Toronto author Koom Kankesan recalls his newcomer days
It was in 1987, during the tumultuous time of the civil war in Sri Lanka when Koom Kankesan and his family arrived in Canada. The Torontonian author and arts journalist, who spent some formative years in England, recalls noticing how the culture was so different here.
Koom earned a B.A. in English and Creative Writing from Concordia University in Montreal, an M.A. in English and Film Studies from the University of Toronto, and a B.Ed. from the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education at the University of Toronto.
He is the author of The Panic Button, The Rajapaksa Stories, and The Tamil Dream. Besides writing, Koom also teaches youth who are newcomers. “It’s a program for people who are getting their high school diploma late in life,” he shares.
Watch Koom’s interview with New Canadians reporter Shaili Saini to learn more about his story.
He also talked about his journey at the Toronto Newcomer Day 2021 virtual event on May 25. The session was titled, Journey to Embrace the Arts by author Koom Kankesan: A Newcomer’s Story.
Also watch: Toronto Newcomer Day 2021 artists Marta Solek, Ahmed Moneka share their story
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