Raising the profile of South Asian writers since 2007
A series of nineteen black and white portraits of South Asian writers were launched at a new exhibition in London this week. The collection by Lucinda Douglas-Menzies aims to shine a spotlight writers writing in the English language, from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. Selections from the authors’ writing are displayed beside each portrait and …
Q. Tell us about the inspiration behind your latest poetry collection, wet silence? I would say there were several inspirations accumulated over the years that inspired “Wet Silence.” But the main was what NovelistChimamanda Adichie’s beautifully shared in one of her Ted Talks: the fear of just one story representing an entire culture. India is a big country and …
Q. Where did your journey of writing poetry begin? Very atypically, I can pinpoint an exact moment where I had a damascene conversion – where poetry very suddenly entered my life properly, for the first time. Back in about 2008 I was in the big Borders on Oxford Street in London, idly browsing – I’d …
Q. Firstly, can you tell us a bit more about your theatre company and the ethos behind its formation. MUJU began life as the Muslim & Jewish Youth Theatre project in 2004. I was interested in the project as I’ve always enjoyed performing and writing. There is something quite unique about the relationship between British …
For anyone looking to add some excitement to their reading list over the summer, here’s a round up of books that we think are perfect for those long summer nights. Meera Syal’s much awaited third novel, The House of Hidden Mothers was published earlier this month. It’s an interesting premise which explores India’s surrogacy industry and …
by Adrienne Loftus Parkins Publishing catalogues for the last half of the year are out, so it’s time to take a look at what Asian books will be coming our way between now and Christmas. Here are my top picks – what I’ll be rushing to read as the year goes on. In August, Harvill …
Shakeel Aziz Bradford based, Shakeel Aziz started writing in 2010. As a youth worker he wanted to explore how he could use fiction to talk about issues facing young people. He hoped to create a framework, a starting point of discussion for teachers and agencies who come into contact with troubled teens. But once he …
Q. What inspired you to write Blood? Where did the story come from? The initial commission from Tamasha Theatre was an adaptation of Lorca’s classic Blood Wedding to a contemporary setting. I knew, early on, that adapting 1930’s rural spain to 21st century inner city UK, was going to involve a massive shift, a change …
by Adrienne Loftus Parkins If there is such a thing as a literature festival season, it’s now. Lit fests seem to be coming at us from all angles, in all parts of the country. When the weather improves, readers and writers come out in masses to talk about what they’ve been reading over the winter. …
by CG Menon It isn’t until she gets to the bus stop that Malathy knows her feet are wrong. They’re aching a little and bulging from their lace-up shoes under the hem of her sari, but that’s not it. Perhaps they’re just tired; she’s already trotted along miles of vinyl corridors behind the hospital tea …