Every year sees a wave of new contemporary British Asian writers, producing work based on their experiences of being young, British and Asian. Whether they write about gang warfare, sexual tension, or marital strife it seems the publishers just can’t get enough!

But if you’re looking for authenticity then you might be disappointed, for not every young British Asian author has based their material on personal experiences. But is that really important when it comes to writing a good book?

Desi DNA sends Nikki Bedi to meet some literary sensations to find out if identity and culture is a recipe for success when it comes to good writing and what each of them think of each others’ work. She meets…

Nirpal Singh Dhaliwal, outspoken writer and critic and husband of newspaper columnist Liz Jones who has had success with his very first novel ‘Tourism’, described as a ‘filthy, unflinching and politically incorrect take on modern Britain’. He believes Asians can be guaranteed success if they play the race card to get a publishing deal.

Gautam Malkani, Financial Times journalist-turned novelist who managed to hotfoot it to the top of the book charts with ‘Londonstani’ – a gritty novel about Asian rudeboys, identity and cultural issues, described as ‘shocking ball-grabbing stuff!’ The Cambridge-educated writer is very different from the characters he has brought to life, and believes he has the right to write about anything or anyone he likes, be it teenage gangs or trendy Sloanes.

Sarfraz Manzoor, a writer and broadcaster who’s about to publish his own first novel, ‘Tales From Bury Park’. He has criticized authors like Nirpal and Gautam and thinks publishers do care and prefer an authentic Asian writer who will write about their personal experience.

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Safraz Manzoor 
Nirpal Dhaliwal
Gautam Malkani