I meet with Tahmima Anam minutes after she has given a reading – we have only ten minutes – so I quickly rush through the questions. I’m struck at how petite she is, there is an elegant poise about her. Without warning we are interrupted by a passer by. We both apologise, even though none …
A Pleasure to Meet Tishani Doshi
Tishani Doshi was born in Madras to a Welsh mother and a Gujarati father, and is based in India, after periods living in America and England. Her first book of poems, Countries of the Body won the 2006 Forward prize for best first collection. She was the winner of the 2006 All-India Poetry Competition, and …
The Road from Damascus
ROBBIN YASSIN-KASSAB the road from Damascus published by Penguin June 2008 It is summer 2001 and Sami Traifi has escaped his fraying marriage and minimal job prospects to Damascus. In search of his roots and himself, he insteads find a forgotten uncle in a gloomy back room, and an ugly secret about his beloved father… …
The End of the road? Surely not! The Asian Writer talks exclusively to Robbin Yassin-Kassab
Q. Could you tell me more about your writing journey…how did the idea for The road from Damascus come about? What lead you to write this story? A. Well, I just started writing. For many years I’d failed to write because I couldn’t find a story. What I didn’t know was that the story is …
Ambition brings Sukhraj success
1) What made you enter the competition? Talk me through the day you found out about the competition and what your thoughts were? The Easter holiday was extremely rainy; excellent motivation to do some writing. I entered the competition just to test my nerve. I sent it off, and thought that was an achievement in …
Getting to know Sathnam Sanghera
Sathnam Sanghera was born in Wolverhampton in 1976. He graduated from Cambridge with a first class degree in English Language and Literature. He currently works as a British journalist and writes a weekly Business LifeThe Times. If You Don’t Know Me By Now is his first book. To find out more about you can visit …
Rahul Bajaj plays Bollywood Roulette
Every year thousands of young men and women come to Bollywood in the hope of becoming the next big thing. Few make it. Bollywood Roulette gives a voice to these actors and educates those who are pursuing the Bollywood dream. TAWP speaks to Rahul Bajaj to uncover the truth behind the glitz and glam behind Bollywood… …
Momtazbh Begum Hossain on Bollywood Crafts
Bollywood Crafts celebrates the creativity and beauty of Bollywood. Each crafting project has been inspired by a Bollywood movie and can be made up by a novice or experienced crafter alike. The projects are fun and easy to follow, with clear simple instructions. It is one of the few books which has applied the …
Once Upon a Time in Bollywood
Once Upon a Time in Bollywood presents an extravaganza of essays on globalization and contemporary Hindi cinema. The wide ranging analytic strategies in the collection—including ethnographic self-reflection, literary comparison, economic contextualization, and biographic study – bear witness to Hindi cinema’s aesthetically elaborate and politically entangled treatment of postcolonial concerns. Together, these essays invite fresh, …
Zahid Hussain on The Curry Mile
The Curry Mile is a warm novel which follows the story of daddy’s girl, Sorayah Butt. When her dream life in London ends in heartache she returns home to Manchester. When the family business threatens to belly up without her intervention, Sorayah is forced into a dilemma: should she rescue the business or should she …