Janika Oza

Janika Oza is a Canadian novelist, writer, editor, and educator based in Toronto. Her debut novel, "A History of Burning," explores themes of colonialism, displacement, migration, and the legacy of family secrets across four generations of an Indo-Ugandan family. Oza's own family history, marked by their expulsion from Uganda under Idi Amin's regime, significantly influenced her writing. She was the first person in her family to be born in Canada and has a background in Immigration and Settlement Studies. Oza has received numerous accolades for her work, including the O. Henry Award for her short story "Fish Stories" and her debut novel has been shortlisted for prestigious awards such as the Governor General's Award for Fiction and the Carol Shields Prize for Fiction. She also teaches creative writing.