Samantha Garner: Celebrated Filipino-Canadian Author Explores Identity and Belonging in "The Quiet is Loud"

Discover the captivating world of Samantha Garner, a Filipino-Canadian author whose debut novel "The Quiet is Loud" was shortlisted for the 2022 Kobo Emerging Writer Prize. With a rich Filipino-Finnish heritage, Samantha's character-driven fantasy and sci-fi novels delve into themes of identity and belonging, drawing inspiration from history, mythology, and narrative video games. Explore her insightful reflections on Canadian literature and genre fiction. Connect with Samantha Garner online at samanthagarner.ca or @SamanthaKGarner, and join us in celebrating her contributions to the literary world.

In what ways does "The Quiet Is Loud" reflect your own experiences or observations about Filipino Canadian and mixed-race identity?

There's a part in the book where Freya, the main character, muses that "she'd always felt a bit of an outsider, trying to understand being Norwegian and Filipino and Canadian all at once, split in three but wound together, not exactly knowing where she fit in." While "The Quiet is Loud" isn't a direct reflection of my life, that one sentence is probably the most autobiographical thing in it. 

I grew up feeling like I lacked critical context in some areas of my identity, despite everyone's best efforts. I often felt like an outsider where I shouldn't have. However, I was also instantly welcomed and understood in other situations. It influenced many areas of my life. With my book I tried to show all facets of that feeling. There's isolation, sure, but there's also curiosity, freedom, possibility, acceptance. I've found my own way to be Finnish, my own way to be Filipino, my own way to be Canadian. Like Freya, I'm driven by my need to define my own identity, and I'm drawn to people who feel excluded in some way.

The story intertwines Norse and Filipino mythology. What inspired you to blend these two mythologies, and how do they contribute to the narrative?

In all honesty I didn't intend for Freya to have a cultural background so close to my own - particularly as I'm half-Finnish and therefore Norse mythology wasn't something I grew up with. But her name came to me very strongly in the early stages. I knew "Freya" was also the name of a Norse goddess and when I discovered she was specifically associated with seiðr, or weaving the strands of fate, I knew I had to go that way. At that point I'd already decided that the book's protagonist would have prophetic dreams, so discovering her name and the association felt like an obvious, two-hands-waving-frantically "helloooo" from fate. That link with goddess-Freya helped me to get deeper into person-Freya's relationship with her special skill and her conflicted feelings about seeing the future.

As for the Filipino mythology and folklore, for me it's a source of comfort. The two figures mentioned most often in the book, nuno sa punso and tikbalang, were the main ones I grew up hearing about. Even now, I can't go near a mound of earth in the forest without muttering "tabi tabi po, nuno" under my breath like I've done all my life. As a child I also loved the folklore-inspired stories my dad read to me - stories of the sun and the moon as living things with living bodies, gods that came down to feast and hunt with you. The ease of the mythical crossing over into daily life is something I wanted to give Freya's story as well.

What book in the Canadian literary canon do you think is a must-read? And why?

I think every Canadian should read A Mind Spread Out on the Ground⁠ by Alicia Elliott, a Mohawk writer and editor living in Brantford, Ontario. The essays in her memoir reflect on intergenerational trauma, mixed-race identity, Indigenous representation in the arts, the legacy of colonialism in Canada, poverty, and mental illness, while sharing intimate and honest stories from her life. The back cover copy describes the prose as "searing" and I agree. It's an unflinching, intensely moving book.