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Celebrating South Asian Heritage Month 2024
14 August 2024
The Library Liberating the Collections Group have compiled a list of books from recommendations across the UCL community to celebrate South Asian Heritage Month.
This year’s theme is ‘Stories to Tell’ which celebrates the unique journeys that shape individuals within the South Asian community.
South Asian Heritage Month takes place across two Western calendar months: 18 July to 17 August. The reason for this is that it respects the traditions of the South Asian solar calendar and the 18 July to 17 August date range contains several significant dates including the Indian Independence Act gaining royal assent on 18 July 1947 and the publication of the Radcliffe Line on 17 August which lead to Partition. The 17 August is Partition Commemoration Day. The month also covers the Independence Days of several nations in the region.
Fiction
A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini
Three recommendations
“It is a heart wrenching story which depicts the sad reality of women in Afghanistan under the Taliban rule.”
Aadhira, UCL Student
“It shows and describes the hardship of being Free to be Me.”
Michelle Ikink, VU Student
“It’s the best book I have read. It breaks your heart into a million pieces.”
The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
“This book taught me to see things differently and be a kinder person, as the main character discovered something in the future, that caused him to have a different outlook on the past and regret his action. I think many of us can relate to that. There are times where we know that if we did something differently, our life could have taken a different direction. This story is about friendship, privilege and forgiveness.”
The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri
“It’s a beautiful story that explores the nuances of both being a Bengali immigrant and also growing up Bengali-American.”
The Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri
“It perfectly captures the realities of modern domestic life in South Asian countries, uncoloured by biases or stereotypes. An impressive selection of short stories, united by the motif of the south Asian experience and the diaspora. This is an instant recommendation from me.”
Anoushka Kaur Ichpanani, Student, UCL Faculty of Laws.
A Place for Us by Fatima Farheen Mirza
“It’s a beautiful book which not only delves into the experiences of the diaspora, but the experiences of our parents and those who brought us to new countries as immigrants. It felt like I was reading pieces from my childhood diary!”
Alysha, UCL Student
The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga
“Paints a very contradictory yet somewhat true tale of the different lives that exist within India.”
UCL Student
A Suitable Boy by Vikram Seth
“It talks about Indian inter caste and religion marital arranged practises in the early 2000s in typical affluent societies.”
Manjari Sharma, Student, UCL English Language and Literature
A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry
“It is equally horrific and beautiful as it tells the stories of those whose lives were ripped apart during political turmoil in India during ‘The Emergency’.”
Brotherless Night by V. V. Ganeshananthan
“While it is about war in Sri Lanka between the Tamil Tigers and the Sinhalese government, it's told from the perspective of one family, and the characters are so vivid and complex that I'm sure it would resonate with a lot of people. Despite our differences, so many of us have experienced similar things in life, and those things bring us together through empathy.”
Safia, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience
Kaikeyi by Vaishnavi Patel
“Growing up in an Indian Hindu family and then seeing the way my religion was weaponised to undo the founding principles of diversity and unity my country was founded on caused me to distance myself from my religion and the myths I grew up loving. I would read books like Percy Jackson and wish we had the same for Hindu mythology. Reading Kaikyei undid a lot of that previous apprehension for me and is an excellent feminist retelling of one of the most widely known Hindu myths: The Ramayan. Patel is a fantastic writer and I read the entire book in less than 2 days.”
UCL Student
Palace of Illusions by Chitra Bannerjee
“A beautiful retelling of the Mahabharata - an epic native to South Asia.”
The Golden Fortress by Satyajit Ray
“A mystery novel that vividly describes the beautiful region of Rajasthan and is written by one of the most eminent Bengali writers.”
Hani and Ishu's Guide to Fake Dating by Adiba Jaigirdar
“This was the first time I'd seen Bengali characters, specifically queer Bengali characters, as the protagonists of a novel. It's a heartwarming story with a happy ending that helped me come to terms with my identity.”
Seven Moons of Maali Almeida by Shehan Karunatilaka
“Overall, Seven Moons of Maali Almeida is not just a window into Sri Lankan history and culture but also a richly layered narrative that can be both enlightening and engaging for a young adult of Sri Lankan heritage.”
Auden Barnes, Student, UCL Arts and Sciences
Teaching Anglophone South Asian Women Writers by Deepika Bahri and Filippo Menozzi
“Great introduction to amazing South Asian women’s fiction.”
Midnight at Malabar House by Vaseem Khan
“New Year's Eve 1949 and Inspector Persis Wadia, India’s first female police detective, is on duty in Malabar House. She is part of the city's most unwanted unit of police officers. She becomes responsible for finding out who has murdered a prominent English diplomat. A first class mystery with a strong central female character. I learnt a lot about this fascinating period in India's history. Vaseem Khan is on the staff of UCL's Department of Security and Crime Science.”
Pather Panchali by Bibhutibhushan Bandyopadhyay
“Depicts childhood through poverty and social-class discrimination all with Bangladeshi culture.”
Ahmad Musaib Talukder
It was also made into a film in 1955 directed by Satyajit Ray.
Memoir and personal
The Authenticity Principle by Ritu Bhasin
“Born to South Asian immigrant parents and raised in multicultural Toronto, Canada, the author Ritu Bhasin discusses her experiences growing up facing racism and bullying and how she found herself minimising racial, religious, gender, and class-based aspects of her identity to fit in among circles where she felt she didn't belong. In this book, Ritu shares how individuals can lead more authentic lives and embrace all the different aspects of their identities. This book resonated with me, as someone who was raised in a mix of cultures. I think many people of South Asian backgrounds, as well as other backgrounds, would find the information she shares valuable as they try to be leaders in a multicultural / multifaceted world.”
Funny Boy by Shyam Selvadurai
“The story deeply resonated with me and reading it made me feel more hopeful and less alone. It tells the story of a Sri Lankan boy who is born into a highly homophobic and gender-normative family. It discusses themes of internalised homophobia, sexual liberation, self-acceptance. It also portrays the internal conflict which is perhaps commonly shared among parents of LGBT+ children: that between love for their children and social norms of morality and masculinity. An unexpected yet favourite theme of the book was the meditation on power and societal norms through a queer lens. But if there is a moral to the story, it is that love for another human being makes one more courageous, more willing to rebel against the various injustices of the world. Overall, it’s a beautifully and plainly written book that provides insights into Sri Lankan society, particularly an increasingly corrupt one amidst the 1980s conflict between the Tamils and Sinhalese people.”
Brian Chen, Student, UCL Department of Education, Practice and Society
Salaam Brick Lane: A Year in the New East End by Tarquin Hall
“Great fun, on the whole (life isn't always fun!) history of the modern Bangladeshi East End of London. Tarquin writes in such a way you can 'hear' his new friends and neighbours talking.”
Amanda O'Donnell, GOSH NHS Trust Staff
Development, Education and Learning in Sri Lanka by Angela W. Little
“Angela W. Little, Professor Emerita at UCL Institute of Education, shares her many years of personal experience in Sri Lanka focusing on education and society. Published Open Access by UCL Press.”
Recommended by Margie Coughlin, Staff UCL Library, Culture, Collections and Open Science.
The Right Sort of Girl by Anita Rani
“It gives an insight into growing up as a South Asian in the UK.”
Myriad Intimacies by Lata Mani
“Myriad Intimacies is written by postcolonial theorist, spiritual practitioner, and filmmaker Lata Mani. This book is profoundly moving in its focus on the ways that secular and sacred are lived and attuned to interdependence. Her book is transmedia including text and video, poetry and prose. Her thinking is beautiful, of love, and inspirational on how among beings - humans and nature - we are all interrelated and that these are mutually constitutive.”
History
Empireland by Sathnam Sanghera
“An interesting perspective from a UK born journalist who delivers the story through historic facts. It evokes a sense of further exploration into one’s own heritage.”
Mandeep Tung, Alumni, IOE, Faculty of Education and Society
Inglorious Empire by Shashi Tharoor
“This book is a great look into what the British Raj did to India. As a child of the diaspora whose family was displaced on both sides, this book is perhaps one of the closest things I will ever get to understanding the mechanisms of generational trauma and the actions of elders without homes.”
Between Mars and Mammon by Douglas Peers
“The book is very enjoyable to read and covers a key theme in British India. It is written by a leading scholar.”
UCL Student
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion in UCL Library, Culture, Collections and Open Science
