The red brick-like exterior of the house makes it stand out from the surrounding traditional structures in this old Toronto neighbourhood, especially when a fresh layer of snow has frosted everything in sight.

The doorbell is answered by a quick patter of feet. Shyam Selvadurai appears, bubbling with a sprite-like effervescence. He leads the way to the cosy drawing room. It’s mostly modern and minimalist, with small splashes of colour. A rich red orchid sits on the mantelpiece, a striking accent against the muted backdrop. And when he brings a cup of tea, it’s how they make it back home – a strong draught steeped until perfection.

It’s all much like his books, Funny Boy and Cinnamon Gardens. Selvadurai, 40, is one of the better known South Asian Canadian writers. And in writing less about Canada and more about Sri Lanka, his country of origin, Selvadurai is in good company, as is evident from the recently released book Story-Wallah! that Selvadurai edited.

Story-Wallah! is an anthology of the works by 26 South Asian diasporic writers, spanning the continents where South Asians have established their roots. The collection came out of a request by Patrick Crean, publisher at Thomas Allen.

“They wanted me to edit an anthology of South Asian writing from Canada,” says Selvadurai. “But I wanted to include some of my favourites like Anita Desai and (Salman) Rushdie. So I asked if I could do South Asian, and they said OK.

“But the more and more I looked at this vast subject, I became interested in the work coming out of the diaspora, which was very exciting. And I am diasporic myself, so there was that appeal. It was a hard decision because there are writers like (R. K.) Narayan, who would have been great to include. But that’s the thing with anthologies, you have to pick your boundaries and work within them.”

In the foreword to the anthology, Selvadurai takes a moment to explain the term diaspora: “The word “diaspora” (a term unfamiliar to many who are diasporic themselves) comes from Greek and implies a “scattering of seeds.” In its most classical sense, diaspora was used to define the experience of Jews expelled from Palestine and forced to disperse to the various parts of the earth. It is now broadly used to define other groups that have, through forced or voluntary migrations, taken up abode in places other than the original centre. The Chinese, Irish, Turkish, Armenian, South Asian, and Greek diasporas are examples of this dispersal.

“Immigrant” is often used to identify these groups (and, indeed, the writers coming from these groups.) The problem with this term is that the emphasis is on the act of arrival in a new land; it conveys a sense that someone is a perpetual newcomer, a perpetual outsider. The term “immigrant” does not leave much room for the process of becoming and changing and the dynamic cultural mixing that “diaspora” suggests. “Diaspora” also allows for the encompassing of a wider range of people and the experiences.”

Some of the more interesting stories included in the anthology have to be from the Caribbean, two of which are written in patois. And a selection of stories have a gay theme. Both selections are personal for Selvadurai. The first because he loves “what the Caribbean people do to English, it’s marvellous.” The other?

“Well, I am gay,” smiles Selvadurai. “I was keen to find gay stories but not at the expense of excellence. It’s important for me. It opens up a dialogue in the community. And fiction provides a private way into the souls of people.”

Story-Wallah! is a collection of short stories because Selvadurai finds it tedious to read excerpts from novels. Although the book showcases well-know authors such as Michael Ondaatje and Anita Desai with lesser-known authors such as Shani Motoo and Kirpal Singh, all the stories have been chosen on the basis of merit. The research for the work took a long time. There was a lot of literature to read from areas such as North America and the UK. But other times the hard work was trying to find representative short stories. Australia proved to be a surprise.

“At first I thought it would be like Canada,” says Selvadurai. “There is much in common, especially the whole multicultural outlook. But it was really hard to find stories. I am not sure why. Maybe it just takes time, and I think things are stirring in Australia.”

After two years, Story-Wallah! finally made it into the bookstores. The anthology has been doing well, especially since it’s the first collection of South Asian stories.

“A lot of South Asian writing tends to be very Indo-centric, and because I am not Indian, I work against that impulse,” says Selvadurai.

“There is Pakistan, and Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. And really this is the first book to have this concept of South Asia and the diaspora.”
Selvadurai’s himself is furthering this notion of the diaspora. His next book Swimming in the Monsoon Sea comes out later this year.
“It’s a young adult’s book,” he says. “I am very excited about it.”