A musical book of teenage love, friendship and songs
By MITA MISTRYMay 05, 2022
IN 2021, a lot of great debut authors announced themselves to the literary world with fabulous first books and that fantastic trend is continuing in 2022 with exciting new writers like Christine Pillainayagam.
The singer-songwriter’s debut YA novel Ellie PillaiIs Brown is published on May 5 and features songs written by the title character, which have been released alongside the interesting publication. She has already started writing the sequel, which is due for publication in 2023.
Eastern Eye caught up with the talented writer to discuss her debut book, authors she admires and key message she wants to convey.
What first connected you to writing for young adults?
I didn’t make an intentional decision to write for young adults; the story just ended up writing itself. The character had been in the back of my mind for a long time, and when I finally sat down to write, she just poured out. In hindsight, I would say that teenagers are the most interesting people. It’s a point in your life when you have so much ahead of you, when you’re just building the foundations of who you are and who you want to be. So much of what happens to you as a teenager affects the way you live your adult life. I wanted to write a book that made space for people that haven’t always had a lead role in the narrative. To talk to readers at a point where you could affect the way they might look at themselves.
Her book
What inspired the story of your book Ellie Pillai Is Brown?
My own experiences and memories of my upbringing in rural East England. That sense of trying to work out where I fitted in and who I was, of trying to connect to my family and culture but also being an innately British teenager. I think lots of people feel that sense of falling between two worlds; but you can build your own version of what the world looks like. One that works for you. That’s what really inspired me to write the book in the first place.
Tell us about the book?
It’s a coming-of-age, romantic comedy, set to an original soundtrack (already released on streaming platforms). It tells the story of 15-year-old singer-songwriter Ellie Pillai, who’s carefully perfecting the art of invisibility, when a set of twins arrive, turning the life of her and her best friend upside down. Cue first love, tricky family dynamics, friendship breakdowns and life altering realisations. With singing.
What was the biggest challenge of writing it?
Being 15 again! It’s been a long (long, long) time since I was a teenager, and I wanted to make sure it felt authentic, particularly in regard to the references Ellie makes to the music and films she loves. I went retro, mostly because I was the kid listening to The Beatles on vinyl when everyone else was listening to Take That, but also because I know those references have stood the test of time.
Is there a key message you want to convey with this story?
Find out who you are – and don’t be afraid of it. (Smiles) Marginally stolen from Never Been Kissed, the 90s Drew Barrymore classic (film) – but it feels pretty apt.
Who are you hoping connects with it?
It will connect with anyone looking for laughter, hope, reassurance, joy, and a bit of a cry. Particularly anyone that has felt ‘othered’.
What would be your favourite moment in the book?
My favourite moment is when Ellie and Ash start sending each other songs. It is their way of getting to know each other, and each song carries so much weight in terms of expressing who they are.
What did you learn about yourself while writing the book?
That I’m obsessed by music. I have pretty much lived my entire life through songs.
Which authors do you admire?
Meera Syal’s Anita & Me was a really powerful book for me growing up, and one of the few that spoke to my own experiences – I love anything she writes. I’m also a huge fan of Mindy Kaling as a screenwriter. Her comedy has so much warmth and joy.
What would be your favourite book at the moment?
Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid. I read it a while back, but it really stuck with me. It’s about a fictional band called The Six and the making of their seminal album. It’s written in documentary style and integrates lots of original song lyrics. It definitely inspired my approach to music in my book.
What advice would you like to give a young writer?
Write the story you want to read.
How does it feel to have your debut book published?
Like I might wake up and realise it’s just a dream. Seriously. I email my agent semi-regularly, just to check I haven’t made it up. Also, to check I haven’t made her up.
What can we expect from you next?
The sequel to Ellie Pillai Is Brown, out on March 2023.
Why should we pick up your latest book Ellie Pillai Is Brown?
It will break your heart, and fix it, all at the same time.
Fragments of Belonging is Nitin Ganatra’s first solo exhibition
Opens Saturday, September 27, at London Art Exchange in Soho Square
Show explores themes of memory, displacement, identity, and reinvention
Runs from 3:30 PM to 9:00 PM, doors open at 3:15 PM
From screen to canvas
Actor Nitin Ganatra, known for his roles in EastEnders, Bride & Prejudice, and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, is embarking on a new artistic chapter with his debut solo exhibition.
Titled Fragments of Belonging, the show marks his transition from performance to painting, presenting a deeply personal series of works at the London Art Exchange in Soho Square on September 27.
Exploring memory and identity
Through abstract forms, bold colour, and layered compositions, Ganatra’s paintings reflect themes of memory, displacement, and cultural inheritance. The exhibition has been described as a “visual diary,” with each piece representing fragments of lived experience shaped by migration and reinvention.
What visitors can expect
The exhibition will showcase original paintings alongside Ganatra’s personal reflections on identity and belonging. The London Art Exchange promises an intimate setting in the heart of Soho, where visitors can engage with the artist’s work and connect with fellow creatives, collectors, and fans.
The event runs from 3:30 PM to 9:00 PM on September 27, and is open to all ages.
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£1 tickets available for families receiving Universal Credit
The Peter Rabbit™ Adventure runs at Hampton Court Palace from 25 July to 7 September 2025
Trail includes interactive games, riddles and character encounters across the gardens
Children can meet a larger-than-life Peter Rabbit in the Kitchen Garden
Special themed menu items available at the Tiltyard Café
£1 tickets available for families receiving Universal Credit and other benefits
Peter Rabbit comes to life at Hampton Court
This summer, families visiting Hampton Court Palace can step into the world of Beatrix Potter as The Peter Rabbit™ Adventure takes over the palace gardens from 25 July to 7 September 2025.
Explore the Kitchen Garden, Tiltyard and WildernessHRP
The family trail, officially licensed by Penguin Ventures on behalf of Frederick Warne & Co., combines the palace’s historic gardens with the much-loved tales of Beatrix Potter. Visitors will encounter interactive activities, puzzles and games while exploring the Kitchen Garden, Tiltyard and Wilderness.
Interactive activities and wildlife learning
Along the trail, children can try Mrs Tiggy-winkle’s washing equipment to make music, search for Peter Rabbit under wheelbarrows, or test their hopping skills alongside Beatrix Potter’s characters.
The experience also highlights Potter’s role as a committed environmentalist. Young visitors are encouraged to look for real wildlife such as hedgehogs, squirrels and toads while learning about habitats and conservation in the palace grounds.
Children can meet a larger-than-life Peter Rabbit HRP
Meet Peter Rabbit and enjoy themed treats
Peter Rabbit himself will make appearances in the Kitchen Garden at set times each day, where families can take photos among the seasonal produce. Fresh fruit and vegetables grown in the gardens will feature in special Peter Rabbit™ menu items at the Tiltyard Café.
After completing the trail, children can also explore the Magic Garden playground or visit Henry VIII’s Kitchens inside the palace, where live cookery demonstrations take place each weekend.
Tickets and access
The Peter Rabbit™ Adventure is included in general admission:
Off-peak (weekdays and bank holidays): Adults £27.20, Children (5–15) £13.60, Concessions £21.80
Peak (weekends and events): Adults £30.00, Children £15.00, Concessions £24.00
HRP Members go free
Families in receipt of Universal Credit and other means-tested benefits can access £1 tickets throughout the summer (advance booking required).
Membership offers unlimited visits to Hampton Court Palace and other Historic Royal Palaces sites, including seasonal events such as the Hampton Court Palace Food Festival and Henry VIII’s Joust.
For more details and booking, visit
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The former Match of the Day presenter was voted best TV presenter by viewers at the ceremony on Wednesday
Gary Lineker named best TV presenter, breaking Ant and Dec’s 23-year run
Former Match of the Day host left BBC after social media controversies
Netflix drama Adolescence wins two awards, including best drama performance for 15-year-old Owen Cooper
Gavin & Stacey takes home the comedy award
I’m a Celebrity wins in the reality competition category
Lineker takes presenter prize after BBC departure
Gary Lineker has ended Ant and Dec’s record 23-year winning streak at the National Television Awards (NTAs). The former Match of the Day presenter was voted best TV presenter by viewers at the ceremony on Wednesday.
Lineker stepped down from Match of the Day in May after 26 years, following controversy around his social media posts. Accepting the award, he thanked colleagues and said the prize showed “it is OK to use your platform to speak up on behalf of those who have no voice.” He added: “It’s not lost on me why I might have won this award.”
Asked if he might work with the BBC again, Lineker said he was uncertain but was “really looking forward to working with ITV.”
The last winner before Ant and Dec’s run was Michael Barrymore in 2000.
Netflix drama Adolescence scores double win
Netflix’s hit drama Adolescence won best new drama and best drama performance for 15-year-old Owen Cooper. The show, which follows the story of a teenage boy accused of murder, became a national talking point earlier this year.
Cooper beat fellow nominee Stephen Graham, who plays his on-screen father, though neither attended the event.
Gavin & Stacey named best comedy
Gavin & Stacey’s Christmas finale, watched by more than 20 million viewers, was named best comedy. Ruth Jones, who plays Nessa, accepted the award and joked: “Alright, calm down. I’m going to the bar now for a pint of wine.”
Backstage, Jones paid tribute to co-writer and co-star James Corden, who could not attend, and addressed reports of a new Apple TV+ project, saying nothing had yet been confirmed.
I’m a Celebrity beats The Traitors
In the reality competition category, I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! triumphed over The Traitors, Love Island, and Race Across the World. Presenters including Coleen Rooney and Oti Mabuse collected the award.
Other winners of the night
Michael McIntyre’s Big Show won the Bruce Forsyth Entertainment Award
Molly-Mae Hague’s Behind It All won best authored documentary
Wallace & Gromit received a special recognition award
Gogglebox won factual entertainment, while Call the Midwife secured returning drama
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UN human rights office urges India to drop cases against Arundhati Roy
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Mary Roy, who insisted her children call her “Mrs Roy” in school, belonged to the Syrian Christian community. She does not seem a very nice person.
The Financial Times, which interviewed Arundhati at her home in Delhi, reveals: “In an episode to which the writer makes oblique reference early in the book but withholds until later — because of the pain it caused — she returned from boarding school for the holidays, aged 13, to find that Mrs Roy had had her beloved pet dog, Dido, shot and buried as ‘a kind of honour killing’ after Dido mated with an unknown street dog.”
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As I was writing my story at the Daily Telegraph, the night editor, Andrew Hutchinson, leant over and quipped: “Writing about your sister again?” As we know, Arundhati Roy did win the Booker in 1997. I had actually met Arundhati two years previously when she had stuck up for Phoolan Devi, the subject of Shekhar Kapur’s movie, Bandit Queen, based on Mala Sen’s biography.
Phoolan had been repeatedly raped by upper class Thakurs (the men were later lined up in the village of Behmai and executed by Phoolan’s gang in 1981). The film was exploitative, claimed Arundhati, because for Phoolan, it was like being raped again. She wrote a piece in Sunday in Calcutta (now Kolkata), headlined, “The Indian rape trick”.
Mala arranged for me to interview Phoolan who was refusing to talk to Channel 4 which was making a documentary in India on the controversial movie. In public, she supported Arundhati, but behind the scenes did a deal with C4 which paid her £40,000.
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The mural has been covered and is being guarded by security
A new mural by street artist Banksy has appeared on the Royal Courts of Justice building in central London.
The artwork depicts a judge hitting a protester, with blood splattering their placard.
It comes days after nearly 900 arrests at a London protest against the ban on Palestine Action.
The mural has been covered and is being guarded by security; Banksy confirmed authenticity via Instagram.
Banksy’s latest work at the Royal Courts of Justice
A new mural by the elusive Bristol-based street artist Banksy has appeared on the side of the Royal Courts of Justice building in central London.
The artwork shows a judge in traditional wig and black robe striking a protester lying on the ground, with blood depicted on the protester’s placard. While the mural does not explicitly reference a specific cause or incident, its appearance comes just two days after almost 900 people were arrested during a protest in London against the ban on Palestine Action.
Security and public access
Social media images show that the mural has already been covered with large plastic sheets and two metal barriers. Security officials are guarding the site, which sits beneath a CCTV camera.
Banksy shared a photo of the artwork on Instagram, captioning it: “Royal Courts Of Justice. London.” This is consistent with the artist’s usual method of confirming authenticity.
Location and context
The mural is located on an external wall of the Queen’s Building, part of the Royal Courts of Justice complex. Banksy’s stencilled graffiti often comments on government policy, war, and capitalism.
Previous works in London
Last summer, Banksy launched an animal-themed campaign in London featuring nine works. The series concluded with a gorilla appearing to lift a shutter at the London Zoo. Other notable pieces included piranhas on a police sentry box in the City of London and a howling wolf on a satellite dish in Peckham, which was removed less than an hour after unveiling.