Persona

Begamudré, Ven

1956-

Born in Bangalore, India in 1956, writer Ven Begamudr moved to Canada in 1962. He attended high school in Vancouver, and received a B.A. in public administration from Carleton University, Ottawa, in 1977. He studied creative writing through workshops and courses offered by the University of Regina (1979), the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (1988, 1989), the Saskatchewan School of the Arts (1978-1982, 1989) and the Banff Centre for the Arts (1990, 1991). Currently he is working towards a Master of Fine Arts degree in creative writing from Warren Wilson College, Asheville, North Carolina. Ven Begamudr's books include the novel 'Van de Graaff Days' (1993) and the short story collections 'Laterna Magika' (1997) and 'A Planet of Eccentrics' (1990), all published by Oolichan Books. He has also published dozens of shorter works in anthologies and magazines in North America, Europe, and Australia. He edited 'Lodestone: Stories by Regina Writers' (Fifth House, 1993) and co-edited 'Out of Place: Stories and Poems' (Coteau, 1991) with poet Judith Krause. Begamudr served as writer-in-residence at the University of Calgary (1994-95), the University of Alberta (1996-97), and in Edinburgh, Scotland (1996). He has presented readings of his work across Canada, and in the U.S. and Scotland, and he has been featured nationally on CBC radio. He has taught creative writing courses and workshops for various organizations including University of Regina Extension (1983, 1990-91), the Saskatchewan School of the Arts (1987-1989), and Sage Hill Writing Experience (1993). He was the founding president of the latter organization, (1990-91) and has held several positions within the Saskatchewan Writers Guild including president in 1990-91. He has acted as a juror for a number of literary competitions and granting agencies across Canada. Begamudr's work has earned several awards, among them the F.G. Bressani Literary prize for prose (1992), the Okanagan Short Story Award (1989), the City of Regina Writing Award (1990), and a creative-non-fiction prize from 'Event' magazine. Ven Begamudr has been a resident of Saskatchewan since 1978 and he has held various posts with the Saskatchewan Civil Service. He lives in Regina with his wife, Shelley Sopher.