Raising the profile of South Asian writers since 2007
by Hana Riaz “When we read human stories we come alive in bodies which are not our own.” Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie All writing begins and ends with reading. While writing is often an incredibly solitary process, particularly in its draft stages, reading remains a communal act. Even in the privacy of our own bedroom, reading …
Women Who Write with Elves is a group of nine writers who met through the Open University. Scattered from Scotland to Switzerland, we keep in touch via an online forum. Once a year we meet for a creative writing break which is stimulating, educational and far from the relaxing holiday some of us hope …
by Adrienne Loftus Parkins On Thursday, 26 November, the literati of London gathered at the Shaw Library, London School of Economics, to meet the founders and judges and to hear the announcement of the short list for the 2016 DSC Prize for South Asian Literature. Founded in 2010 by the mother and son duo of …
Small Hands by Mona Arshi This debut collection is small but perfectly formed. The poems are diverse, each deeply personal which offer insight into the poet’s world – her culture, her family life, the loss of a brother which propel to keep reading. Expect to be inspired, this one left me self-reflecting and wondering. wet …
by Farhana Khalique She bit into the peppermint too soon. And then she knew. Her eyes widened, darting around the carriage. A suit, backpacks, a pushchair. Why were they so normal, when everything had changed? She looked at the wrinkled wrapper in her hands, blue already bleeding into white. All because she hadn’t waited, just …
Q. What’s the response been like to your collection, Small Hands? Wonderful. Humbling. I think because because the writing travels through elegy, fantasy and uses form it seems as if everyone has his or her favourite poem. Being shortlisted for the Forward Prize for best first collection was a huge honour particularly as it was …
What inspired this new piece of theatre? When I first came to live in the UK in the late 1990’s, I noticed particularly South Asian women of the first generation of migrants wearing saris much like my mother and aunts would back home although with heavy winter coats and cardigans. The sari was not just …
The longlist for the DSC Prize for South Asian Literature 2016 was announced earlier this month (October 16). A total of 11 books which represent a mix of established writers and debut novelists are in contention for the $50,000 (£32,369) prize. Once again, Indian writers and publishers dominate the list. The DSC Prize for South …
by Leila Rasheed I’m going to start with a story about stories, one of the incidents that made me realise that I had to make Megaphone a reality. I was sitting in the café in Birmingham’s new central library. At the table next to me were four children, aged perhaps eleven. Two boys and two …
I met Elif Shafak and heard her speak before I read any of her books. In person she is lovely, soft spoken, very kind and intense. On stage she is all those things plus she comes across as a deeply intelligent, thoughtful speaker with strong ideas. She conveys important thoughts about love, faith, culture, freedom …