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The Whole Kahani: 10 Year Anniversary Event
Wednesday 23 September 2026 | 6.30 – 8.30pm
Sacred Grounds, 54 Dean Street, London W1D 6AE
Reserve a spot here
Celebrate ten years of The Whole Kahani’s writing with an evening of stories, readings and community.
For a decade, The Whole Kahani has brought together British South Asian writers to champion distinctive voices, share stories and create a literary community in which new writing can flourish. Come along for an informal evening of readings, books and conversation, with the opportunity to hear from The Whole Kahani writers, discover our anthologies and connect with fellow readers, writers and members of the literary community.
Food and refreshments will be served during the evening, along with an operational cash bar.
The Eastern Eye Award for Fiction 2024
The Whole Kahani are delighted to have been awarded the 2024 Eastern Eye Award for Fiction for their anthology, Tongues and Bellies.
Kavita A. Jindal’s Essay on writing across cultures in The Unheard Stories
Kavita A. Jindal’s essay To Explain or Not, to Italicise or Not is included in The Unheard Stories.
The book, published by Peepal Tree Press, celebrates 10 years of the SI Leeds Literary Prize (in which several authors from The Whole Kahani have been longlisted or shortlisted over the years).
In the essay, Kavita answers some questions she’s frequently asked by writers working on their manuscripts.
Still Lives awarded 2023 Diverse Book Readers’ Choice Award
Reshma Ruia’s novel, Still Lives was awarded the 2023 Diverse Book Readers’ Choice Award in October 2023.
Here is Reshma at the Award ceremony in London.
Reshma Ruia interview with The Yorkshire Times
Reshma Ruia talks about the writing process and her books in this interview with The Yorkshire Times.
https://yorkshiretimes.co.uk/article/To-See-A-World-In-A-Grain-Of-Sand–Interview-With-Reshma-Ruia
Reviews by The Whole Kahani members
/ A deeply-felt call to action /
Kavita A. Jindal reviews ‘Ma Is Scared’ by Anjali Kajal, translated by Kavita Bhanot (Comma Press, 2023) for Asian Review of Books
https://asianreviewofbooks.com/content/ma-is-scared-by-anjali-kajal/
of bodies / of light / of weightlessness
Khadija Rouf reviews Antonyms for Burial by Ellora Sutton (Fourteen Poems, 2022) for The Friday Poem
https://thefridaypoem.com/antonyms-for-burial/
Tongues and Bellies
We’re delighted to announce that our third anthology ‘Tongues and Bellies’ has been published!
These stories play with lies and truth. Chameleon-like characters clutch at worlds that remain just out of reach. An old recipe, a robot, a key – these are clues to the people they once were or hope to be. Appetite and eating are often central in this collection as characters remember childhood meals, a mother’s cooking, meals with lovers and meals that turn out not as expected. Their appetite for food, as for life, is by turns bitter and sweet but never predictable.
‘Rich, incisive and at times magical, this is a collection to be savoured and cherished. A joy from start to finish.’
– Awais Khan, author of No Honour
‘Tongues and Bellies’ can be purchased at Linen Press.
Stay-At-Home! Literary Festival: The BAME of our Lives
The Whole Kahani members: Reshma Ruia, Nadia Kabir Barb, Mona Dash and Shibani Lal held a lively discussion about being BAME and writing beyond and across a label, as part of the Stay-at-Home! Literary Festival.
Do have a listen.
Eastern Eye Literature awards
Two members of The Whole Kahani are on the shortlist for the ‘Eastern Eye Literature Award 2020’. Mona Dash for A Roll of the Dice and Kavita A. Jindal for Manual For A Decent Life. You can attend the ACTAs virtual party on Feb. 12 , 2021 to see who wins in arts, media and culture.
https://actas.co.uk/live/en/page/home
May We Borrow Your Country turns one!
Here’s a fantastic promotional price to celebrate the publication of our anthology May We Borrow Your Country. Get your hands on the ebook for £1.99 on the Linen Press website between the 20 – 27th of January and for £2.99 on Amazon between the 24 – 27th January.