I was privileged to meet Vivienne Westwood when I reviewed exhibitions for the Weekend Magazine of The Oxford Times. I was at the press day for her crowning glory –the retrospective exhibition at the V&A in May 2004. I‘ve just
Great minds think alike or how to pinch a good title? https://membership.theguardian.com/event/kenan-malik-not-so-black-and-white-4 Nancy Mudenyo Hunt and I were not sure whether to be upset or flattered when we saw the title of Kenan Malik’s book. Not so Black and
In 'Food of Love' I invent a word ‘Communessence ‘. It means when we eat together we come together. It is inspired by the Sikh practice of 'langar' which in Punjabi means 'kitchen'. Gurdwaras have kitchens, which serve meals to
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=whX1OTtWkpY&t=448s Following the publication of my memoir Food of Love, cooking up a life across gender, class and race, Catherine Whelan Costen who lives in Calgary, asked to interview me. It gave me the opportunity to share my belief that
So many brave young people are fighting for their liberty at the moment, in Ukraine, in Iran and now in China. There was a time of protest with a real possibility of hope that occurred in China in 1979. The
At Oxib tomorrow, I’ll talk about and sign copies of my just published memoir Food of Love Cooking up a life through gender class and race. It’s received great endorsements from the journalist , Yasmin Alibhai
In the ‘Appetiser’ to my memoir Food of Love: Cooking up a life across Gender, Class and Race, I include a photograph of an unusual sculpture being placed in a roof in Headington. I only give two pieces of advice
Endorsements, authenticity and why my books are worth reading. With a small publisher, even one as discerning and capable as Claret Press, a writer struggles to be taken seriously. The endorsements my novels and memoir have received indicate that
We have our first Prime Minister of South Asian ancestry. Rishi Sunak was born and brought up in England but his grandparents came from India and his in-laws live there. Most people in this country know little about India and
I am being interviewed about Food of Love by Fleur Ostajak on BBC Radio Oxford tomorrow evening at 7.10pm . Since 1998 , I’ve been interviewed by many different presenters including Kat Orman, Phil Mercer and the late and