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When Zadie Smith encountered The Buddha of Suburbia as a teenager, she found in its description of multiracial South London suburbs an image of her own experience. Here she remembers her first reading of the novel and describes how, on rereading it as an adult, she continues to appreciate Hanif Kureishi's sense of mischief and his depictions of race and class.

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Hanif Kureishi explores suburbia, pop culture, race and the fluidity of identity in relation to some of his most famous literary works. Shot at his house in south London and at the British Library, the film offers rare glimpses into Kureishi’s archive.

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Barber Shop Chronicles: Inua Ellams’ research trip across Sub-Saharan Africa

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Barber Shop Chronicles: Inua Ellams’ research trip across Sub-Saharan Africa

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In December 2013, Inua Ellams left London to travel through Sub-Saharan Africa for six weeks to research his play, Barber Shop Chronicles. The play is set in five African cities – Johannesburg, Harare, Kampala, Lagos, Accra – and in London. This is the first of six journey-logs, accompanied by photographs Ellams took on the trip.

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South Asian writing in Britain: a timeline

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South Asian writing in Britain: a timeline

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Explore a snapshot of the vast wealth of literature written and published in Britain and Ireland by writers of South Asian heritage and learn more about the history of South Asian writing in Britain.

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South Asian writing in Britain: a timeline

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A snapshot of South Asian writing and literature in Britain. This timeline provides a snapshot of the vast wealth of literature written and published in Britain and Ireland by writers of South Asian heritage. Aimed at Secondary school teachers, students and librarians, we hope it will lead you to explore novels, plays, poetry and non-fiction by authors of South Asian heritage and learn more about the history of South Asian writing in Britain.1 Here we look at South Asia as encompassing the histories of the modern states of India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and administered Kashmir. We recognise that identity is nuanced and that each writer defines themselves differently in relation to ethnicity, nationality and other aspects of their identity. We use the title ‘South Asian writing in Britain’ to highlight a region of writing, within which writers with connections to South Asia and Britain published their texts in Britain and Ireland.2 These connections are linked to British colonialism and imperialism, alongside diverse migration journeys and diaspora experiences. Some authors featured here were born in India during the East India Company’s rule (1757–1858) or Britain’s direct colonial administration (1858–1947), and migrated to or visited Britain; others migrated to Britain after World War Two, Independence and Partition, or other independence movements; while other writers have moved to Britain in more recent years, or were born and grew up here. Teachers and students may recognise many writers from their curriculums, including Meera Syal, Monica Ali, Daljit Nagra, Imtiaz Dharker and Seni Seneviratne. The design of the timeline particularly aims to support and contextualise the study of South Asian writing in Britain featured in English curriculums. It also aims to provide an idea of the breadth of writing. We feature many writers who have reached canonical statuses, from Dean Mohamed to Kamila Shamsie. We place these writers alongside works that broaden the representation of South Asian writing in Britain from writers such as Cedric Dover, Shelley Silas and Suhayl Saadi. This timeline provides examples of novels, poetry, plays, travel narratives, non-fiction and memoirs spanning from the 18th century up to the present day. We have also included entries that demonstrate initiatives to promote British and South Asian voices, including examples of notable publishing companies, literary organisations, theatre companies and magazines. Beyond these entries, there is also more literary history to uncover. For example, the 19th-century poet and playwright Madhusudan Dutt tried to publish in Britain, but his work was not accepted. In the 20th century, the activist, lawyer and politician Krishna Menon became a founding editor of Pelican Books (the non-fiction, educational imprint of Penguin Books) and made significant contributions to library services in St Pancras. Read together, we hope the timeline illuminates the literary and cultural heritages each writer emerges from, as well as the connections between some writers. Beyond this timeline, we hope you’re inspired to explore British and South Asian literature, arts and culture more widely. South Asian presence in Britain encompasses at least 400 years of history. To learn more about the relationship between South Asia and Britain see: South Asian Britain: Connecting Histories South Asian Diaspora Arts Archive British Library’s India Office Records and Private Papers British South Asian Theatre: mapping histories and practices The Next Act podcast Striking Women Bichitra: Digitised Tagore manuscripts

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Malorie Blackman on her life, career and Noughts & Crosses

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Malorie Blackman on her life, career and Noughts & Crosses

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This collection features short films with Malorie Blackman.

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New Earth Theatre – raising the visibility and profile of British East and South East Asian* theatre

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New Earth Theatre – raising the visibility and profile of British East and South East Asian* theatre

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For over 25 years, New Earth Theatre has created work informed by the artists and communities of East and South East Asian heritage living and working in the UK. Kumiko Mendl provides a history of the company and introduces key productions.

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An introduction to Forgotten 遗忘 by Daniel York Loh

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An introduction to Forgotten 遗忘 by Daniel York Loh

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Daniel York Loh’s play Forgotten 遗忘 is inspired by the little-known story of the 140,000 Chinese labourers who worked for Britain and the Allies during World War One. Dr Anne Witchard explores how Forgotten 遗忘 dramatises the experiences of those in the Chinese Labour Corps and illuminates China’s role in the war.

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The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, or Gustavas Vassa, the African: in context

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The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, or Gustavas Vassa, the African: in context

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This collection features a film, article and primary sources.

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Chinonyerem Odimba's Princess & the Hustler in context

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Chinonyerem Odimba's Princess & the Hustler in context

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This collection features articles and films connected to Princess & the Hustler, plus primary sources.

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James Berry in context: 'On an afternoon train from Purley to Victoria, 1955' and Windrush Songs

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James Berry in context: 'On an afternoon train from Purley to Victoria, 1955' and Windrush Songs

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This collection features articles on 'On an Afternoon Train from Purley to Victoria, 1955' and Windrush Songs, plus audio recordings and primary sources.

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This collection features articles on Small Island, plus a film and primary sources.

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This collection features an article on historical context in Tanika Gupta's The Empress, plus primary sources, video clips and teaching resources.

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Explore more Discovering Literature articles

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Explore more Discovering Literature articles

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Explore 130 of our best loved articles, perfect for teachers of Years 10–13.