The Husbands Tour Schedule
4 stars for The Husbands!
The Husbands
The Husbands: Commissioned by Kali and Pentabus Theatre for tour in Spring 2014 – a tale of polyandry and longing in modern India.
The Husbands http://www.kalitheatre.co.uk/whats-on/The_Husbands.html
Short story OYSTERS shortlisted for Asian Writer Short Story Competition
Thrilled to be shortlisted for the Asian Writer Short Story Award 2012.
My story Oysters was featured in 5 Degrees anthology and read at the launch event at Bush Theatre!
BUY: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Five-Degrees-Asian-Writer-Anthology/dp/0956696732
Extract of the story below:
The restaurant was a nice Italian on Poland Street. The type that got popular by word of mouth. She wore a pink dress, with thin straps and a flared skirt. He was pleased to see her face still had the same plumpness around the cheeks. The same darting eyes and ready smile.
He could tell she was interested by the way she watched his mouth. She took his hand. Her fingers were small and cold, holding his palm out flat; tracing the lines. She pressed and prodded, making approving noises.
“So?” He asked, gazing at the haphazard curve of her parting and a stray grey hair the straddled between the black.
She smiled and closed his hand into a fist.
“Never been married?”
He shook his head.
“Single?”
He grinned.
“And no baggage, well,” she paused. “Maybe some hand luggage.”
She laughed; soft and escalating, asking him to join in. A glass of red wine swirled in her hand. She held it out to him. He watched the liquid cling to the sides and then took a large gulp.
They talked easily. Tumbling into conversations and then stumbling out to find they’d lost their way. Turning back, to try again. Their sentences long and winding, sometimes with no real purpose, than to feel the slow burn of the other’s full attention.
He looked around. Searching. Perhaps this was a test, and Maya would pop out of somewhere and surprise him. Then berate him. Sheena’s knees touched his under the table. She ordered oysters, not bothering to ask if he wanted them or not. When they arrived; fresh and salty, he was the first to pour one into his mouth.
Scratch reading Friday 17th May @Rich Mix
I’m excited to have a 15 min reading of an extract of When Spring Comes at the TDA Writers night on Music and Migration…
Here’s a little blurb about the piece and what inspired me…
East Africa has always been close to my heart: Swahili imbibed Gujerati, Indian food with African ingredients, homes decorated with African masks and fabrics. As a child I quickly developed a taste for the melancholic tales of the lush landscapes and carefree childhoods.
As an adult I realized, I had inherited a feeling of loss for something I had never had. Music became a connection. Certain songs precipitate a feeling of melancholy that I know is not my own but belongs collectively to another generation. It is an anchor for belonging; whether that is London, Kampala or Mumbai. Through music, we chart journeys beyond the physical. Through it – we find ourselves connected to something beyond ourselves.
The story of When Spring Comes is an exploration of family – but also how love, loss and yearning are passed on subliminally to the next generation.
Angelic Tales: White Turns To Grey
Exciting news – the wonderful people at Angelic Tales (Stratford East) accepted my piece When White Turns To Grey for their writer development program.
After submitting it, I got some great feedback and a table reading… Brilliantly facilitated by Rikki Beadle Blair and Jon Gordon.
Some serious editing, cutting and enhancing required for the next draft… Eeeeek!
When Spring Comes
My play When Spring Comes was part of the South Asian Literature Festival in conjunction with Tamasha theatre in November 2012 as part of the Exodus Event commemorating 40 years since the Ugandan Exodus.
The reading was a real success – resonating with the audience whose experience has had little or no voice in the arts – especially in England. Perhaps the most notable being the film Mississippi Masala (Mira Nair) and the novel The InBetween World of Vikram Lal (MG Vassanji) – but there is a definite need to debate this issue of Twice-Migrants in the UK, who with our Swahili mix of food, language and music we bring a multitude of experiences that have been passed on, almost subliminally to the next generation.
Directed by Dominc Hingorani
Cast:
Bhawana Bhawsara (Jaya)
Divian Ladwa (Mukesh)
Muzz Khan (Vinod)
Shaheen Khan (Urvashi and Ba)
WHEN THE SKY CLEARS accepted for publication
So I’ve been busy! As well as working on my novel – I’ve also started a new play, written a short film script and managed to get my show story When The Sky Clears accepted for publication in an anthology called: All the Small Things:
The collection had a theme close to my heart: the editors wanted to create a collection of short stories with the theme: childhood experiences of all the small things that people do to express their love for each other around the world.
On top of that – it had a great cause: All profits generated from the story collection in any vehicle will go direct to Ligusa Crossroad Childrens Home and Clinis, a community clinic and orphanage supporting vulnerable people in Kenya.
The books is still in production – but once its up I’ll post a link!
I’m a blogger….!
After much procrastinating and deliberation I am now writing a blog !!!
It’s called Where The Cat Sleeps – part of the great ooh lifestyle blog.
There are lots of blogs there – full of fun and arty articles on travel, being a mum, (or mom) and of course the arts as well as looking good!
My blog is all about living a creative life….
Check out my latest entry: Intensity – searching for the next hit
Please have a read – if you like leave a comment!
Sharmila Chauhan 