Saima Desai
About me:
I'm Saima, a journalist and editor.
I'm an indie media diehard who's got a hand in a few different publications. I'm currently the coordinating editor at The Breach. I previously worked as the editor-in-chief of Briarpatch Magazine, and a senior editor at The Grind. I'm on the editorial collective of Between The Lines Books. I've written about politics and culture for The Breach, The Tyee, THIS Magazine, NOW Toronto, Briarpatch, and The Grind.
I moonlight as a DJ, and can also be found sewing, bicycling, planning elaborate parties, baking cakes, and community organizing.
My work:
Writing
Border agents confronting migrants in workplaces and schools, detaining them without prior contact, and rushing deportations before legal options for asylum seekers have played out
Writing
Border agents confronting migrants in workplaces and schools, detaining them without prior contact, and rushing deportations before legal options for asylum seekers have played out
On a 2021 podcast, the Alberta premier wondered aloud if privatizing health care would require breaking federal law. Despite learning the answer was ‘yes,’ she’s still going ahead with it
Carl and Olliver Henry nearly lost their home over a single cent. Their story highlights how racism is shaping Toronto’s financialized housing crisis
Conservatives are capturing working-class, visible-minority voters outside Toronto’s downtown—and in suburban neighbourhoods across the country. The Left needs a playbook to win them back
Hindu organizations are springing up in Canada, often parroting Conservative talking points about crime, cost of living, and anti-LGBTQ politics
Thousands of seniors died in Ontario’s long-term care homes during the COVID pandemic. One daughter calls Doug Ford’s actions since then “a slap in the face.”
Briarpatch ✦ Happy 50th Birthday, Briarpatch
DJing
I learned to DJ out of desperation. It was 2019, I was living in Regina, Saskatchewan, and I needed someone to play music I could dance to.
Today, I DJ under the name Durga – the Hindu goddess whose sleeping persona, Saima, is my namesake.
I play a little of many genres from across the world. I love bollywood, house, afrobeat, techno, reggaeton, pop, and experimental club music.
My DJ practice comes from a curiosity about the sounds, ideas, and feelings that move us in sync.
Contact:
You can follow and message me on Bluesky.