Manahil Bandukwala

Manahil Bandukwala is a writer and visual artist. She is most recently the author of MONUMENT (Brick Books 2022), and a number of chapbooks. She completed her MA at the University of Waterloo, and her BA at Carleton University. She writes about intersections of history, feminism, space, and future imaginations.

How has your Carleton English degree informed your professional and/or creative path?

My writing career has all been thanks to my studies at Carleton and the connections I made during my time there. I started out volunteering with In/Words Magazine, and this led to my current position as Coordinating Editor with Arc Poetry Magazine (where I work with a number of Carleton alumni). The research I conducted for my first book came out of curiosities piqued during my courses at Carleton, and of course through access to the library and resources there. During my time at Carleton, I’ve been able to navigate between the professional and creative worlds, finding my footing through publishing as well as work behind-the-scenes.

Why Carleton? What specific experiences or opportunities did you benefit from while studying English at Carleton?

I was drawn to the English program at Carleton because of its relatively small size, which gave me opportunities to connect with professors and students, and really learn about the writing community as it existed within Carleton and outside. The Co-Op program was also a great place to try out different skills and types of jobs, and has continuously helped me in my professional life today.