As you’re soaking up the last days of summer, why not dive into a good book with Gryphons Read?

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Gryphons Read, U of G’s campus-wide book club, celebrates its sixth year with Home of the Floating Lily, by Bangladeshi-Canadian author and lawyer Silmy Abdullah. This collection of eight short stories follows the lives of Bangladeshi immigrants to Canada as they navigate the complexities of migration, displacement, love, friendship and familial conflict.

Lawrence Hill is co-founder of Gryphons Read and a professor of creative writing in the School of English and Theatre Studies. A well-respected author himself, Hill praises Home of the Floating Lily as a rich and compelling collection. “I’m sure that Home of the Floating Lily will give students, faculty and administrators at the University much to admire and discuss,” he says.

College of Arts dean Samantha Brennan looks forward to the Gryphons Read book selection and author event each year. “I love the concept of the common reading project, the way it brings people together and opens new horizons and new friendships for our students,” says Brennan.

On Sept. 26, Abdullah will visit with students in various English and creative writing classes. That evening, she will present a public talk about her book at 7 p.m. in the library’s Robert Whitelaw Room.

President Charlotte Yates, who has supported the Gryphon Reads initiative from its beginning, says, “Literature has a way of bringing people together for meaningful connection and opening our minds and imaginations. Projects like Gryphons Read bring about important discussions, empathy and creativity, and I look forward to diving into Home of the Floating Lily.”

Pick up your copy

Students are invited to stop by the Gryphons Read registration tent throughout Orientation Week and the first week of classes to pick up a free copy and register for a book club. Home of the Floating Lily is also available to faculty and staff from the University bookstore or The Bookshelf in downtown Guelph. Register for the book clubs online.

One Book. One Campus. One Community

Gryphons Read brings the University community together in meaningful conversation over a selected novel. Led by the Experiential Learning Hub, individual residence and off-campus book clubs are coordinated with discussion group facilitators. A tailored discussion guide created with input from the author outlines ways readers can further connect with the book’s themes.

Gryphons Read is a collaboration of the College of Arts, the Office of the Provost and the Library, with intensive material and logistical support from the Experiential Learning Hub.