South Asian Reads to Inspire Wonder

We collaborated with the South Asian Book Club to recommend books on hope, light, relief, escapism & inspiration, after the bleak year of 2020. The idea of @southasianbookclub is to explore the writings of South Asia and its diaspora. Being super conscious that this is a broad term, the founder, Ali Arif, tries to be as inclusive as possible in his readings and suggestions. Since starting the account in May, 2020, the platform has grown quickly. A small community has emerged as it has become clear that delving into literature is a valuable escape for many people. On Instagram especially, people connected with one another, made friends, rediscovered favourites and learned of new writers.

Azadi (2020) ~ Arundhati Roy

This collection of articles, essays and lectures by the renowned Arundhati Roy serves as a ‘state of the nation’ for how she sees India today. While the picture she paints is bleak, she offers hope and a call to action as we strive to the ultimate goal of azadi – freedom.

In particular, Roy reminds us of the dizzying diversity of a nation like India, and how we must overcome the ‘sweeping simplifications of fascism’ that seeks to undermine it. What I found most interesting was her deconstruction of artificial boundaries between fiction and non-fiction, showing us that fiction is inherently political too.

Haroun and the Sea of Stories (1990) ~ Salman Rushdie

Ostensibly a story for children, Haroun takes us on a wild ride into a South Asian fantasy world, full of nods and references to Hindustani words and history of the Indian subcontinent.

Rushdie weaves a magical web; at the heart of Haroun is the question: ‘what is the point of telling stories?’ He answers it through this novel with the convincing reply that sometimes stories are the only thing that let us dream.

How We Met (2021) ~ Huma Qureishi

Bringing us back down to earth, Qureishi’s memoir tells a relatively straightforward story of family expectations, carving your own path in life, and finding love unexpectedly.

Sometimes it’s the more ‘normal’ stories that we need to read.

Erotic Stories for Punjabi Widows (2017) ~ Balli Kaur Jaswal

Above all else, this novel set in Southall, London, will make you laugh! I innocently and naively went into it not expecting the title to be so literal. Well, let me tell you that it was indeed… literal.

The sauciness aside, Jaswal uses a strong sense of humour to delve into some deeper topics such as perceived ‘honour’, our relationships with our elders, and the strength of tight-knit diaspora communities. It’s a relatively lighter read that tackles some serious issues.

The Rebel’s Silhouette (1995) ~ Faiz Ahmed Faiz, translated by Agha Shahid Ali

Faiz is perhaps the Urdu poet. Agha Shahid Ali is one of my favourite South Asian (he was Kashmiri) poets who wrote in English. This dream combination leads to a wonderful collection where Ali translates Faiz in a more loose, lyrical and evocative way.

Faiz’s poems speak of injustice, cruelty but ultimately, always, of hope.