Interview with Ryanne Kap

Ryanne Kap (she/they) is a Chinese-Canadian writer and academic from Strathroy, Ontario. Her work has been featured in Grain, carte blanche, long con, and elsewhere. Her short story “Heat” won first place in Grain’s 2020 Short Grain contest and was selected as a notable pick in the 2021 edition of Best Canadian Short Stories. Her debut chapbook goodbye, already was published by Frog Hollow Press in 2021. In the fall, she will be pursuing a PhD in English at the University of Calgary. Ryanne is also the managing editor at The Puritan. You can find her online at www.ryannekap.com or on Twitter and Instagram at @ryannekap.

Manahil: This is Canthius’ tenth issue, and the first for which we have a guest editor, Sanna Wani. Whether you’ve been a long-time reader of Canthius or are just getting introduced us, how did you come to decide what pieces you wanted to share with the magazine?

Ryanne: “Elaine” is a very particular kind of CanLit story, in that it pokes fun at CanLit (as in, I name actual CanLit magazines in the story). I wanted to submit it to a publication that I thought would appreciate the un-self-seriousness of it. Especially since Canthius prioritizes writers with marginalized identities, I thought it would be a great venue for a story about the pressures these writers face to present themselves in a very specific way. Plus, I’m a great admirer of Sanna and her work, so I didn’t want to miss out on the chance to be part of this issue!

Manahil: I find writing often emerges from a conversation. What conversation is happening in your work?

Ryanne: I think that in anything I write, I’m working through feelings of loss and a search for belonging. I’m interested in how we come to find our place in the world, and how working through different kinds of grief is a part of that journey.

Manahil: “Elaine” is so incredibly relatable. How does one deal with the imposter syndrome that Elaine expresses, being a young racialized woman writer?

Ryanne: I’m happy (and sad) it’s relatable! I’m a big fan of the “fake it till you make it” approach. If you feel like an imposter, then okay, be an imposter. Commit to the bit. If that’s the worst-case scenario—that you’ve somehow made it to a level you feel you don’t deserve—then you’ve come this far, why not go farther?

Manahil: What is something you’re working on that you’d like to share!

Ryanne: I am trying my best to finish my first short story collection! I want to lean more into absurd and highly specific situations, so I’m currently working on a short story revolving around an Instagram close-friends list.

Manahil: In closing, what is a poem, story, painting, chapbook, or book you would like to recommend others read?

Ryanne: I highly recommend You are Eating an Orange. You are Naked. by Sheung-King. It truly dazzled me and partly inspired “Elaine”!