Parminder Swaich : Writing as an Ideological Instrument

This interview is a part of the “Punjabi in BC” oral history project (2019-2023). “Punjabi in BC” is comprised of interviews with over 50 K-12 teachers, language advocates, journalists, and writers who have contributed to the life of the Punjabi language in British Columbia, Canada. The subject of this interview, Parminder Swaich, is an artist, playwright, and director with a long history of community activism. She is also a poet, short-story writer, and essayist. In her writing she addresses many serious issues in Canadian life, such as drug problems, broken relationships, and social decline. This interview is divided into four segments and includes two promotional videos. In the interview, Parminder Swaich talks about her advocacy work on women’s rights, her work in theater and activism, her published works, the use of different forms to tell her stories, and the importance of reading books.