Transatlantic Agency is delighted to welcome Silmy Abdullah, represented by Transatlantic agent Rachel Letofsky. We’re excited to support their work and be part of this next stage in their creative journey.
Silmy Abdullah is a Bangladeshi Canadian writer and lawyer. She is the author of the short story collection Home of the Floating Lily, A debut work of fiction that highlights the Bangladeshi immigrant experience in Toronto, as well as in their family homes in Bangladesh. The book won runner-up for the 2021 Danuta Gleed Literary Award, awarded to a Canadian writer for the best first collection of short stories in the English language. It was also longlisted for the 2022 Toronto Book Awards and selected for the Amnesty International Book Club. The book was included as part of the curriculum in various universities across Canada, including the Toronto Metropolitan University, University of Guelph and University of Western Ontario. In 2022, Home of the Floating Lily was selected by celebrated author, Lawrence Hill for the University of Guelph’s Gryphons Read Program. In addition, one of the stories from the book has been selected by Cambridge University Press for inclusion in the anthology, “Stories of Ourselves. The anthology was published this year and will be used as the set text in the Cambridge Literature syllabuses to be used by learners and their teachers in preparing for assessment in Cambridge IGCSE English Literature, Cambridge IGCSE World Literature, Cambridge International O Level English, and Cambridge International AS & A Level English.
As a lawyer, Silmy practiced immigration law for a number of years with a specific focus on gender-based violence. In 2021, she opened her own consulting company, which focuses on systemic reform in the areas of gender equity, anti-racism, and access to justice in Canada.
Welcome, Silmy!