“I’m very comfortable around people who are homesick but not sure where home is.” Avni Doshi on the impact of culture, motherhood and identity on her creative writing process, and the UAE’s nascent literary ecosystem.

Hashem catches up with Avni Doshi, author of ‘Burnt Sugar’, which was shortlisted for the prestigious Booker Prize. In her book, Avni explores the themes of identity, culture and motherhood. The heartfelt discussion captures the poignant moments of personal growth that permeate her narrative, now seen through the lens of maternal experience, where vulnerability and understanding intertwine. Their conversion navigates Avni’s love of astrology, her artistic doubts, and the prospect of her book hitting the big screen. Links Nadia Wassef on narrative structure, trafficking in nostalgia and life after publishing a debut memoir. Yasmina Jraissati on unlocking the potential of the Arabic language and how she accidentally became a rebel with a cause. 00:00 Coming up 02:21 Character development 07:56 Anticipating success 08:53 The role of the mother in India 11:26 From child to caretaker 15:42 Moving to India 18:40 Harper’s Bazaar India comes knocking 20:55 Homesick but not sure where home is 22:18 Girl in White Cotton 24:35 First publication by Harper Collins India 25:35 Second publication by Penguin’s Hamish Hamilton in the UK 26:29 ‘Girl in White Cotton’ becomes ‘Burnt Sugar’ 28:46 Booker’s Prize Shortlist 30:08 The brutality of motherhood 32:50 Real politics plays out in the family 34:38 The pressure of success 38:02 Avni’s writing process 44:48 Writing peer groups 46:54 Responding to critique 49:55 UAE’s literary scene

You can listen to “I’m very comfortable around people who are homesick but not sure where home is.” Avni Doshi on the impact of culture, motherhood and identity on her creative writing process, and the UAE’s nascent literary ecosystem. online on Radio and Podcast. Open the player on this page to stream the available audio.

“I’m very comfortable around people who are homesick but not sure where home is.” Avni Doshi on the impact of culture, motherhood and identity on her creative writing process, and the UAE’s nascent literary ecosystem. is an episode from The Lighthouse Conversations by The Lighthouse.

This episode is 59:14 long.

This episode was published on Aug 8, 2024.

Yes. Use the heart button on the episode page to add it to your favorite episodes list.

Yes. This page shows related episodes from The Lighthouse Conversations when more episodes are available from the podcast feed.