Bradford indie celebrates British South Asian writing

A new independent publisher has launched in Bradford, aiming to celebrate and platform British South Asian writers.

Fox & Windmill Books will be publishing adult literary fiction and young adult fiction, with a focus on bridging the gap in the publishing industry for South Asian writers in the north of England.

The indie is headed by Habiba Desai, who handles partnerships, and Sara Razzaq, who will look after submissions. Both reside in Bradford where Fox & Windmill is based. They both graduated from the University of Huddersfield. The publishers are being mentored by Kevin Duffy from Bluemoose Books.

Speaking to The Bookseller, Desai said: “Fox & Windmill was something that we dreamed of five years ago. We were undergraduates at university talking about diversity in the publishing industry and realised all our lives we’d grown up as bookworms consuming literature that didn’t represent us.

"It seemed that if we did want to read a book with characters that looked like us, they’d often be written in a way to address certain issues around the South Asian experience, with most depicted in a negative light. We wanted to change that. We want to bridge the gap and showcase real Northern voices with stories that are eclectic and exciting. If we can publish a book that resonates with you then we’ve done our job.”

Submissions will open in autumn 2022, and the press will be launching an anthology of short stories and poetry in December, available to read through its website.

Duffy said of the team: "Habiba and Sara are two brilliant, dynamic women whose energy and passion and publishing nous will bring some fantastic stories to readers in the upcoming years. We as a publishing community will be forever indebted to their unique approach and I can't wait to see what Fox & Windmill bring to the bookshelves."