Manahil Bandukwala

I completed my BA in English from Carleton in 2020, and have since gone on to complete my MA and publish books. My writing life is greatly informed by my time at Carleton, from the creative writing courses to my involvement with the then-running student magazine In/Words. The poetry workshop in particular introduced me to numerous poets whose work is still influential on my writing today. I met and connected with poets in Ottawa’s literary scene through events like the Spring Extravaganza, some of whom are very close friends and writing champions today! The department prizes like the Lilian I. Found Award and George Johnston Poetry Prize were the first literary awards I ever won, and they helped boost me as a writer so much.

My debut poetry collection, MONUMENT (Brick Books, 2022), was written during my time at Carleton, and has been influenced by the courses I was taking at the time of writing. Additionally, my multidisciplinary project, Reth aur Reghistan, an exploration of Pakistani folklore, received a lot of support from professors at Carleton and the earliest grants I secured for the project were thanks to this support. Years later, I have completed an artist residency for the project and have a book of stories, visual art, and poems called Women Wide Awake (Mawenzi House, 2023).

I’m continuously working on projects, which you can follow on my website www.manahilbandukwala.com.

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.