Home and Away: meet the UK writers only published abroad

Dash believes that UK publishers are largely conservative about what is published and tend to stick to safer options, rather than take risks on new writing. “It is really important for writers as well to write what they want to, and not try to work within the...

This Glorious Noise

A recording from The National Poetry Library’s Special Edition series. Five South Asian diaspora poets celebrate the UK-India Year of Culture 2017. Featuring Mona Dash, Rishi Dastidar, Bashabi Fraser, Debjani Chatterjee and Yogesh Patel. Recorded in The National...

Beyond a ‘Colourful’ India: The Struggles of British Asian Writers

As someone who has been brought up in India, my writing about the country is about its reality, and not necessary a stylised, nostalgic version. Unfortunately, in my experience, this is not what Western publishers want. I’ve also found that if one writes about the...

Interview in the Asian Voice

Mona Dash: A Writer’s Secret Dash strikes that ever-sought after writer’s balance between being true to personal identity and nuanced enough to resonate with a wider audience. Her first novel, ‘Untamed Heart’, tells of a young newlywed, Mohini, who travels...

Interview with Tara Research Press India

Answer: ‘Untamed Heart’ is the story of a woman named Mohini and her search for identity and freedom. Set in a very identifiable set up of a traditional family in India, Mohini begins to question concepts such as love, duty, sacrifice. Thus, it is also a story of...

About writing and more: an interview in Muse India

Mona Dash: In Conversation with Jaydeep Sarangi, Jan-Feb 2016, Muse India You mention fiction. So what is the main difference between writing poetry and fiction and which one is a more natural form of writing for you? Jyideep Sarangi Like most writers, I started...