Shumaila Hemani

Shumaila Hemani Author | Singer-Songwriter-Storyteller | Changemaker | Shifting Systems Through Storytelling and Sounds

There are moments in life that don't make sense until years later. One of those moments led me to become faculty on Seme...
07/28/2026

There are moments in life that don't make sense until years later. One of those moments led me to become faculty on Semester at Sea. In Writing in the Wound, I describe it as a series of meaningful coincidences—what Carl Jung called synchronicities. Looking back, I don't see them as luck. I see them as invitations to keep moving when the path I had carefully planned no longer

There are moments in life that don’t make sense until years later. One of those moments led me to become faculty on Semester at Sea. In Writing in the Wound, I describe it as a series of mean…

Serving as a Music faculty member for Semester At Sea / ISE during the Spring 2020 voyage has been one of the most memor...
07/27/2026

Serving as a Music faculty member for Semester At Sea / ISE during the Spring 2020 voyage has been one of the most memorable parts of my journey as a public speaker--something I recall today as I begin a new chapter at the Canadian Association of Professional Speakers. One such experience was my time as faculty on Semester at Sea

Serving as a Music faculty member for Semester At Sea / ISE during the Spring 2020 voyage has been one of the most memorable parts of my journey as a public speaker–something I recall today a…

It’s been almost six months since Writing in the Wound came into the world.A recent editorial review described it as:“Fo...
07/25/2026

It’s been almost six months since Writing in the Wound came into the world.

A recent editorial review described it as:

“Forceful and unsettling… Hemani refuses to fake tidiness.”

I’ve been thinking about that line...Our wounds are among the most sacred things we carry within us.

To let someone enter them—to witness how they ache, how they make us shiver, how they keep us awake at night—is a radical act of self-exposure and self-expression, especially when those wounds are still open.

For a racialized woman from another country, who has called Canada home for seventeen years yet continues to be structurally excluded, this act becomes not only a claim to be seen in a space that has not fully made room for her, but also a confrontation with the very structures that continue to deny her belonging.

If you’ve read the book, I’d love to know what stayed with you.

And if you feel like sharing your thoughts on Goodreads, it helps the book reach other readers.

Read the full review here: writinginthewound.com/book-reviews



https://writinginthewound.com/2026/07/25/a-state-of-immigration-precarity-due-to-systemic-exclusion/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=jetpack_social

It’s been almost six months since Writing in the Wound came into the world. A recent editorial review described it as: “Forceful and unsettling… Hemani refuses to fake tidiness.” I’ve been thinking…

It’s been almost six months since Writing in the Wound came into the world.A recent editorial review described it as:“Fo...
07/18/2026

It’s been almost six months since Writing in the Wound came into the world.

A recent editorial review described it as:

“Forceful and unsettling… Hemani refuses to fake tidiness.”

I’ve been thinking about that line...Our wounds are among the most sacred things we carry within us.

To let someone enter them—to witness how they ache, how they make us shiver, how they keep us awake at night—is a radical act of self-exposure and self-expression, especially when those wounds are still open.

For a racialized woman from another country, who has called Canada home for seventeen years yet continues to be structurally excluded, this act becomes not only a claim to be seen in a space that has not fully made room for her, but also a confrontation with the very structures that continue to deny her belonging.

If you’ve read the book, I’d love to know what stayed with you.

And if you feel like sharing your thoughts on Goodreads, it helps the book reach other readers.

Read the full review here: writinginthewound.com/book-reviews



https://writinginthewound.com/2026/07/18/forceful-and-unsettling/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=jetpack_social

It’s been almost six months since Writing in the Wound came into the world. A recent editorial review described it as: “Forceful and unsettling… Hemani refuses to fake tidiness.” I’ve been thinking…

It’s been almost six months since Writing in the Wound came into the world.A recent editorial review described it as:“Fo...
07/11/2026

It’s been almost six months since Writing in the Wound came into the world.

A recent editorial review described it as:

“Forceful and unsettling… Hemani refuses to fake tidiness.”

I’ve been thinking about that line...Our wounds are among the most sacred things we carry within us.

To let someone enter them—to witness how they ache, how they make us shiver, how they keep us awake at night—is a radical act of self-exposure and self-expression, especially when those wounds are still open.

For a racialized woman from another country, who has called Canada home for seventeen years yet continues to be structurally excluded, this act becomes not only a claim to be seen in a space that has not fully made room for her, but also a confrontation with the very structures that continue to deny her belonging.

If you’ve read the book, I’d love to know what stayed with you.

And if you feel like sharing your thoughts on Goodreads, it helps the book reach other readers.

Read the full review here: writinginthewound.com/book-reviews



https://writinginthewound.com/2026/07/11/hemani-writes-as-if-sound-is-breath/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=jetpack_social

It’s been almost six months since Writing in the Wound came into the world. A recent editorial review described it as: “Forceful and unsettling… Hemani refuses to fake tidiness.” I’ve been thinking…

Where can our stories take us?Stories are more than memories on a page. They help us reclaim our voices, make sense of o...
07/06/2026

Where can our stories take us?

Stories are more than memories on a page. They help us reclaim our voices, make sense of our experiences, connect with one another, and imagine new possibilities. Sometimes, telling our story is the first act of liberation. This spring, I had the privilege of facilitating two writing courses at the Alexandra Writers' Centre Society—Writing in the Wound and Writing to Shift Systems. Over the weeks, I witnessed something extraordinary. Writers arrived with curiosity, courage, and vulnerability. They trusted the space enough to write what had long remained unspoken. Together, we explored not only craft, but also the ways storytelling can help us move through grief, uncertainty, belonging, identity, and hope....

Stories are more than memories on a page. They help us reclaim our voices, make sense of our experiences, connect with one another, and imagine new possibilities. Sometimes, telling our story is th…

It’s been almost six months since Writing in the Wound came into the world.A recent editorial review described it as:“Fo...
07/04/2026

It’s been almost six months since Writing in the Wound came into the world.

A recent editorial review described it as:

“Forceful and unsettling… Hemani refuses to fake tidiness.”

I’ve been thinking about that line...Our wounds are among the most sacred things we carry within us.

To let someone enter them—to witness how they ache, how they make us shiver, how they keep us awake at night—is a radical act of self-exposure and self-expression, especially when those wounds are still open.

For a racialized woman from another country, who has called Canada home for seventeen years yet continues to be structurally excluded, this act becomes not only a claim to be seen in a space that has not fully made room for her, but also a confrontation with the very structures that continue to deny her belonging.

If you’ve read the book, I’d love to know what stayed with you.

And if you feel like sharing your thoughts on Goodreads, it helps the book reach other readers.

Read the full review here: writinginthewound.com/book-reviews



https://writinginthewound.com/2026/07/04/wound-is-not-just-a-private-sorrow-but-a-structural-fact/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=jetpack_social

It’s been almost six months since Writing in the Wound came into the world. A recent editorial review described it as: “Forceful and unsettling… Hemani refuses to fake tidiness.” I’ve been thinking…

Writing in the Wound crossed a threshold. I had been anxious about taking this step for so many months. Yesterday, almos...
07/03/2026

Writing in the Wound crossed a threshold. I had been anxious about taking this step for so many months. Yesterday, almost eight months after Writing in the Wound was first published, I finally walked into Shelf Life Books with copies of my memoir.

Writing in the Wound crossed a threshold. I had been anxious about taking this step for so many months. Yesterday, almost eight months after Writing in the Wound was first published, I finally walk…

Sounds Hold Stories can be a great anchor in and creative nonfiction, bringing back memories of a place or a time tha...
06/30/2026

Sounds Hold Stories

can be a great anchor in and creative nonfiction, bringing back memories of a place or a time that you are writing about. A single sound can give an important clue to the character. What could such a sound be? Hearing a sound can help a detective solve a mystery. It can lead a person toward a possibility they had never considered before

can be a great anchor in and creative nonfiction, bringing back memories of a place or a time that you are writing about. A single sound can give an important clue to the character.…

It’s been almost six months since Writing in the Wound came into the world.A recent editorial review described it as:“Fo...
06/27/2026

It’s been almost six months since Writing in the Wound came into the world.

A recent editorial review described it as:

“Forceful and unsettling… Hemani refuses to fake tidiness.”

I’ve been thinking about that line...Our wounds are among the most sacred things we carry within us.

To let someone enter them—to witness how they ache, how they make us shiver, how they keep us awake at night—is a radical act of self-exposure and self-expression, especially when those wounds are still open.

For a racialized woman from another country, who has called Canada home for seventeen years yet continues to be structurally excluded, this act becomes not only a claim to be seen in a space that has not fully made room for her, but also a confrontation with the very structures that continue to deny her belonging.

If you’ve read the book, I’d love to know what stayed with you.

And if you feel like sharing your thoughts on Goodreads, it helps the book reach other readers.

Read the full review here: writinginthewound.com/book-reviews



https://writinginthewound.com/2026/06/27/beautifully-lyrical-and-crystal-clear/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=jetpack_social

It’s been almost six months since Writing in the Wound came into the world. A recent editorial review described it as: “Forceful and unsettling… Hemani refuses to fake tidiness.” I’ve been thinking…

Address

Calgary, AB

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm

Telephone

+14034678791

Website

, ,

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Shumaila Hemani posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Establishment

Send a message to Shumaila Hemani:

Shortcuts

Featured

Share

Category