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The Overseas Student, Cherie Jones, India's Parliamentary District row

Tanika Gupta on her play about an 19 year old Gandhi studying law in UK and Cherie Jones on her Women's Prize For Fiction shortlisted novel.

We're speaking to all the authors shortlisted for the Women’s Prize for Fiction 2021 and tonight it's the turn of Cherie Jones. Her novel, How the One-Armed Sister Sweeps Her House, is set on and around the Barbados beaches of the 80s. Lala braids tourists’ hair in the idyllic setting but her home life is blighted by poverty, violence and lack of choices – and when she has a baby, a dangerous chain of events is set in motion. Cherie Jones talks about this debut novel that has been years in the writing.

Anish Kapoor wrote an article earlier this month decrying what he described as a β€œhate-filled campaign to de-Islamify India…via the destruction of a world-class monument.” The monument he was referring to was India’s Parliament which he said was β€œthe greatest set of government buildings anywhere in the world.” Professor Sarover Zaidi, from the Jindal School of Art and Architecture, and ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ journalist Geeta Pandey, who is based in the ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ’s Delhi bureau, join Samira to discuss the controversial Central Vista Project which aims to redevelop India’s Parliamentary district.

In Tanika Gupta’s new play The Overseas Student the young man who comes from India to study Law is Mohandas Gandhi. While here he strove to fit in as an English gentleman, and was not politically active. But, the playwright tells Samira that his years living in Hammersmith and walking the streets of London shaped the man who became the great leader in India’s independence movement.

Presenter: Samira Ahmed
Producer: Julian May
Studio Engineer: Duncan Hannant

Main image: Esh Alladi in The Overseas Student at the Lyric Theatre, Hammersmith.
Image credit: Helen Maybanks

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28 minutes

Cherie Jones

Cherie Jones
Cherie Jones' book is shortlisted for the 2021 , the winner of which is announced on 08 September 2021.Β  Β The book is available now in hardback, as an eBook and as a downloadable audiobook.Β  Β The paperback edition is out in July 2021.
Image: .Β  Image credit: BrooksLaTouche Photography.

New Delhi architecture

New Delhi architecture
Image: the Lutyens-designed Indian Parliament Building in New Delhi, India.Β  Β Image credit: ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ.

The Overseas Student

The Overseas Student
The Overseas Student by Tanika Gupta is part of , a triple bill of new short playsΒ co-directed byΒ Rachel O’Riordan and Diane PageΒ at the Lyric Theatre, Hammersmith, running from 18 - 24 July 2021, and also available online forfrom 12 -17 July 2021.Β  Β Images: Main image above and image to the left:Β  Esh Alladi in The Overseas Student.Β  Β  Β  Images credit: Helen Maybanks.Β Β 

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  • Wed 23 Jun 2021 19:15

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