Archive · 6 Sep 2026
M.G. Vassanji’s New Novel Examines Kingdoms, Change and Adaptation
M.G. Vassanji has written a novel called “The Apparition.”
The book looks at kingdoms as they grow and decline.
It also explores how ordinary people respond when society changes greatly.
Vassanji says most people may dislike some new behaviors but eventually adapt.
He believes only a small group refuses all change.
He compares this idea with changes in the South Asian community in Toronto.
He also describes how Delhi’s culture changed when the Sultanate brought new languages and customs.
His main idea is that societies change across different times and places.
M.G. Vassanji’s new novel, “The Apparition,” traces the rise and fall of kingdoms.
Vassanji says he wanted to show how populations respond to large-scale change.
He argues that most people adapt over time, even when they disapprove of certain behaviors.
Vassanji describes uncompromising fanatics who reject change as a small part of the population.
He points to changing LGBTQ+ representation in Toronto and cultural shifts in Delhi under the Sultanate.
- Who
- M.G. Vassanji, the author of “The Apparition.”
- What
- A new novel tracing the rise and fall of kingdoms and examining how populations respond to major change.
- When
- The article does not specify when the interview took place.
- Where
- The interview took place in Delhi; Vassanji also discusses Toronto and Delhi’s historical cultural changes.
- Why
- Vassanji wanted to show how an entire population reacts to change on a large scale.
- Author
- M.G. Vassanji
- Novel
- “The Apparition”
- Central theme
- The rise and fall of kingdoms
- Social response
- Most ordinary people adapt to change over time
- Resistance to change
- Vassanji describes uncompromising fanatics as a small minority
- Toronto example
- The South Asian diaspora has more visible gay and lesbian representation than 25 years ago
- Delhi example
- Delhi culture changed under the Sultanate, including the use of Persian and Turkish among elites