Belief

An upright and modest Muslim family in Mississauga, Ontario, discovers by accident the plans to bomb public places in Toronto on their son Rafiq's computer. Belief tells the story of the family's escape from Bombay to Canada following the communal violence of 1993; their small success, epitomized by their proud ownership of a house; and Rafiq's attraction to fundamentalist Islamic ideas. Rafiq, it appears, has rejected the planned act of terrorism, organized by an evil charismatic genius, but how can he explain its details found on his computer? Told simply, impartially, and with understanding and empathy, Belief describes the trauma of a family unable to understand their child as they anxiously await his fate.

Mayank Bhatt immigrated to Toronto in 2008 from Mumbai (Bombay). Since then he was actively engaged with the Toronto literary scene and was a board member of the Toronto Festival of Literature and the Arts (TFSALA). His debut novel, Belief, was published by Mawenzi House in 2016. His short stories have been published in TOK 5: Writing the New Toronto, Canadian Voices II, the Maple Tree Literary Supplement, and the Beacon.