Touted as ‘The Next Big Thing in South Asian Fiction’ Prajwal Parajuly, talks to us about his debut novel, Land Where I Flee.
Writing Habit by Mahsuda Snaith
Writing is a habit. Or at least that’s what it can become (and, unlike other habits, it can actually be good for you). For me the writing habit began aged six, when I picked up a pencil and made up the sentence ‘I saw a blackbird in my garden’- a seemingly innocuous statement except for …
The Husbands, Curve Leicester – review
The Husbands, written by Sharmila Chauhan and directed by Janet Steel Reviewed by Farhana Shaikh If this is what a feminist utopia looks like, then at first glance, it appears to be lots of fun. Welcome to Shaktipur, a remote village some 50 years in to the future, where women are prized for breeding, …
Sharmila Chauhan
Sharmila Chauhan talks about her new play, The Husbands, a thought provoking production, directed by Janet Steel
The Gardener – Jocelyn Watson
Never in a sari. On Sundays she’d always change first. Back from mass, she’d unwind the six yards of silk or chiffon, replacing it with her baggy black cotton tracksuit and her brown pumps. Even in those unflattering clothes, her black eyes and quiet grace shone through. Read more of The Gardener by Jocelyn Watson, The Asian Writer Short Story Prize 2013 Winner
2014 Books Round Up
I have a confession. Sometimes I can become a little too obsessed with my fellow writers. In my enthusiasm to give Asian writers a platform to showcase their work and my commitment to find the best emerging talents, I can become (a bit of) an online stalker. Bilal Tanweer is one of the victims of …
On Being Mary – Sulaxana Hippisley
The Asian Writer Short Story Competition – Runner Up Angela O’ Connor was the Virgin Mary. Everyone knew it was true. Something about the neon scrunchie with black dots that held up her hair. And her lips. You only saw lips like that in my sister’s magazines. Bliss or Mizz. Those ones where they told you …
Why a writer needs a break
In late November when my husband, Anudit, and I were attending a relative’s memorial service, I kept thinking about how little we know people. Our understanding of fellow human beings is often based on what we have in common or the relationship we share with them. My husband’s great aunt, in whose honour the memorial …
Adnan Sarwar triumphs in The Bodley Head/FT Essay Prize
Adnan Sarwar, a 35-year old former British soldier who served in the Iraq War, has beaten more than 200 entrants to win the second Financial Times and Bodley Head non-fiction essay competition. His work, British Muslim Soldier, is a meditation on identity, dealing with why he, a Pakistani boy fromBurnley with no degree, decided to …
Cyrus Mistry wins DSC Prize for South Asian Literature
Cyrus Mistry was awarded The DSC Prize for South Asian Literature for his second novel, Chronicle of a Corpse Bearer this weekend (Jan 18, 2014). Mistry was awarded the $50,000 prize (just over £30,000) at a ceremony held at this year’s ZEE Jaipur Literature Festival. Chronicle of a Corpse Bearer tells the story of doomed …