Sethi, Joseph and more to headline DESIblitz Literature Festival

Journalist and I Belong Here (Bloomsbury Wildlife) author Anita Sethi, Betty Trask Prize and Desmond Elliott Prize-winning novelist Anjali Joseph and Usha K.R are among this year’s line-up for the DESIblitz Literature Festival.

Taking place from 12th to 25th November, the festival, which aims to showcase South Asian literary and cultural excellence and is now in its fourth year, will feature a mix of in-person events at The Mac in Birmingham and online sessions.

It will constitute author talks, panel discussions, workshops and poetry performances, and aims to encourage young, aspiring British Asian writers, though is open to all.

A panel event called "Migration Stories: 75 Years of Partition" will see Rakhshan Rizwan, Dr Bhuvan Lal and Usha K.R speak about the storytelling coming out of India since it gained independence in 1947, while in "Breaking Barriers: Characters in South Asian Literature", authors Abda Khan, Shahida Rahman and Reshma Ruia will discuss their careers and how they represent South Asian culture and voices in their work.

Sethi will appear in conversation with presenter Tommy Sandhu, discussing writing and representation in the "Storytelling & Voices" session. Betty Trask Prize and Desmond Elliott Prize-winning novelist Anjali Joseph will talk about her latest novel Keeping in Touch (Scribe UK) with Aisha Farooq, while "Poetry and Spoken Word" will see Balraj Sohal host an event with poets Rupinder Kaur, Shagufta Iqbal and Jaspreet Kaur performing their work.

Others in attendance will be Romy Gill, Sarwat Chadda, Priya Sharma, Roshani Chokshi and Preeti Shenoy. Festival director Indi Deol said: “This year we are excited to be supporting even more emerging authors, writers and presenters of colour than we have in done the past.

“The DESIblitz Literature Festival has never shied away from discussing important topics that impact our industry, from breaking traditional stereotypes to discussing how the Partition of India has shaped our lives here in the UK, and this year will be no different. We have a wide selection of events and workshops so there is something to suit everyone, but the underlying theme is to support the next generation of talent who, in the current economic climate, are struggling now more than ever.”

DESIblitz’s first venture into literature events began with the production of a specific British Asian Literature strand for the Birmingham Literature Festival in 2017. The festival is grant funded by Arts Council England. DESIblitz is a non-profit organisation, dedicated to promoting South Asian literature.