South Asian literature festival returns to Birmingham

Nina Wadia, second right, will join a panel on the BBC sitcom Goodness Gracious Me

A book festival which celebrates South Asian writers will hold a panel with the stars of Goodness Gracious Me.

Former EastEnders actress Nina Wadia will join actor Kulvinder Ghir at the DESIblitz Literature Festival 2023 on 20 October.

Now in its seventh year, the festival is set to take place across Birmingham between 20 to 29 October.

It will also include author talks, workshops and panels, as well as music and poetry performances.

The free festival features established writers and new talent from Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi and Sri Lankan backgrounds.

Indi Deol, founder of DESIblitz, a lifestyle website, set up the festival to demonstrate that writing was a viable career across British South Asian communities.

He said its mission was to bring together "diverse audiences" to celebrate the "richness of cultures."

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

"We believe in nurturing talent and providing a platform for aspiring writers to shine."

'Richness of cultures'

A number of established authors will appear throughout the festival, including Saima Mir and Ajay Chowdhury who will discuss their latest novels.

Poets including Rupinder Kaur and Abda Khan are also set to read excerpts of their work at the event.

They will be joined by a range of musical acts, including Punjabi folk duo The Grewal Twins and bhangra artist, Channi Singh.

A full programme of events over the nine days is available online.