Update from Kia
After a busy month following the release of Those People Next Door, things have mercifully calmed down. That’s not to say it’s been entirely quiet. The US edition of Those People Next Door came out under the new title of Perfectly Nice Neighbors. Sir Ian Rankin(!) tweeted about the book and The New York Times covered it in Paperback Row.
Mostly, though, I’ve been at my desk working towards my end-October deadline for my next book. It will be closely followed by a November deadline for copy-edits of a different book. This year has been go-go-go, which has meant that travel has been entirely on hold. I’m not burnt out, but I’m probably the closest I have ever been. On days when it feels too much, however, I only have to compare it to my final office job to remember how lucky I am to be largely in charge of my own time.
So, no complaints here – not this month at least.
Until next time.
Kia
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New books by British-Asian authors
5 October 2023
Birdgirl: Discovering the Power of Our Natural World
'Birdwatching has never felt like a hobby, or a pastime I can pick up and put down, but a thread running through the pattern of my life, so tightly woven in that there's no way of pulling it free and leaving the rest of my life intact.' Meet Mya-Rose, otherwise known as 'Birdgirl'. Birder, environmentalist, diversity activist. To date she has seen over five thousand different types of bird: half the world’s species […]
12 October 2023
Animal Tales from India: Ten Stories from the Panchatantra
A stunningly illustrated gift book of ancient Indian fables, retold by bestselling poet Nikita Gill. The stories of the Panchatantra have been read aloud and shared for thousands of years, kept alive by generation after generation of storytellers. In this captivating collection of ten animal tales, reimagined with warmth and wit by Nikita Gill, you'll meet mighty elephants and courageous mice, cunning crocodiles and clever monkeys, talkative tortoises and little lapwing birds […]
12 October 2023
Where Magic Grows: Unique Tales of Wonder and Enchantment
From Onjali Q. Raúf, author of The Boy at the Back of the Class, comes a hardback collection of seven unique fables, filled with humour, heart and messages of hope. Beautifully illustrated by Katarzyna Doszla in full colour, with gorgeous details such as a ribbon marker and patterned endpapers, this is a book to be cherished for years to come […]
19 October 2023
A Bollywood State of Mind: A journey into the world's biggest cinema
Like all Indians, Sunny Singh was born and brought up in a country of film fanatics. She and her friends waited impatiently for the latest releases, listened to the songs on radio and wore clothes inspired by those seen on screen. They learned about India and the world, determined their enemies and friends, and chose their moralities thanks to films. A Bollywood State of Mind is a personal, intellectual and emotional journey […]
26 October 2023
Leila and the Blue Fox
A captivating, powerful and luminous story from a bestselling, award-winning author about a mother, a daughter and the great Greenland shark. Wrapped up in mesmerising illustrations and presented as a deluxe hardback, this is a perfect gift for the holiday season, for 9+ fans of Philip Pullman, Sally Gardner and Frances Hardinge. The shark was beneath my bed, growing large as the room, large as the lighthouse, rising from unfathomable depths […]
Books out last month
7 September 2023
Hysterical: Exploding the Myth of Gendered Emotions
How we interpret emotions and act on them has been heavily gendered, as far back as Ancient Greek and Roman times, and – despite improvements in societal equality – continues to be today. In Hysterical, Dr Pragya Agarwal delves into history and science to determine the truth about our notions of innate differences between the male and female experience of emotions. She examines the impact this has on men and women – especially the role it has played in the subjugation of women […]
7 September 2023
The Council of Good Friends
A funny and heart-warming story for readers aged 6-9 from award-winning author Nikesh Shukla. Vinay, Musa, Inua and Nish are best friends. Nothing can separate them… until one day when Vinay’s cousin comes to invade his bunk bed haven (i.e. share his room). When a prank war starts, can the friends remember what really matters? Filled with fun illustrations by Rochelle Falconer, The Council of Good Friends is full of both hilarious mayhem and caring moments of friendship […]
14 September 2023
The Shoulders We Stand On: How Black and Brown people fought for change in the United Kingdom
The UK is grappling with big questions about belonging, equality and the legacies of Empire and Colonialism. We've been here before. Embracing a broader history that encompasses all British people, The Shoulders We Stand On is fundamental to a better understanding of the past and gives many more people who fought for our future a voice in the present. Have you heard of the Indian Workers' Association? The Grunwick Strike? The Brixton Black Women’s Group? The Battle of Brick Lane? […]
20 September 2023
Better Left Unsaid
Three siblings. Three promises. Three lifetimes of saying all the wrong things… Since their mother’s death, siblings Imran, Sumaya and Majid have drifted in three very different directions, trying to live up to the last promises they each made to her. But when a viral news piece throws an unwanted spotlight on the family, they’re drawn back into each other’s lives for the first time in years. With the media attention exposing the cracks in Imran’s already fragile marriage, he […]
28 September 2023
Where Are You Really From?
Who do you think you are? Have you ever thought about who you might be related to? What if we told you that you were related to extraordinary emperors, great kings and magnificent queens? Well, your majesty, you are. In fact, everyone is. And geneticist Adam Rutherford is here to tell you how. Come on an extraordinary adventure through millions of years of human history where you will learn […]
Editor’s choice
The book I’m most excited about…
Like all Indians, Sunny Singh was born and brought up in a country of film fanatics. She and her friends waited impatiently for the latest releases, listened to the songs on radio and wore clothes inspired by those seen on screen. They learned about India and the world, determined their enemies and friends, and chose their moralities thanks to films.
In A Bollywood State of Mind, Sunny takes us on a personal, intellectual and emotional journey across 50 years of modern Indian history and cinema and explores why Bollywood means so much to so many across the globe.
Order it now from Amazon or Waterstones or your local independent bookshop.