Spaces and Faces

Diasporic writing has been gaining prominence as a genre in recent times. If one were to consider what holds the attention of the audience in this genre, one could narrow it down to its concern with identity and identification as also its recording of an alternate history, which would have otherwise been suppressed and forgotten. Among these writers a significant name is M.G. Vassanji who through his prolific writing explores these alternative histories dispersed across spaces. Considering himself at home in all the places he has lived in and those that are a part of his heritage, he speaks about diasporics, as those that are condemned to remain on the fringes. Complementing/complicating these are his affiliations, some of which he was born into and others which he has acquired. This paper explores the many faces that he claims, or those that have been attributed to him.