Picture a Canadian storyteller who spun tales of sisterhood and survival with heart-wrenching grace—meet Saleema Nawaz! Born in Ottawa and now weaving her literary magic in Montreal, Nawaz has captivated readers with her award-winning novels like Bone & Bread and the eerily prescient Songs for the End of the World. Her stories dive deep into family ties, cultural identity, and human resilience, making her a standout voice in contemporary Canadian literature.
With a knack for crafting characters that feel like old friends (or complicated siblings), Nawaz’s work blends emotional depth with sharp insight. Whether she’s exploring grief or imagining a pandemic’s ripple effects, her writing invites you to pause, reflect, and maybe even hug your loved ones a little tighter.
The Making of Saleema Nawaz
Born in 1979 in Ottawa, Ontario, Saleema Nawaz grew up as an only child raised by her Nova Scotian mother in the vibrant Centretown neighborhood. Her mixed Indian and Caucasian heritage shaped her perspective, fueling stories that bridge cultures and identities. Nawaz’s love for writing sparked early—she was penning fiction by first grade! She honed her craft with a Bachelor of Humanities at Carleton University and an M.A. in English Literature at the University of Manitoba, where her novella The White Dress snagged the inaugural Robert Kroetsch Prize. Moving to Montreal, she found her creative home, drawing inspiration from the city’s eclectic pulse.
Saleema Nawaz’s Unforgettable Stories
Nawaz’s debut short story collection, Mother Superior (2008), introduced her talent for intimate, character-driven narratives. The collection, featuring her award-winning novella The White Dress, earned praise for its raw humanity and was a finalist for the McAuslan First Book Prize. Her breakout novel, Bone & Bread (2013), is a poignant tale of two sisters navigating loss, anorexia, and their Sikh uncle’s bagel shop in Montreal’s Mile End. It won the Quebec Writers’ Federation Paragraphe Hugh MacLennan Prize and was a finalist for Canada Reads 2016, cementing Nawaz’s reputation.
Her second novel, Songs for the End of the World (2020), is a hauntingly timely exploration of a fictional pandemic called ARAMIS. Written between 2013 and 2019, its parallels to COVID-19 stunned readers, with its vivid characters—a first responder, a pregnant singer, a novelist—interwoven through themes of hope and connection. Critics lauded its “warm light in the darkness” (Toronto Star), and it became a national bestseller. Nawaz’s style, influenced by masters like Alice Munro, blends lyrical prose with unflinching realism, tackling grief, community, and resilience with grace.
Why Saleema Nawaz Matters
Saleema Nawaz’s work resonates because it captures the messy beauty of human relationships. Her stories, rooted in Canadian settings and universal emotions, speak to readers grappling with identity, loss, or uncertainty. By portraying resilient communities in Songs for the End of the World, she offers hope in dark times, challenging the chaos of disaster narratives. Her awards and critical acclaim highlight her role as a vital voice in Canadian literature, inspiring writers to explore the personal within the universal.
As a fiction editor at The Fiddlehead and a TV writer for Murdoch Mysteries, Nawaz continues to shape storytelling across mediums. Her ability to craft relatable characters, even without personal experiences like sisterhood or parenthood, showcases her empathetic imagination, making her a writer to watch.
- Born: 1979, Ottawa, Ontario
- Key Works: Mother Superior, Bone & Bread, Songs for the End of the World
- Awards: Quebec Writers’ Federation Paragraphe Hugh MacLennan Prize, Writers’ Trust of Canada/McClelland & Stewart Journey Prize
- Current Home: Montreal, Quebec
Snag Bone & Bread or Songs for the End of the World and dive into Saleema Nawaz’s soul-stirring world of family, hope, and human connection!