Ven Begamudré

Ven Begamudré (born 1956) is a Canadian poet, short story writer and novelist. He was born in Bangalore, India and moved with his family to Canada when he was six. During his writing career, he has been a part of six writers-in-residence. He currently divides his time between western Canada and the island of Bali.

Personal profile

In his memoir, Extended Families: A Memoir of India, Begamudré traces the history on both sides of his family in India. It was nominated for a 2018 Saskatchewan Book Award for Regina Public Library "Book of the Year". His other works include children's books and poetry collections, including The Lightness Which is Our World, Seen From Afar, published in 2006. His collection of short stories Laterna Magika was shortlisted for the 1997 Saskatchewan Book Awards Fiction Prize and Saskatchewan Book Awards Book of the Year. Most recently he has been teaching at Iowa State University.

He has a degree in public administration from Carleton University and an MFA in creative writing from Warren Wilson College in Asheville, N.C. He lives in Regina, Saskatchewan and on the island of Bali.

Awards He has received the F.G. Bressani Literary Prize for Prose, the City of Regina Writing Award, and prizes from various literary magazines. His second story collection, Laterna Magika, shared the City of Regina Book Award and was a best book finalist in the Canada-Caribbean region for the Commonwealth Writers Prize.