Drum roll please...The Markham Reads winner is The Heart of a Superfan: A Memoir of Grit, Love, Family and Basketball by Nav Bhatia. To add to the excitement, Nav Bhatia will be joining us for a special author talk and book signing on Thursday August 22 at 7 pm at the Aaniin Library in the program room. Markham Reads is an annual initiative where the Markham community votes for one book to read together as a City. To celebrate, MPL hosts many events and activities that encourage participants to share their stories, and build connections.
Nav Bhatia, known as the Raptors Superfan, has attended over 1.400 games. He was an early supporter of the Raptors since their inception in 1995, has been a devoted presence at their home games, earning recognition as a Superfan for his unwavering dedication. Bhatia made history as the inaugural fan to be awarded his own championship ring in 2019. The following year, he was further honored with inclusion in a new superfan exhibit at the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in Massachusetts.
Nav is also a successful business man who owns five car dealerships and leads a team of over 300 staff members throughout the Greater Toronto Area. Additionally, he spearheads the Nav Bhatia Superfan Foundation, a nonprofit initiative committed to funding basketball camps and courts for children in Canada and globally.
Nav immigrated to Canada in 1984 during the Anti-Sikh Riots in India. When he came to Canada, he faced racism, and worked as a janitor before finding a job as a salesman. Even though Nav graduated as a mechanical engineer, he was unable to get a job as one in Canada. Nav's memoir chronicles his journey triumphing over challenges in entrepreneurship, filmmaking, philanthropy, and family life, while also celebrating his unwavering support for the Raptors. Through intimate anecdotes, he offers unique insights into the team's history, from its inception in 1995 to their 2019 Championship win and beyond.
Read all about the Raptors, Canada's only NBA Basketball team, and the 2019 NBA Champions. These books will tell you all about We the North!
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