Silmy Abdullah

Silmy Abdullah is a Bangladeshi-Canadian writer and lawyer. She is the author of the short story collection Home of the Floating Lily, a debut work of fiction that highlights the Bangladeshi immigrant experience in Toronto, as well as in their family homes in Bangladesh. The book was a finalist for the 2021 Danuta Gleed Literary Award and long listed for the 2022 Toronto Book Awards. Silmy completed the Diaspora Dialogues program in 2016, working on Home of The Floating Lily under the mentorship of Lawrence Hill. 

As a lawyer, Silmy practised immigration law for several years at the South Asian Legal Clinic of Ontario. She provided legal services to low-income South Asian clients, many of whom were newcomers. Her practice focused on the intersection of immigration, poverty, and gender-based violence. In 2021, Silmy started her own consulting practice, working with organizations on various gender equality, anti-racism and access to justice initiatives.