The Home of British Asian Writing
The Karachi Literature Festival (KLF) comes to the UK for the very first time this Spring. Featuring as part of the Southbank Centre’s annual Alchemy festival this May, KLF will celebrate contemporary Pakistan, its rich history and culture in the context of the 70th anniversary of the country’s foundation. A day of events (May 20th) including debates, …
During my nearly two decades in the book world I have received countless submissions from authors. Some of these were beautifully presented, enticing packages that made me want to read the whole manuscript. Some were not quite as polished but I was able to see past the rough edges to the interesting proposal beneath. Most, …
Lawyers are experienced wordsmiths so it should come as no surprise that a new wave of novelists come from the profession. Are they giving up the law to write? In this feature we spotlight three lawyers who have turned their hand to fiction. It was Abda Khan’s experience as a solicitor that led her to …
Twelve writers from across the country are joining Penguin Random House UK’s year-long mentoring programme, WriteNow, which aims to find, mentor and publish new writers from communities currently under-represented on the UK’s bookshelves. Each writer is being paired with a mentoring editor from Penguin Random House with experience and expertise in their genre. Together, the …
Q. Tell us about your journey into writing crime fiction? Firstly can I just say thank you so much for this, it’s a big step being featured in TAW. So my writing journey has been an interesting one, I’ve written for years with various levels of success. My true passion though has always been crime. …
by Nilopar Uddin A damp evening in Manchester’s Dean Street, and Waterstones is brimming with eager faces. Speaking to the women sitting around me, I realise that Mohsin Hamid is something of a rockstar literati; this room is packed with fans who exhibit the effervescent excitement of groupies. Hamid, whose writings has been variously described …
Firstly *breathe*. In all the years (almost 10) I’ve been doing this, I’ve never been more excited to do a books roundup or a single post. In terms of fiction, 2017 is filled with nothing short of genius. I’m already expecting my own writing to fall by the wayside in honour of the books published …
An Indian poet has been named the winner of a major literary prize. Sohini Basak, of Barrackpore, has been named the winner of the 2016 Beverly Series for her debut collection of poetry, We Live in the Newness of Small Differences. The 2016 Beverley Series was open to original manuscripts in any genre by any …
A new award celebrating the best book by a writer of colour has announced its longlist. The Jhalak Prize for Book of the Year by a Writer of Colour seeks to champion books by British and British resident BAME writers with the overall winner presented with a prize of £1,000. The inaugural longlist offers an …
by Tehseen Baweja How do you help somebody break free from the shackles of orthodoxy and conformity? This is a very real and deep-rooted problem in today’s Pakistani society with no simple answer. But one thing that is bound to help is encouraging those who dare to think outside the box, and The Salam Award …