A Thousand Words A Million Books || A Young Adult Book Blog: #DesiRepDiscussions

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#DesiRepDiscussions - Shudh Desi Romance by Pavi

Hey guys!

Over the past couple years, the #DiverseReads movement has gained momentum and people have become aware of reading books that have characters that are not just cis straight and white. After All, this world is a huge place and there are many different, diverse people here that are not straight or white. They have been poorly represented in media for a long time and that has taken its toll.

Desis are an example of such oppressed voices. We have not been represented in a good light in the western media, but, thankfully, that has changed in the last few years and with emerging authors such as Roshani Chokshi, Sandhya Menon, Tara Sim, Dhonielle Clayton, Sabaa Tahir etc, hopefully, people will see us in a better light and begin to understand our culture more.

The purpose of this discussion event is to make others aware of the lush, beautiful desi culture and to tell them more about us. So, for the next few days, my absolutely amazing friend, Prags from The Inkedin Book Blog (who, really, put all of this together) and I will be sharing various essays by desi book people – bloggers, bookstagrammers, twitterati etc for you guys.

I hope that you learn something new by reading what we have in store for you here and that you enjoy it. Thank you for stopping by!

Today, on #DesiRepDiscussions, we have Pavi, who's an amazing bookstagrammer and book blogger! She talks about romance in the desi way and I love it!

Shudh Desi Romance

- Pavi

First, I just wanted to thank Pragati, who has been quite patient for this guest post but most of all, for trusting me as a blogger to provide her with one that might resonate with all you Indian Bookworms!

And here is me, Pavi from For The Love of Fictional Worlds (http://www.indianbookloveaffair.wordpress.com/), and I am so glad to be here talking about a subject/genre that is so close to my heart. I might ramble on for a bit, so please bear with me!

I am an avid romance reader; I adore books that give me a sense of happiness with my characters’ struggle for HEA; and I do not hide it. I will never hide it. This is the genre that gave me hope when I was in a long dark tunnel with no end or light at sight or even possible.

I took refuge in fiction, and I experimented with whole lot genres before deciding that it was romance books that had me smiling and happy for the time I read it. Don’t get me wrong, I adore falling into fantasy or even thriller books, but romance? Now that is something that is something that left me feeling like I was cocooned in a giant warm hug.

Now, I should tell you that I was an avid reader before the time of tablets, or even e-readers, so only the most popular authors were available here in India then, so I grew up on a staple of Jeffrey Archer, John Grisham for thrillers and Nora Roberts & Julie Garwood for romance.

My first bookshelf was overflowing with these authors, but I still go back to my old favorites Ms. Roberts and Ms. Garwood all the time, even now. But I couldn’t go beyond them, for other international authors were expensive and ebooks hadn’t made their way to the Indian Book Market then!

Parallel to this, there was quite a surprise hit of Chetan Bhagat that hit the stands, and most around me called it the romance for the Indian population (I would still like to hit them where the sun doesn’t shine, but I self – restrained!) – And this was the reason why I gave up on this genre in the desi world! It was heartbreaking, but I just couldn’t leave my high standards for a well edited and researched book hang, just because I wanted to connect with the characters from my own culture!

So I Stopped. I stopped even looking at the Indian Author section anywhere I went. I stopped even conversing about Indian authors because this craze was killing me, and no matter how much I tried (and I tried, Gawd! I tried!) I just couldn’t get people to understand that there are better books out there, and that they, as readers, deserved the best they were in interested in!

Soon, it became so that I knew more about the American States than I knew about my own hometown, I knew more about their legal system than I knew about mine (I love the sub – genre of Romantic Suspense) and I knew more about their slangs than I knew about mine!

Did I feel a bit shameful? Yes I did, but I did not know how to rectify this situation; some authors from the subsequent ChetanBhagatpandenium had mostly destroyed my ability to even look at the books published later on.

This changed when I was invited to the book launch of Sakshama Puri Dhariwal’s (http://www.instagram.com/sakshama/) Man of Her Match (http://bit.ly/2xTlhAZ) by Penguin India (http://www.instagram.com/penguinindia/)– this was my first book launch and author meet, so in all enthusiasm I did my research on her and found out that she already had a book called The Wedding Photographer, so just in case I would be allowed to get the book signed as well – and I. FELL. IN. LOVE!

The Wedding Photographer (Read my Review) was exactly what I wanted to read in romance by an Indian author – a book that was relatable to the Delhi girl in me, but also the young 20s girl, who is open to the world of love, yet hasn’t lost her optimism in the face of a cynical city! I loved how she related to the city I lived in and bought to life, and I can’t even imagine telling you how amazing it was to read a word/slang and know exactly what it means without looking it up.

Man of Her Match (Read my Review) her second book, though in reality, a prequel to The Wedding Photographer, pretty much cemented my love for this author – and me as a fan for life!

I flew through both her books, and the fact that she has been the sweetest author to know is honestly just the icing on the cake!

All I knew was that my prayers had been answered – I had in my hands books in the romance genre that were exactly what I wanted – amazing characters, solid buildup of plot line, brilliantly written and edited, with it holding my interest from the start till finish.

And I knew, I KNEW, that holding out for a higher standard of books in this genre in Indian Market wasn’t a futility and I had Penguin India and Sakshama Puri Dhariwal to thank!

If you would like to have a chat with me on the thoughts I have shared here or even give me recommendations for authors you think would hold up top my standard, please please DO NOT hesitate to talk to me! Or you could just drop by to say hi! I would love that as well! <3 h2="" style="text-align: center;">Connect With The Author:

Blog | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter

What do you think of the #WeNeedDiverseBooks movement?

Have you read any books/ watched movies that celebrate the Desi culture?

Do say hi to Pavi ~ she'd love to hear from you!

#DesiRepDiscussions - Existing Representation in Books by Enna

Hey guys!

I hope that you learn something new by reading what we have in store for you here and that you enjoy it. Thank you for stopping by!

On #DesiRepDiscussions today, we have Enna, who is going to talk about the existing rep in books. What authors got right, what they didn't, what she liked and didn't. So, gear up and have fun!

Growing up, Desi representation was something I rarely saw or read in Young Adult novels. No matter how much I loved reading about characters from other cultures and backgrounds, I always felt sad I could never relate to a character myself on that level. And when I did find books that had Desi representation, there were some things I loved about them and some I was really disappointed by.

What I Liked

The amount of detail some book had for describing Desi culture! I loved how our traditions and cultural values were expressed and represented for the world to read!
I really appreciated the amount of diversity I saw in the characters themselves! I loved to read about individuals who were Desi but were not represented by the stereotype we often saw on TV or in movies (i.e., heavy accents, taxi driver etc..)
Most importantly, I loved when characters need to discuss issues or topics that constantly challenged their beliefs and moral obligations (in regard to their culture); it illustrated how different each character was without taking away from their individuality.

What Could Have Been Better

The need for diverse books is great, but I wish they did not revolve around overused tropes or stereotypes, like arranged marriages. There is so much potential authors can tap into when writing about Desi culture, but to use tropes and stereotypes as the focus of the book’s plot is disappointing. I would love to see something different.
I would love to see Desi characters in more fantasy or sci-fi novels! While there are many contemporary novels and some fantasy novels written by Desi authors which represent Desi culture, it’s rare to find the same in sci-fi novels. I would love to see the same representation across multiple genres.

Before you go, here are some of my favorite Desi YA novels written by some amazing Desi authors and a few highly anticipated novels of 2018!
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Top Row (Left to Right)

The Wrath & The Dawn by Renee Ahdieh

From Twinkle With Love by Sandhya Menon

When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandhya Menon (coming 2018)

A Girl Like That by Tanaz Bhathena (coming 2018)

An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir

Bottom Row (Left to Right)

The Star-Touched Queen by Roshani Chokshi

My So-Called Bollywood Life by Nisha Sharma (coming 2018)

Born Confused by Tanuja Desai Hidier

The Library of Fates by Aditi Khorana

Ms. Marvel by G. Willow Wilson & Adrian Alphona

Connect With The Author:

Twitter | Instagram | Blog

What do you think of the #WeNeedDiverseBooks movement?

Have you read any books/ watched movies that celebrate the Desi culture?

Do say hi to Enna ~ she'd love to hear from you!

#DesiRepDiscussions - Indians Are More Than Just Their Names by Sumedha

Hey guys!

I hope that you learn something new by reading what we have in store for you here and that you enjoy it. Thank you for stopping by!

Hello! On #DesiRepDiscussions today, we have the amazing Sumedha who talks about how Indians are just more than their "exotic" names. An amazing post if I do say so myself and I hope you have fun reading it!

Indians Are More Than Just Their Names

- Sumedha

Hi everyone! I'm Sumedha from The Wordy Habitat and I'm so glad to be guest posting here to talk about desi rep in books.

Nowadays, there are a lot of Indian characters in books not written by Indian authors. And I'm super happy that we're being represented. Indians have become a huge part of the economy worldwide and you can find us in most places.

But even with so much mention, it's only the names. We see characters with Indian names or description which alludes that the character is Indian but what I haven't seen is more to the character.

Being Indian isn't limited to our different names, it's much MUCH more than that. The characters that I read about don't speak about Indian traditions or things that are normal to us. I see them portrayed as any other non-Indian character in the book.

Even when we see them as close to main characters, such as friends, I have never seen any mention of Indian lifestyle.

For example, here are a list of things that are VERY normal to us but I haven't seen mentioned at all:

Indian kids calling elders other than their family Uncles and Aunties.
Our penchant for very spicy or very sweet food.
Indian food, in itself, and our preference to it.
Our gods.
Our festivals, which we have an ABUNDANCE of. Diwali, Dussehra, Holi, Ganesh chaturthi etc.
Castes within us and different castes having different traditions and beliefs.
Our love for classical music. And I mean Indian classical music.
Phrase/words in an Indian language.
Bollywood!

I know that Indian families in other countries still follow our traditions and beliefs, and they really appreciate it as well, but I don't see any of that in books. The representation seems partial when you add an Arjun or a Pooja but none of their Indian quirks.

I completely agree that it's very easy to go wrong while representing us, but I bet any Indian wouldn't mind sitting and providing you details for hours if you ask.

To get you started, on how the smallest things can be mentioned but make a difference on the portrayal of character, here are a few things that have been ingrained into me as an Indian, of the cast Brahmin:

I am pure vegetarian. I have never eaten an egg or meat. People do, if they want to, but according to our tradition we don't.
I don't buy shoes on Saturdays. When I asked my mum years back, she said it was because Saturdays were somehow meant for giving and that you give shoes on Saturday so we don't buy them.
I also don't buy black on Saturdays because it's bad omen.
My family doesn't buy anything on Tuesdays. Why? I don't know, but I'm made to follow that. Basics such as groceries is okay, but we try not to buy anything more unless it's absolutely required.
Every time I buy something new, except shoes, I place it before (the picture/statue of) God and pray for blessings. Every time. If I get a prize, that as well.

And so on. There are so many things.

But this is what I mean by these small quirks and habits which I don't see in books. I'm not asking for exactly me to be represented, but I would love to see more than an Indian skin colour and name. Otherwise, it does feel like partial representation, I won't lie.

Just reading an Indian character saying they're busy and can't come to a party because they have a "pooja thing" that they HAVE to attend instead of another excuse, would make me unbelievably happy. All I look for is a sentence here and there.

I would like to conclude with the request to all authors to consider adding a little more to Indian characters' traditional sides.

Are you Indian, or just someone not American or British? Are you happy with your traditions etc being represented in books? What do you think about diversity rep in books? What would YOU like to see more in future books?

Connect With The Author:

Twitter | Instagram | Blog

What do you think of the #WeNeedDiverseBooks movement?

Have you read any books/ watched movies that celebrate the Desi culture?

Do say hi to Sumedha ~ she'd love to hear from you!

#DesiRepDiscussions - All Things Desi by Maria Hossain

Hey guys!

I hope that you learn something new by reading what we have in store for you here and that you enjoy it. Thank you for stopping by!

Today, on #DesiRepDiscussions, we have Maria, who is talking about various stuff, all desi centric. I hope you have fun reading this!

Hey guys! I’m Maria Hossain and I’m a young adult writer from Dhaka, Bangladesh. This is my first guest post and I’m both excited and nervous too. So in this post, I’ll talk about six things (six is my lucky and favorite number). They are:

#1 Who I am & What I write and read

#2 My opinion on seeing diversity in fiction, especially characters from my background

#3 Diverse books that I read and loved so far

#4 My favorite writers of color

#5 My own writing

#6 How I think you can add diversity in your writing

I promise it won’t be a long post.

So let’s begin!

#1 Who I am and what I write and read:

So I’m a student of English language and literature of University of Dhaka. I started writing seriously from December, 2013 after I went through severe depression. Writing literally saved me from it. It saved me again when I fell into severe depression in 2015, and so you can guess, writing means a lot to me. I perceive it as my therapist, my knight in shining armor, my best friend and my passion.

What I write? Mostly young adult. So far I’ve written/brainstormed seven manuscripts, six of which have been shelved due to several reasons. I’m a very adventurous writer.So far I’ve written from contemporary to epic fantasy to steampunk fantasy.

I also blog about books, which I began to do this year . So far, I’ve reviewed around 15 books on my blog and I aim to blog about 50 books by June next year, before my birthday. I’m excited to tell you I got my first eARC from NetGalley only a few weeks ago and I can’t wait to receive more books.

#2 My opinion on seeing diversity in fiction, especially characters from my background:

For a long time I didn’t see someone from my background in North American literature. Almost as if this world had no Bengalis like me. It was almost always white characters in my favorite books. So I could relate on some levels with those characters but not all.

So you can guess how ecstatic I felt when I learnt about diversity movement and attempts to diversify publishing industry more. My first diverse read would be An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir and it was that book where I saw a protagonist like myself. I could relate so much. Trust me, if you’re from a marginalized background and you find a character who shares your identity, you’ll feel acknowledged and cherished.

#3 Diverse books that I read and loved so far:

I already mentioned Sabaa Tahir. Her fantasy was the first where I saw characters from my background as protagonists, not a cardboard characters like in most Hollywood films.

Then there’s The Star Touched Queen by Roshani Chokshi. The character felt relatable to me not just because she’s South Asian, also because she was forced to get married by her family, the way a lot of Bengali girls are, but like a lot of Bengali girls, she seeks a marriage of love and respect and to not let her life be only about marriage and childbearing.

Thirdly, I loved loved loved Karuna Riazi's middle grade fantasy, The Gauntlet, where I felt the most akin to the protagonist, who was both Bangladeshi and Muslim like me. This book is a must read if you wanna know about our culture.

I’d never forget to mention The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas, for though this book didn’t have a protagonist from my background, this book is so poignant and touching, you’d not need to share your background with the protagonist. You just get her point. I’d recommend this to everyone.

#4 My favorite writers of color:

There’s the Queen Sabaa Tahir. Then there are KarunaRiazi, RoshaniChokshi, Angie Thomas, TomiAdeyemi (whose stunning debut I received as eARC from NetGalley).

Writers of color whose books I’m excited about?

Julie C. Dao, Nic Stone, Justina Ireland, HafsahFaizal, Sabina Khan (a fellow Bangladeshi writer), and many more.

#5 My own writing:

I already told you about my adventurous writing interests. But if you want me to pinpoint one thing in common in my writing, it’ll be that all my stories were set in the past.

Yup, I’m a big history nerd. I love everything historical and love to do research on my story’s setting.

#6 How I think you can add diversity in your writing:

Truth is, there is no trick. If you wanna write a character from marginalized background in your book, first you gotta make sure it isn’t because diverse books are published and praised a lot now. Diversity isn’t a trend. It’s rather a literary movement that encourages and emphasizes more diversity in publishing and more acknowledgement of marginalized people and their culture and experiences. So banish the thought that including a character from marginalized background in your book can sell it. That’s the most incorrect and harmful notion.

Second, if you want to write a character from marginalized background, do your research. Seriously, if you hate research but want to write about people from marginalized background, you gotta either learn to love researching, or write a white/cisgender/heterosexual/able character instead. There have been so many harmful problematic books about marginalized people it’s worrying. So do your research thoroughly.

Third, hire sensitivity readers. If you’re new to this term, sensitivity readers are those who are paid for reading a book and providing the author with honest feedback on sensitive contents of that book. If you can’t afford to hire sensitivity readers, then find someone who is an expert in those contents and offer to read their works (if they’re writers too) in exchange for sensitivity-reading yours. But do not think just because you’ve hired a sensitivity reader for your book, you got the safe pass to excuse your contents should they hurt readers. There have been several incidents like this. The thing you gotta do after you receive your sensitivity readers’ feedback is to go through them, ask their opinion on how to fix anything if there truly is some harmful contents, and adopt them. They’re sensitivity readers for a reason. They know more about those contents than you do. So be grateful, patient and don’t be rude or condescending.

So that’s all I have to say for now. Hope I didn’t bore you guys. Thank you for having me!