Desi Blitz 2024 Literature Festival

THE UK’S LEADING SOUTH ASIAN BOOK FESTIVAL RETURNS 

 

DESIblitz LITERATURE FESTIVAL 

19^TH – 2^nd NOVEMBER 2024   

- 2024 LINE UP -

 

AUTHOR TALKS

JASSA AHLUWALIA|NUSRIT MEHTAB|AMRIT WILSON 

 

THE BRITISH RAJ & COLONIALISM

SWETAM GUNGAH|DR SARAH HUSSAIN|SHALINA PATEL

 

 

LIVING AS A BROWN WOMAN IN BRITAIN

CHRISTINE PILLAINAYAGAM|ANIKA HUSSEIN|PREETHI NAIR

 

VOICES OF BIRMINGHAM

BALI RAI|OSMAN YOUSEFZADA|HABIBA DESAI

 

YOUNG ADULT AND CHILDREN’S FICTION 

SALMA ZAMAN | BALI RAI

 

POETRY 

JASPREET KAUR|RUPINDER KAUR|NIKITA AZAD

 

REMEMBERING SHIV KUMAR BATALVI

TALWINDER DHILLON & SPECIAL GUESTS

 

EMERGING WRITERS AND PUBLISHERS

HAMISH MORJARIA|NADEEM AHMED|MUHAMMAD IDRISH

RUKSHANA HORWOOD|BILAL AKRAM

JAMES TREVELYAN|IRAM SATTI|CARI ROSEN

 

DESIBLITZ.COM/LITERATUREFESTIVAL

With over 40 authors participating in this year’s DESIblitz Literature Festival, Indi would be happy to curate a list of the best Desi books for 2024 and can also delve into specific genres’ such as Children’s fiction or political activism, depending on your preference.  

 

Just some of the brilliant books and authors that bring to life the UK Desi experience, and will feature at this year’s DESIblitz Literature Festival that could be included in a Desi books round include: 

 

• Finding a Voice (Virago, 1978) by legendary activist and author Amrit Wilson, the book received the 1978 Martin Luther King Award for Amrit’s groundbreaking manifesto for Asian Woman in Britian, which has been updated for 2024. 
• Off the Beat by former Policewoman Nusrit Mehtab about her life as a Muslim woman working in the Met when racism and misogyny were rife.
• Unravelling (Kiss the Frog) by Preethi Nair, who turned down a lucrative publishing deal to Self Pulish so that she didn’t have to compromise on writing her story which is a poignant exploration of universal love, regret, and the complexities of life
• The Go-Between (Canongate Books) by Osman Yousefzada, the Birmingham designer and artist who has dressed A-listers from Beyoncé to Lady Gaga, exhibited at the Venice Biennale and the V&A, explores his childhood growing up between two cultures in Birmingham. 
• Both not Half (Bonnier) by Filmmaker and actor Jassa Ahluwalia, (Peaky Blinders, Unforgotten) an exploration on how language shapes identity something he discussed in the BBC One documentary Am I English? winner at the Asian Media Awards in 2022.
• The History Lessons (Icon Books) by Shalina Patel, creator of @thehistorycorridor and TV historian on BBC’s Teach Me a Lesson whose book aims to broaden representation within History topics commonly taught in schools. 
• The Altruist (Hansib Publications) by Swetam Gungah the untold story of Indian indenture in Mauritius 
• This is How You Fall in Love (Hot Key Books) Anika Hussain a hilarious and heartfelt romcom that centres on British-Bangladeshi characters Zara and Adnan, who are just friends until forced to fake date to cover up Adnan’s real relationship. 
• Christine Pillainayagam author of bestselling teen series Ellie Pillai (Faber) a joyous portrayal of a witty teenager who blossoms into a confident young woman, dubbed ‘the new voice of teenage fiction’ by The Guardian

 

 

The UK’s leading book festival celebrating British South Asian writing has announced its lineup for the 2024 edition of the festival. Now in its eighth year the DESIblitz Literature Festival 2024, takes place in Birmingham from 19^th October – 2^ndNovember and features some of the biggest names in British South Asian writing, fiction, poetry, storytelling, music, film, TV and publishing alongside emerging writers. 

 

Showcasing the breadth of talent and creativity in British South Asian literature today, a programme of themed author events will feature crime fiction, children’s fiction, historical fiction, poetry readings, memoir, as well as discussions about diversity in British publishing, with a variety of music performances from Bangla to Punjabi Folk. 

 

The UK’s biggest festival for South Asian culture was established by DESIblitz.com - the beating heart of British South Asian news media and an award-winning news and entertainment platform that celebrates all things British South Asian with a big focus on arts, culture and books.

 

DESIblitz founder Indi Deol set up the DESIblitz Literature Festival as a platform to showcase writing as a viable career with the British South Asian community. At the heart of the festival is the desire to showcase the talent of established British South Asian writers and demonstrate that it is possible to be a professional writer in the UK if you are from an Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi or Sri Lankan background. In order to make literature as accessible as possible most of the festival events are free. Tickets are available via Eventbrite, the DESIblitz Literature Festival website and through partner venues.  

 

The DESIblitz Literature Festival also has a focus on bringing writing, storytelling and culture from South Asia to schools across the UK with the DESIblitz Truck Art Bus.  The Truck Art Bus was designed and painted by world-renowned professional truck artist Haider Ali from Pakistan and has so far visited twenty schools and will be at the festival this year with a programme of storytelling from a range of South Asian cultures. 

 

Festival Director Indi Deol Said: "At the 2024 DESIblitz Literature Festival, we’re committed to inspiring and uniting through the power of storytelling. Our festival embraces diversity in every sense, giving a platform to voices that reflect the richness of different cultures and perspectives. With most of our events free to the public, we continue to prioritise accessibility and inclusivity. Whether you're discovering new talent or engaging with renowned authors, we invite you to experience thought-provoking discussions, hands-on workshops, and captivating performances. We aim to use the power of words to spark inspiration and create lasting connections and opportunities.”

 

The DESIblitz Literature Festival is supported using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England. 

 

 

THE 2024 DESIBLITZ LITERATURE FESTIVAL LINEUP 

 

 

AUTHOR TALKS 

 

This year’s series of Author Talks will include actor and filmmaker Jassa Ahluwalia, writer and activist, Amrit Wilson, Met police officer Nusrit Mehtab and award-winning lawyer turned author Abda Khan. 

 

 

Filmmaker and actor Jassa Ahluwalia, (Peaky Blinders, Unforgotten) will discuss new book Both not Half (Bonnier), presenting a thoughtful discussion on mixed identity and extraordinary insight into his journey of self-discovery. Jassa was invited to host a TEDx talk on 'How Language Shapes Identity' and his BBC One documentary Am I English? won an Asian Media Award in 2022.

 

Former Policewoman Nusrit Mehtab will discuss her memoir Off the Beat, which explores life as a Muslim woman working in the Met when racism and Misogyny were rife. Described as a ‘disturbing account of institutionalised sexism and racism in the Metropolitan police told from the perspective of a tough and fiercely ambitious officer’ Nusrit’s brilliant book contributes to the topics of ethics and culture, proposing solutions to overcome the cultural issues and the lack of public confidence that continues to plague the force today. 

 

Award-winning lawyer turned author, Abda Khan will give a reading from her books. Discussing her second novel Razia(Unbound), a compelling story about a lawyer's fight for justice for a modern-day domestic slave and her first novel Stained, praised as the 'contemporary Tess of the d'Urbervilles' by Booklist; Abda will offer insight into her writing journey to inspire women to learn about literature.

 

Legendary activist and author Amrit Wilson will discuss Finding a Voice, her groundbreaking manifesto for Asian Woman in Britian, first published by Virago in 1978, and updated for 2024. Amrit was the recipient of the Martin Luther King Award for a work of literature that was deemed to improve interracial understanding in the UK or USA. Known for her influential work, the book explores some of the most key events of the 1970’s that transformed conditions for migrant workers, providing a perspective from the voices of South Asian women who participated in them. 

 

CHILDREN’S EVENTS

 

Highly acclaimed and award-winning author, Salma Zaman will host a fun-packed children’s workshop. Salma's literary creations include the enchanting tales of Bollywood Princess, Florence and her Fantastic Farts and Greedy Gertie, described as ‘a lovely book’ by Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York. Salma’s incorporation of storytelling, dance and inclusivity makes her a true luminary in her field. 

 

  

 

Also taking place at the festival is a flash fiction workshop, run by Naush Sabah, Lecturer in Creative Writing, BCU. Welcoming people of all ages and experiences, learn the craft of creative, concise storytelling to hone your writing skills. 

 

ISSUE LED PANEL DISCUSSIONS 

 

Tying in with the festival’s theme of diversifying the UK publishing industry to writers from the South Asian diaspora, the festival will host a variety of panel discussions. 

 

 

The panel discussion “Living as a Brown Woman in Britain,” will see an honest and raw, no-holds barred discussion about how writing can guide and inspire the challenges and opportunities for British South Asian women today. The panel will feature speakers including Anika Hussain, author of This is How You Fall in Love (Hot Key Books), Preethi Nair, author of Unravelling(Kiss the Frog), a poignant exploration of universal love, regret, and the complexities of life and Christine Pillainayagam author of teen series Ellie Pillai (Faber) , a joyous portrayal of a witty teenager who blossoms into a confident young woman, dubbed ‘thenew voice of teenage fiction’ by The Guardian. 

 

 

A panel discussion on the legacy of “The British Raj and Colonialism” will feature speakers including, Swetam Gungah, author of The Altruist (Hansib Publications), Dr Sarah Hussein, finalist for the People’s Book Prize Award and author of Escaped from Syria(Vanguard Press) and Shalina Patel, author of The History Lessons (Icon Books), creator of @thehistorycorridor on Instagram and TV historian on BBC’s Teach Me a Lesson. The panellists will discuss the importance of rebalancing the records to retell historic accounts from a range of accurate and informed narratives.

 

 

A panel discussion in partnership with Birmingham City University on “Voices of Birmingham” hosted by Professor Geoffrey Leadbetter, Director of the Institute of Creative and Critical Writing. Discussing ideas of voice, region, values and their roles in writing, panellists will include Rochi Rampal, performer and writer; Habiba Desai co-founder of Fox & Windmill Books; Bali Rai, Multiple award-winning author of fifty children's books including GCSE set-text Rani & Sukh (Penguin); Osman Yousefzada, designer and artist who has dressed A-listers from Beyoncé to Lady Gaga and exhibited at the Whitechapel Gallery and the V&A, whose memoir The Go-Between (Canongate Books) covers his childhood growing up in Birmingham’s devout Pashtun patriarchal community where his mother was a seamstress. 

 

POETRY 

 

The Art of Punjabi Poetry is a big theme of this year’s festival. Poetry readings including mother tongue poems will be performed by Desi poets Jaspreet Kaur, Nikita Azad and Rupinder Kaur who explore the feminine gaze through the power of storytelling with poetry, writing and performing.

 

 

EMERGING WRITERS 

 

At this special event, discover emerging talent in fiction, poetry, and screenwriting. Speakers include, fiction writer, Bilal Akram, Nadeem Ahmed, author of Doomed in Dubai, inspired by his travels and broadcasting career, Hamish Marjoria, writer of The Curse of Muziris, Muhammad Idrish, Author of The Making of Bangladesh and Rukshana Horwood, writer of Life on a Postcard, a heartwarming book based on true events about the escapades of Charlotte Baxter as she travels through life as an airline worker. 

 

Following the showcase, gain valuable insights from publishers and learn essential tips on how to Iram Satti, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Manager at Bloomsbury Press, and Cari Rosen, Commissioning Editor at Legend Times Group. 

 

REMEMBERING SHIV KUMAR BATALVI

 

 

One of the highlights of this year’s festival will be a night in memory of Shiv Kumar Batalvi, the renowned and beloved Punjabi poet and playwright who was best known for his epic verse play based on the ancient legend of Phuran Bhagat and Loona, which showcased heightened passion, romance and the portrayal of lover’s agony. Pioneering a new adaption of modern Punjabi qisse, Shiv became the youngest recipient to be awarded with the Sahitya Akademi Award in 1967 for his epic verse, now considered as a masterpiece in modern Punjabi literature. Talwinder Dhillon and special guest artists take us on a literary, poetic and musical journey to celebrate his life.

 

For full details on the 2024 DESIblitz Literature Festival as well as ticket details please visit https://www.desiblitz.com/literaturefestival/

 

 Festival Details  

Dates:  19^th October - 2nd November

Website:  https://www.desiblitz.com/literaturefestival/

Tickets: All events are free but ticketed. Tickets are available via the festival website and Eventbright https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/

Festival event Locations: 

·       Birmingham City Centre: The University of Birmingham Exchange Building, Waterstones (High Street Birmingham), Aston University, Birmingham City University, Women's Enterprise and Community Hub

·       Handsworth: Handsworth Library.

·       West Bromwich: West Bromwich Library.

·       Harborne: Boston Tea Party

 

About DESIblitz Literature Festival 

DESIblitz Literature Festival was created by the team behind the multi-award-winning publication DESIblitz.com which publishes editorial content related to British Asian lifestyle with a South Asian theme.