
For the bonus audio archive Vajra translates an excerpt of a story by an award-winning Sri Lankan writer, a writer who, when he posted this story on his Facebook page, was arrested and imprisoned under the accusation that the story was anti-Buddhist. Vajra translates this excerpt and reads it for us while also contextualizing why he thinks this story was seen as blasphemous. To learn how to subscribe to the bonus audio archive and the other potential benefits of joining the Between the Covers community as a listener-supporter head over to the show’s Patreon page.
