World Literary Awards

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Janika Oza

ジャニカ・オザ

Janika Oza

Profile

Gender
Female
Born
Canada
Nationality
Canada
Languages
English

Career

Occupations
novelist, short story writer
Active Years
2019-

Awards

Malahat Review Open Season Award
2019
Work: Exile
Organization: Malahat Review
Result: Won
CBC Short Story Prize
2019
Work: The Gift of Choice
Organization: CBC
Result: Longlisted
Kenyon Review Short Fiction Award
2020
Work: Fish Stories
Organization: The Kenyon Review
Result: Won
O. Henry Award
2022
Work: Fish Stories
Organization: O. Henry Prize Stories
Result: Won
Governor General's Award for English-language fiction
2023
Work: A History of Burning
Category: English Fiction
Organization: Governor General's Awards
Result: Shortlisted
Carol Shields Prize for Fiction
2024
Work: A History of Burning
Organization: Carol Shields Prize for Fiction
Result: Shortlisted
Amazon.ca First Novel Award
2024
Work: A History of Burning
Organization: Amazon.ca First Novel Award
Result: Shortlisted
Dayton Literary Peace Prize
2024
Work: A History of Burning
Organization: Dayton Literary Peace Prize
Result: Shortlisted

Awards & Nominations

O. Henry Award 1 appearances
  1. Work: Fish Stories

    A short story that moves between family lore, memory, and the pull of water.

    A short story that moves between family lore, memory, and the pull of water.

    short storyrelationshipsmemory

Works

Major Works

A History of Burning

2023 Novel

A multigenerational family novel about exile and memory, tracing a family's migration from British India to East Africa and the consequences of forced expulsion across generations.

exilememoryfamilycolonialism

Bibliography

  • A History of Burning (2023)
  • Exile (short story)
  • Fish Stories (short story)
  • The Gift of Choice (short story)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
multigenerational narration with detailed character depictiona style that weaves historical context with personal memory
Recurring Motifs
exileburning and renewalfamily secrets

Legacy

Noted for work exploring migration and exile; debut novel received multiple major award nominations and brought international attention to a rising Canadian writer.

Quotes

  • What does the question 'Where Are You From?' mean when you've always lived here?
    Source: Toronto Star article (2023)

Trivia

  • Her family migrated from British-ruled India to East Africa (Kenya, Uganda) and were expelled from Uganda in 1972.
  • Won the 2022 O. Henry Award for the short story "Fish Stories."
  • Worked previously as a school settlement worker.