The Home of British Asian Writing
Firstly congratulations on being the most influential woman in Manchester. What does this achievement mean to you and how you would you like to continue the rich cultural heritage that Manchester is so well known for, through your work? Thank you for your warm wishes- much appreciated! To be honest I was bemused to learn …
An exhibition of new artworks exploring The Partition of India in 1947 has opened at Soho House in Birmingham. The People of Partition in Birmingham is a new exhibition which explores how people living in Birmingham understand the 1947 Partition of India. The exhibition has been curated by artist Tasawar Bashir, in collaboration with 20 volunteers from the West …
At a time of political instability, many in the UK are clinging to the old, old story that has shaped our beliefs and values for the last fifty years. The old boys’ network that has held sway over British society for centuries is losing its shine, if not its power. While some desperately cling to …
My mother and grandmother told me folktales and myths in Gujarati. I read a lot as a kid too. My twin brother and I would go each week to the mobile library just beyond Hermitage Road in Loughborough. There we’d explore everything from Roald Dahl to Harriet the Spy to the Greek Myths. The librarian …
What an honour to be asked to speak here, at the inaugural Asian writer festival. Celebrating ten years of celebrating work by Asian writers, a true testament to Farhana’s spirit and tenacity. And that will be the theme of this talk. Spirit. The passion for what we do. And tenacity, the motivation to keep …
Tell me more about your play and the themes you explore. I wrote Where I Live And What I Live For as part of a two-year project at Theatre Absolute called Are We Where We Are? The project asks for a response to the quote from American novelist Henry David Thoreau, “We are not where …
This month’s feature puts a spotlight on UK based writers who have found publication success in India. We spoke to India’s youngest literary agent, Kanishka Gupta of Writers Side, to gain an insight into how the UK publishing industry is perceived by those trying to place their books in the UK market. As a literary …
This month’s feature puts a spotlight on UK based writers who have found publication success in India and yet, at home, their novels remain unpublished. Here, we profile just three writers, Anita Srivakumaran, Mona Dash and Sarvat Hasin but there are many, many more. These writers not only face logistical challenges in terms of marketing …
We’re celebrating our tenth birthday with an all-day festival on Saturday October 21st 2017 at Royal Asiatic Society in London. For one day only, The Asian Writer will bring together the contents of its website – interviews, masterclasses and features on literary trends – in a live format. Featuring: Roopa Farooki, Mahsuda Snaith, Vaseem Khan, …
The DSC Prize for South Asian Literature 2017 shortlist was announced last month. Authors in contention for the $25,000 prize include Man Booker Prize winner, Aravind Adiga, debut novelist, Anuk Arudpragasam and Desmond Elliot Prize winner, Anjali Joseph along with American writers Stephen Alter and Karan Mahajan. Ritu Menon, Chair of the jury commented, “After deliberating …