Vanessa R. Sasson: ‘The Gathering: A Story of the First Buddhist Women’ What do we see differently when we become the creator, rather than the consumer, of stories? This is what Vanessa Sasson, an academic in the field of Buddhist Studies, set out to do in her first novel, ‘Yasodhara and the Buddha’ (Bloomsbury 2021), telling the Buddha’s life story through the eyes and experiences of his abandoned wife.Her second novel, ‘The Gathering’ (Equinox 2023), goes further still, exploring the story of the first Buddhist women’s request for ordination. Sasson will be joining Naomi Appleton in conversation as they explore not only the ways in which Sasson’s research feeds into her creative writing, but also how creative writing might be viewed, in itself, as a form of academic practice. Please note: while this is an in-person event, Vanessa R. Sasson will be joining on the big screen from Canada. Book tickets Vanessa R. Sasson Vanessa R. Sasson Vanessa R. Sasson is Professor of Religious Studies at Marianopolis College in Quebec, and the author and editor of several academic books, most notably the collections ‘Little Buddhas: Children and Childhood in Buddhist Texts and Traditions’ (OUP, 2013) ‘Jewels, Jewelry, and Other Shiny Things in the Buddhist Imaginary’ (University of Hawaii Press, 2021), and, with Kristin Scheible, ‘The Buddha: A Storied Life’ (OUP, 2023). A few years ago, Sasson tried something new and converted her research into a novel. ‘Yasodhara and the Buddha’ (Bloomsbury, 2021) was the outcome, received with international acclaim, and followed a few years later by ‘The Gathering: A Story of the First Buddhist Women’ (Equinox, 2023). She is currently working on her third novel. Chair: Naomi Appleton Naomi Appleton Naomi Appleton is Professor of Buddhist Studies and Indian Religions at the University of Edinburgh, and Co-Director of the Edinburgh Centre for Buddhist Studies. She works primarily on Buddhist narrative literature from ancient India, especially stories about the Buddha and his past lives, and is the author of several academic books. She has never attempted creative writing, but is an enthusiastic consumer of novels, and was once reduced to tears at an academic conference by a reading from the opening of ‘Yasodhara and the Buddha’. She is fascinated by questions around the role of stories and literature in both religious and scholarly practice. Nov 07 2025 17.30 - 18.30 Vanessa R. Sasson: ‘The Gathering: A Story of the First Buddhist Women’ Vanessa R. Sasson joins Professor Naomi Appleton at New College Festival. Martin Hall, New College, Mound Place, Edinburgh, EH1 2LX
Vanessa R. Sasson: ‘The Gathering: A Story of the First Buddhist Women’ What do we see differently when we become the creator, rather than the consumer, of stories? This is what Vanessa Sasson, an academic in the field of Buddhist Studies, set out to do in her first novel, ‘Yasodhara and the Buddha’ (Bloomsbury 2021), telling the Buddha’s life story through the eyes and experiences of his abandoned wife.Her second novel, ‘The Gathering’ (Equinox 2023), goes further still, exploring the story of the first Buddhist women’s request for ordination. Sasson will be joining Naomi Appleton in conversation as they explore not only the ways in which Sasson’s research feeds into her creative writing, but also how creative writing might be viewed, in itself, as a form of academic practice. Please note: while this is an in-person event, Vanessa R. Sasson will be joining on the big screen from Canada. Book tickets Vanessa R. Sasson Vanessa R. Sasson Vanessa R. Sasson is Professor of Religious Studies at Marianopolis College in Quebec, and the author and editor of several academic books, most notably the collections ‘Little Buddhas: Children and Childhood in Buddhist Texts and Traditions’ (OUP, 2013) ‘Jewels, Jewelry, and Other Shiny Things in the Buddhist Imaginary’ (University of Hawaii Press, 2021), and, with Kristin Scheible, ‘The Buddha: A Storied Life’ (OUP, 2023). A few years ago, Sasson tried something new and converted her research into a novel. ‘Yasodhara and the Buddha’ (Bloomsbury, 2021) was the outcome, received with international acclaim, and followed a few years later by ‘The Gathering: A Story of the First Buddhist Women’ (Equinox, 2023). She is currently working on her third novel. Chair: Naomi Appleton Naomi Appleton Naomi Appleton is Professor of Buddhist Studies and Indian Religions at the University of Edinburgh, and Co-Director of the Edinburgh Centre for Buddhist Studies. She works primarily on Buddhist narrative literature from ancient India, especially stories about the Buddha and his past lives, and is the author of several academic books. She has never attempted creative writing, but is an enthusiastic consumer of novels, and was once reduced to tears at an academic conference by a reading from the opening of ‘Yasodhara and the Buddha’. She is fascinated by questions around the role of stories and literature in both religious and scholarly practice. Nov 07 2025 17.30 - 18.30 Vanessa R. Sasson: ‘The Gathering: A Story of the First Buddhist Women’ Vanessa R. Sasson joins Professor Naomi Appleton at New College Festival. Martin Hall, New College, Mound Place, Edinburgh, EH1 2LX
Nov 07 2025 17.30 - 18.30 Vanessa R. Sasson: ‘The Gathering: A Story of the First Buddhist Women’ Vanessa R. Sasson joins Professor Naomi Appleton at New College Festival.
