This is a photography and audio project about the personal libraries of people who have (im)migrated to Canada, and specifically, about the books in their native languages that they have brought with them from their countries of origin. The visual part of the project presents informal photo portraits of the participants, their home libraries and the books in their native languages. The photographs are accompanied by audio recordings of the participants’ personal stories of what have compelled them to bring these particular books with them to Canada. In this project, I am using the book not so much as an object of nostalgic recollection (although it certainly has this effect), but rather as a material and symbolic starting point from which to initiate a dialogue and share stories and life experiences with those who come from elsewhere and who carry that elsewhere with and within them.
Recent News
- March 17, 2022: “The Book as a Space for Encountering the Other and Bridging Difference.” Presentation about the project at the 9th Emerging Scholars Symposium on Oral History, Digital Storytelling and Creative Practice at Concordia University. The video of the conference is available here (beginning of the presentation about the Migrant Libraries Projet at 08:06).