The Home of British Asian Writing
Meena Kandasamy’s latest novel, Exquisite Cadavers began as a response to her second novel, When I Hit You. It follows the story of a young married couple as they navigate life and love in London and is an experimental project where Kandasamy attempts to write a story as far removed from her own as possible. …
In her breath-taking new novel, Exquisite Cadavers Meena Kandasamy raises the curtain and invites the reader into what is often seen as a mysterious process. Sitting neatly in the margins Kandasamy dissects her creative process revealing how her ideas are worked into fiction. I begin by asking Kandasamy whether writing Exquisite Cadavers made her feel …
Indian writers once again dominate the shortlist for the DSC Prize for South Asian Literature 2019, which was announced earlier this month (November 6 2019). Now in its ninth year, the DSC Prize is one of the most prestigious international literary awards specifically focused on South Asian fiction writing, and celebrates the very best writing …
Rehearsal Room 1 of Leicester’s Curve Theatre has mirrored walls, free-standing doors, and a staircase to nowhere. An appropriate setting for the inaugural Crossroads Festival, which aimed “to support writers by offering advice and inspiration through a series of talks and workshops”. However, it did more than that. Like its base room, the festival was …
‘Imagine building an observatory over St. Paul’s Cathedral?’ A provocative question posed by Amitav Ghosh at the National Book Festival, in D.C. Ghosh was replying to a question posed by Bilal Quershi, a reporter with the National Public Radio at an event in Washington D.C. on his new and fascinating book Gun Island. He also referred to Mauna Kea in Hawaii …
I was lucky enough to be on the The Asian Writer’s ‘Becoming a writer’ course early last year, at a time when I had realised I wanted to write, but didn’t know how to be a writer. The course was perfect for me, 12 very structured and comprehensive weeks that took me through recognising what …
Toni Morrison said that if the book you want to read isn’t out there, write it yourself. So I did. I wrote it over a year-and-a-half and called it Strange. Growing up, I read voraciously, and short stories were a particular favourite. I especially enjoyed the ones with cleverly constructed plots that culminated in deliciously …
Last October, I attended the Asian Writer’s Festival for the second year running. A uniquely nurturing space, I particularly loved hearing wonderful poets like Khairani Barokka and Shivanee Ramlochan. A week later, I was thrilled to receive Farhana’s email to tell me I’d won the raffle prize of mentoring from poet Rishi Dastidar. Rishi is …
In 2011 I had travelled to Jaipur Literary Festival, THE JLF in Jaipur. It was a gigantic affair with all the glamour that the beautiful pink city could muster. Held in the Diggi Palace, and in shamianas that are so very colourful, the ‘greatest literary show on Earth’ which is patronised by a million booklovers …
The full report into Authors Earnings published last month highlights that conditions for working writers is deteriorating. The study, commissioned by ALCS, and carried out by CREATe found that author earnings are in sharp decline. Earnings fell by 42% in real terms since 2005 with the average author now making just under £10,500. A small …