Kiran K. Sunar is the new Assistant Professor in Punjabi Language, Literature, and Culture. Kiran’s research and teaching coagulate around literature, religion, and culture in Punjab across its borders and into its diasporas, exploring questions of gender, sexuality, religion, and ecology. Their most recent work focuses on literary, visual, and performance traditions from early modern to contemporary cross-border Punjab and its diasporas. Their current major project traces the transformations of narrative and performance within the Sohnī Mahīnwāl story tradition, a ubiquitous, riverine tale about two lovers who die tragically in their quest to unite. In particular, Kiran takes a special focus on the intersections of religious transformation (across Sikh, Muslim, and Hindu continuities), ecology, and representations of gender and sexuality. They are also working on a set of articles on feminist soundscapes in Punjabi cultural modes, and on gender, sexuality, and equality in the Sikh tradition. Their scholarship often blends critical and creative modes. They previously taught as a limited-term Assistant Professor at the University of Toronto. Kiran also holds a Diploma in Creative Writing from SFU’s The Writer’s Studio. Their arts reviews on Asian diasporic art have been published in Rungh, Ricepaper, and The Courtauldian.