#BloggerBlast ‘ DESIblitz Festival 2023!

This looks ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC! I only wish I lived a bit closer to Birmingham!

DESIblitz is a festival taking place in October 23, tickets to attend are *FREE* in order to encourage inclusivity, and it will showcase British South Asian talent across the 20th -29th

It will also highlight how to break into publishing and what working in this industry entails from insiders themselves.

As per the press release, kindly provided by Tory at Moonflower Books-

The festival has something for all reading tastes and authors at this year’s festival include crime novelists Saima Mir (‘It’s Not About The Burqua’ and ‘The Khan’ ) and Ajay Chowdhury(Penguin Crime), children’s authors Costa Children’s Prize Winner 2019 Jasbinder Bilan(Walker Books) and GCSE set text author Bali Rai,  non fiction authors including prison doctor Dr Shahed Yousaftalking about his book ‘Stitched Up’  (Penguin Aug 2023),Kavitha Rao talking about her book ‘Lady Doctors-The Untold Stories Of India’s First Women In Medicine’(Jacaranda Aug 2023) and British reggae star Tippa Irie discussing his memoir ‘Stick To My Roots’ (Jacaranda Aug 2023).

Plus there will be poetry readings, bhangra music and dance performances as well as a headline event featuring a panel of the cast and crew of seminal British sit-com ‘Goodness Gracious Me’ which celebrates its 25^th Anniversary this year – with more authors to be announced between now and October.

 

At the heart of the festival is the DESIblitz Art Truck offering a programme of magical storytelling from a range of South Asian cultures. Decorated by world-renowned professional truck artist Haider Ali from Pakistan, the truck is taken to schools across the UK throughout the year to help promote literacy among British South Asian Communities as well as bringing Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi and Sri Lankan stories to the widest possible audience.

Showcasing the real breadth of talent and creativity in British South Asian literature today, themed events will feature crime fiction, children’s fiction, historical fiction, poetry readings, memoir, as well as discussions about diversity in British publishing, with a variety of music from Bangla to Punjabi Folk Music being performed.

The UK’s biggest festival for South Asian culture was established by the beating heart of British South Asian news and media – DESIblitz.com an award-winning news and entertainment platform that showcases and celebrates all things British South Asian with a big focus on arts, culture and books.

DESIblitz founder Indi Deol set up the DESIblitz Literature Festival because he wanted to create a platform that would establish writing as a viable career among British South Asian communities. At the heart of the festival is the desire to showcase the talents of established British South Asian writers to demonstrate to young minds and budding writers that it is possible to be a professional writer in the UK if you are from an Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi or Sri Lankan background. In order to make literature as accessible as possible most of the festival events are free. Tickets are available via Eventbrite, the DESIblitz Literature Festival website and through partner venues.

The DESIblitz Literature Festival also has a focus on bringing writing, storytelling and culture from South Asia to schools across the UK with the DESIblitz Truck Art Bus.  The Truck Art Bus was decorated last year by world-renowned professional truck artist Haider Ali from Pakistan and has so far visited 11 schools and will be at the festival this year with a programme of story telling from a range of South Asian cultures.

Festival Director Indi Deol Said: 

“Our mission at the DESIblitz Literature Festival is to continue bringing together diverse audiences, transcending boundaries and celebrating the richness of cultures. With 90% of our festival events free to attend, we open doors to all, fostering inclusivity and accessibility.

At the heart of our festival, we champion new and emerging voices, amplifying their stories and perspectives.

We believe in nurturing talent and providing a platform for aspiring writers to shine.  We invite you to explore the vibrant tapestry of storytelling, where renowned authors, thought-provoking panel discussions, interactive workshops, and mesmerising performances await.

Mark your calendars and join us for a transformative experience that will leave you inspired, enlightened, and connected.”

Now in its 7^th year the DESIblitz Literature Festival 2023, will take place across venues in Birmingham including from 20th – 29^th October and will feature some of the biggest names in British South Asian writing, fiction, poetry, storytelling, music, film, TV and publishing as well as exciting up and coming talent.

Tying in with the festival’s theme of opening up the UK publishing industry to writers from the South Asian diaspora, the festival will host a panel discussion about representation in the UK publishing industry which speakers including  Habiba Desai founder of Fox & Windmill the UK’s first independent publishing company for British South Asian writers, Nick Wells Founder of Flame Tree Publishing, Pooja Aggarwal, Director of Academic and Professional Publishing, Bloomsbury Publishing and Zaynah Ali Legal and Compliance department for Macmillan Children’s Books.

How incredible does this line up look, with more people to be announced between now and then!

Drop me a line if you intend to go, I want to live vicariously through you please!

Links-https://www.desiblitz.com/literaturefestival/

Twitter @DESIblitz @moonflowerbooks @SaimaMir @balirai @ajaychow @jasinbath