Tuesday 24 July 2018
Mishal Husain, Nish Kumar and Jeffrey Archer to speak at UK’s leading pan-Asian Literature Festival in London
– Asia House Bagri Foundation Literature Festival returns Sep to Nov 2018
– Tickets on sale now with Nikesh Shukla, Elif Shafak and Nikita Gill also set to appear
The line-up for the UK’s leading pan-Asian literature festival has been announced today, with best-selling authors, top Insta-poets, comedians, journalists, and one of the only female imams in the West all set to visit Asia House in London this autumn.
The 12th edition of the Festival will run between September and November, opening with writer Nikesh Shukla in conversation with comedian Nish Kumar about British Asian identity and
Shukla’s new novel The One Who Wrote Destiny.
Broadcaster and Today programme presenter Mishal Husain will discuss her timely new book The Skills and share practical advice for women of all ages on how to make their ambitions a reality, while women’s rights activist and novelist Elif Shafak will discuss writing, faith and politics with Nus Ghani MP, the first female Muslim Minister to speak at the House of Commons dispatch box.
Literary sensation Jeffrey Archer will be in conversation with British Asian crime fiction star, Abir Mukherjee, on the publication day of Archer’s new novel Heads You Win.
Generously supported by the Bagri Foundation since 2014, this year’s festival will also feature top Insta-poet Nikita Gill, award-winning novelist Louis de Bernières and Denmark’s first female imam Sherin Khankan.
Anna Temby, Literature Programme Manager at Asia House, said: “This year’s Festival brings writing from Turkey to Tokyo to our audiences and explores the role of women in today’s society, reflects on the social and political trends that are sweeping across the world’s fastest changing continent and examines different strands of British Asian identity. We have a stellar line up and are once again grateful for the support of the Bagri Foundation, who share our vision to make Asian art and culture more accessible and available to audiences across the UK.”
Dr Alka Bagri, trustee of the Bagri Foundation stated: “The Bagri Foundation is proud to have been the title sponsor of the Asia House Bagri Foundation Literature Festival for the past five years. We are honoured to engage new audiences with fresh and vibrant writing from/about Asia and the diaspora. Literature is a pivotal mode for expression, a powerful tool to inspire, educate and entertain, and can open a window into an undiscovered culture for the reader. We are excited for this year’s programme which explores the diversity of the written and spoken word, celebrating forms ranging from poetry in the Instagram age to visual storytelling through graphic novels.”
Tickets start from £5, most events free for students and are available from http://www.asiahousearts.org from today.
Highlights include:
• Sat 15 Sep 2018: An incredible line-up of inspirational women will be speaking at the festival for a full-day of events. Award-winning broadcaster Mishal Husain will be championing and encouraging women to reach their potential in her new book The Skills, and British-Indian Insta-poet Nikita Gill, who has a 400,000 strong Instagram following, will be reading from her new book Fierce Fairytales. Wei Ming Kam and Soofiya Andry will also be discussing their contributions to the new intersectional feminist anthology Can We All Be Feminists; already listed as one of The Guardian’s “Five Books on How to Achieve Gender Equality.”
– 17 Sep 2018: The bestselling novelist of Captain Corelli’s Mandolin, Louis De Bernières, will be discussing his latest novel So Much Life Left Over, which opens against the backdrop of 1920s Ceylon
– 8 Oct 2018: Sherin Khankan, one of the only female imams in the Western world, will be recounting her remarkable journey of faith and her hope for a more tolerant and open Islam in this exclusive London event..
– 1 Nov 2018: Bestselling novelist Jeffrey Archer will be in conversation with crime fiction star Abir Mukherjee on the publication day of Archer’s first standalone novel in a decade Heads You Win. The author will be signing copies of this book.
For more information or to buy tickets please visit Asia House Arts website HERE or
call 020 7307 5454
Full Listings can be viewed HERE
For media enquiries, please contact Luke Foddy, Communications Manager, luke.foddy@asiahouse.co.uk, 02073075451
About Asia House
Asia House is the Centre of Expertise on Asia, and London’s most vibrant and creative hub for Asian arts and culture. It is completely unique in the UK in presenting a thought-provoking, pan-Asian artistic and cultural programme.
Through its Arts and Learning Programme, Asia House’s mission is to inspire and engage diverse audiences by encouraging dialogue aimed at finding common ground amongst different schools of thought on how to look at Asia’s historical and cultural development. This is done through a dynamic series of live events; from panel discussions to music, dance, performance, visual art, film, food, fashion and literature. www.asiahousearts.org
About the Bagri Foundation
The Bagri Foundation is a UK registered charity working in the fields of education, relief work and culture. Through a multidisciplinary events programme, the Foundation aims to foster understanding of Asian cultures, artistic exchanges and enriching experiences. The Foundation believes in the power of collaboration and works with leading organisations, scholars and artists to encourage critical thinking, disseminate knowledge and offer platforms for creativity to blossom. https://www.bagrifoundation.org/
