Djinn Patrol on the Purple Line is a debut novel that follows nine-year-old Jai and his friends Pari and Faiz as they investigate the disappearance of a classmate in their impoverished slum. The story blends elements of mystery, satire, and coming-of-age themes, highlighting the harsh realities of life in Indian slums. Anappara's vivid narrative brings to light the struggles of marginalized communities and the indifference of authorities.
This anthology features essays from an international array of writers of color, offering insights into the experiences and cultural traditions that shape their work. It encourages readers to reevaluate assumptions about how fiction should be written and read, promoting a more inclusive conversation about storytelling. Contributors include Kiese Laymon, Amitava Kumar, and Xiaolu Guo, among others.
In 'Fascinated to Presume: In Defense of Fiction', Zadie Smith explores the power of fiction to engage with diverse human experiences and the challenges of representing others through storytelling. She discusses the importance of empathy and imagination in fiction, while critiquing the notion of cultural ownership and the limits of personal experience.
Set in 2003 in Singapore, 'Ponti' explores the complex relationship between Szu and Circe, two teenagers who form an unlikely friendship. Seventeen years later, Circe is confronted with memories of their past when a project involving a remake of the cult horror film series 'Ponti' surfaces, threatening her conscience. The novel delves into themes of friendship, memory, and the consequences of past actions.
Other Names for Love is a charged, hypnotic debut novel about a boy's life-changing summer in rural Pakistan. It explores themes of masculinity, inheritance, and desire against the backdrop of a country's troubled history. The story follows Fahad, who is sent to his family's rural estate by his father, only to find himself drawn to Ali and the complexities of the land. Decades later, Fahad must confront his past when summoned home by his mother.
Minaret follows the story of Najwa, a Sudanese woman who transitions from a life of privilege to one of hardship in London. Forced into exile after a coup, Najwa finds solace in her faith and the Muslim community, leading to a profound transformation. The novel explores themes of identity, faith, and cultural adaptation.
Human beings have been telling stories for thousands of years, but what actually makes for a good story? Authors have been trying to settle on the great principles of compelling writing for as long as people have been writing. Yet, as Deepa Anappara and Taymour Soomro argue, something has gone amiss in these manuals on the art of storytelling: they have tended to privilege a Western perspective.
Anappara and Soomro came to Intelligence Squared to talk about their new anthology, Letters to a Writer of Colour, in which they ask us to critically examine the assumptions that shape the way we think fiction should be written. What might fiction look like if we considered alternative ways of constructing narratives that were grounded in the experiences of a person of colour?
Together with with two of the contributors to the collection, Sharlene Teo and Leila Aboulela, they explored one of the things we all have a primal need for – stories, and lots of different kinds of them.
This podcast was recored on the 4th of April 2023 and was produced by Executive Producer Hannah Kaye. Editing was by Executive Producer Rowan Slaney
—
Thanks for listening to this episode of Intelligence Squared! We’d love to hear your feedback and what you think we should talk about next, who we should have on and what our future debates should be.
Send us an email or voice note with your thoughts to podcasts@intelligencesquared.com or Tweet us @intelligence2. And if you’d like to get ad-free access to all Intelligence Squared podcasts, including exclusive bonus content, early access to new episodes and much more, become a supporter of Intelligence Squared today for just £4.99, or the equivalent in your local currency .
Just visit intelligencesquared.com/membership to find out more.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Intelligence Squared 
