Sharmila Chauhan – Sharmila is a screenwriter, playwright and prose writer: Her work is often a transgressive meditation on love, sex and an exploration of the diasporic experience. She is particularly interested in the intersection of sex, race and gender.

She has had two short films produced and written two features: Most recently, her short film Oysters – an exploration of desire in the face of grief – was commissioned by Film London and her feature Mother Land – is currently being developed by Cinestan International and has been long-listed for the Sundance Writers’ Lab.

Her plays include: The Husbands (an exploration of polyandry and matriarchy in India) which toured nationally and completed its run at London’s Soho theatre (Kali and Pentabus Theatre), Born Again/Purnajanam (Southwark Playhouse (exploring class, religion and female power), Kali Theatre) and well as 10 Women (body image and women with Bethan Dear, Avignon Festival, France)

Shortlisted for the Asian New Writer award. Sharmila’s short stories have been published widely in print and online. She is also currently working on her novel Rasa.

Sharmila also has a degree in pharmacy and a PhD in clinical pharmacology from University College London. She lives in London with her husband, children and cat Tashi. http://www.sharmilathewriter.com Photos: bottom – Viola De, top – Kajal Nisha Patel