Award-winning author SJ Sindu will read from their work as part of the Thornton Reading series at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 14. The reading, which is free and open to the public, will take place in Hall Campus Center’s Memorial Ballroom at the University of Lynchburg. A Q&A and book signing will follow.
Sindu, a Tamil diaspora author, has written and published a diverse range of books, including two award-winning hybrid chapbooks, two forthcoming graphic novels, and one forthcoming collection of short stories.
Their literary novel, “Marriage of a Thousand Lies,” won the Publishing Triangle Edmund White Award. Another literary novel, “Blue-Skinned Gods,” was an Indie Next Pick and a finalist for the Lambda Literary Award.
“SJ Sindu’s works bravely explore and celebrate culture, gender identity, and sexuality,” Professor Jeremy Bryant ’03, ’10 MA, chair of the Richard H. Thornton Endowment, said. “In fact, I believe their works enable many readers to see themselves in the characters Sindu creates. Readers journey with Sindu’s characters as they sometimes journey far from themselves, only to discover their true selves.”
When asked what he thinks students will gain from attending the reading, Bryant said, “Students … will not be disappointed. From fiction to graphic novels to nonfiction, Sindu demonstrates the importance of character development, dialogue, and conflict, all while asking readers to consider cultures and ways of being that may be unique to their own life experiences.”
While on campus, Sindu also will visit Bryant’s Creative Nonfiction class.
Sindu holds a PhD in creative writing from Florida State University and currently teaches at Virginia Commonwealth University and Vermont College of Fine Arts.
For more information, contact Bryant at 434.544.8588 or bryant.j@lynchburg.edu.
This event is sponsored by the Richard H. Thornton Endowment in English. Since 1975, the endowment established in his name has enabled Lynchburg to bring exciting and successful poets, novelists, dramatists, and nonfiction writers to campus. These writers have taught classes, given public readings, and enriched the cultural lives of students, faculty, and other members of the community.
