Irani, Anosh 1974–

PERSONAL: Born 1974, in Bombay, India; immigrated to Canada, 1998. Education: University of Bombay, B.Comm.; University of British Columbia, B.F.A., 2004.

ADDRESSES: Home—Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Agent—c/o Author Mail, Raincoast Books, 9050 Shaughnessy St., Vancouver, British Columbia V6P 6E5, Canada.

CAREER: Writer. Arts Club Theatre, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, summer assistant to art director.

WRITINGS:

The Cripple and His Talismans, Raincoast Books (Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada), 2003, Algonquin Books (Chapel Hill, NC), 2005.

The Matka King (play), produced in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, 2003.

WORK IN PROGRESS: The Song of Kahunsha, for Raincoast Books; Manja's Circus (play), for the National Arts Centre, and Bombay Talkie (play), for Toronto's Nightswimming.

SIDELIGHTS: Born in Bombay, India, in 1974, Anosh Irani immigrated to Canada in 1998, settling in Vancouver, British Columbia. Irani writes both prose and plays. The Matka King, his first dramatic work, premiered in October, 2003, at the Arts Club Theatre in Vancouver. In addition, he has been commissioned to write a play for the National Arts Centre in Ottawa, Manja's Circus, and one for Toronto's Nightswimming, Bombay Talkie.

Irani's first novel, The Cripple and His Talismans, recounts the story of a man who wakes up in a hospital in the Indian city of Bombay to discover that his arm has been amputated, yet he cannot remember what led to his injury. Over the course of his search for answers to this mystery, he discovers a side of the city that was previously unknown to him. Irani uses magical realism to add an additional layer of mystery to the protagonist's quest, and to the city of Bombay as seen through his eyes. A contributor for Publishers Weekly called Irani's effort a "lush debut novel," concluding that "an undercurrent of dark humor as well as Irani's atmospheric evocation of Bombay enliven this compelling story." Allison Block, in a review for Booklist, found Irani's novel to be "a challenging offering from a writer with a penchant for mixing the profane and divine."

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

Booklist, February 1, 2005, Allison Block, review of The Cripple and His Talismans, p. 941.

Kirkus Reviews, February 1, 2005, review of The Cripple and His Talismans, p. 139.

Publishers Weekly, April 4, 2005, review of The Cripple and His Talismans, p. 43.

ONLINE

Bookloons.com, http://www.bookloons.com/ (October 15, 2005), "Anosh Irani."

University of British Columbia Public Affairs Web site, http://www.publicaffairs.ubc.ca/ (October 15, 2005), "Anosh Irani."