Meera Syal, Anita and Me

Sutida Wimuttikosol (King's College London)

Ed. by Jenni Ramone, The Nottingham Trent University
The Literary Encyclopedia. Volume 10.3.5: South Asian Diasporic Literature and Culture, 1800-present.
Vol. editors: Claire Gallien (Université Paul Valéry Montpellier 3), Pavan Kumar Malreddy (J W Goethe University of Frankfurt), Delphine Munos (Université de Liège), Muneeza Shamsie (Independent Scholar - Asia), Niaz Zaman (Independent University Bangladesh)

Dates

First circulation or publication 1996

Places

United Kingdom (Publication/ performance)

Genres and Modes

Novel

Resources

Anita and Me (1996), Meera Syal’s debut novel, has received significant critical acclaim for redefining Britishness from the perspective of a South Asian British woman. It won a Betty Trask Award, and was adapted into a film in 2002 and into a stage play in 2015. Syal, whose childhood experiences as an Indian girl growing up in the West Midlands during the 1960s hugely influence her writing, was already an accomplished actress and screenwriter by the time she wrote the book. She is considered a pioneer for members of ethnic minority groups aspiring to create their own voices, speak for their communities, and pursue their career goals. Bhaji on the Beach (1993), the film directed by Gurinder Chadha and …

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2027 words

Citation: Wimuttikosol, Sutida. "Anita and Me". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 01 September 2017 [https://staging.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=38786, accessed 23 November 2024.]

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