Becoming Goan: Beyond Ancestral Pasts

[Carvalho]

Michelle Mendonça Bambawale is an environmental activist, educator, photographer and writer. In 2023, her book Becoming Goan: A Contemporary Coming Home Story was published by Penguin Random House, India. In part memoir and in part a cry from the heart for the preservation of Goa’s cultural and topographical landscape, the book touched a deep chord with readers across the world making it a runaway success. Here, in conversation with Selma Carvalho, Michelle elaborates on issues close to her heart.

"Each of us interprets and relates to our identity in a different way. I know there are many who feel Goan - this special connection to the land and culture. They feel it no matter where they live or how many generations ago their family left Goa. For me, to become Goan, I knew it went beyond my required ancestral history. I needed to create criteria to understand Goan identity. It is complex and diverse."

Read full interview here:

Becoming Goan: Beyond Ancestral Pasts — Joao-Roque Literary Journal est. 2017

Becoming Goan: Beyond Ancestral Pasts — Joao-Roque Literary Journal est.... By Selma Carvalho My anecdotal observations suggested that Goans were leaving Goa for a better life. At the sam...

All best wishes,

Selma