Bridges not Borders: An Anthology of South Asian Writing, edited by Cardiff- based Aiysha Jahan and Susmita Bhattacharya from Winchester is published today (11/9/24).
This anthology of short stories is part of a wider project, Write Beyond Borders, funded by The Arts Council England and AHRC, which seeks to bring together South Asian creative talent through a writing mentorship programme and an arts programme in the Solent region of the UK. The authors come from very different regions of South Asia and beyond and speak a varied number of languages.
Published by Dahlia Books, the foreword is written by author Prajwal Parajuly. There is a range of writers, from the established to emerging, who explore ideas of unity in diversity with much authenticity. Readers will discover a little bit of themselves in these stories with universal themes.
Through vivid characters and compelling settings, the anthology offers a profound insight into the region’s diverse cultures and experiences.
Aiysha Jahan is a writer and teacher who grew up in Dubai and has lived and worked around the world. Her writing has been published in Ploughshares, The Threepenny Review, Wasafiri and elsewhere. She teaches Creative Writing at Cardiff University.
Susmita Bhattacharya is an Indian writer living in Winchester. The Normal State of Mind (Parthian) was longlisted at the Mumbai Film Festival, 2018. Her short story collection, Table Manners (Dahlia Publishing) won the Saboteur Award for Best Short Story Collection and was serialised on BBC Radio 4 Extra. She is co-founder of the ACE-funded ‘Write Beyond Borders Mentoring Programme’ and ‘Bridges not Borders’ project. She is a multidisciplinary artist who does several projects in schools and the community in the Solent region and is currently working on her second novel.
Published by Dahlia Books on 11th September, 2024, price £10.00.
For more information visit: writebeyondborders.co.uk
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