Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Authors reveal the book that influenced them most

by MITA MISTRY

Former scientist Jeevani Charika writes women’s fiction, which often features Sri Lankan characters and also writes romantic comedy under the pen name Rhoda Baxter.


Qualified pharmacist AA Dhand is a crime writer who has been inspired by the history, diversity and darkness of his home city of Bradford to write his Harry Virdee novels.

Mum of two Serena Patel is a children’s author who is releasing the first book in her Anisha Mistry series for ages 7+, being published by Usborne, in September.

Liz Mistry is the author of the Bradford-based, gritty, northern noir, Gus McGuire series and as well as writing crime fiction, she is doing a PhD in creative writing at Leeds Trinity University. Dr Rajeev Balasubramanyam is an award-winning novelist, whose latest book Professor Chandra Follows His Bliss is out now.

Eastern Eye got the talented authors to reveal novels that influenced them most.

Jeevani Charika: There are so many books to choose from. With my current novel, I think I can safely say the book that influenced me most was The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri. It’s about an Indian family living in America. I’m a Sri Lankan-Brit living in Britain, but I recognised the people in the book (particularly the second generation) as people like me, who were steeped in one culture, but carrying with us hints of another. They were middle class, educated and I’d met many people like them in real life. After reading The Namesake, I knew that I wanted to read (and write) more stories about people like that.

AA Dhand: Silence Of The Lambs by Thomas Harris. The balance of power between Hannibal Lecter and Clarice Starling is unsurpassed in crime-fiction. I think it is the greatest thriller ever written. The character dynamics, vulnerability and setting of Baltimore. As a 12-year-old, I sneakily rented the movie, but was too afraid to finish it. I borrowed the book from the library a week later and did finish that. I could not believe that a book could be more powerful than a movie – that it could keep me turning the page in-spite of myself. I knew then and there that I wanted to be a writer.

Serena Patel: When I was a child we went to library a lot, but didn’t own many of our own books. My mum bought me a complete illustrated works of Lewis Carroll and I read it over and over. The fact that poetry could be nonsensical was weird and wonderful to me and inspired me to write my own poems. I also really loved the story of Alice and the fantastical world she escaped into; it was totally bonkers and one of my favourites things to do was to curl up with this huge book, and let it take me on many brilliantly bizarre adventures.

Liz Mistry: To choose just one novel that inspired me is a tall order, but in the end, I opted for Along Came A Spider by James Patterson, which is notable for many reasons. First, the tight plotting of such a complex storyline is second to none – every thread is woven into a compelling tapestry that really packs a punch. The psychology of the killer is fascinatingly portrayed and the hero, Alex Cross is influential for its time. Here we have a detective of colour from the projects with a wholesome family morality and the physical and mental capacity to outdo an ingenious adversary. Alex has definitely influenced the way I create my own characters and remains high on my list of top 10 protagonists.

Rajeev Balasubramanyam: The Buddha of Suburbia was the first book I ever related to, aged 18. It still breaks my heart to realise I’d never even expected to meet myself in fiction. Hanif Kureishi changed this for me. I loved the humour, the tumbling and multi-fronted irreverence of it, like a man wandering through a house of mirrors and giving the finger to each and every face he sees. Yet, somewhere, in the middle of it, we find the narrator’s essence, vulnerability, need for love and crucially his magnificence, sexiness and intelligence. He didn’t know much, but he trusted himself, which helped me remember that I could too.

More For You

Eurovision 2026

Spain announces withdrawal from Eurovision over Israel participation amid growing boycott movement

Instagram/eurovision

Eurovision in turmoil as Spain Ireland and Netherlands threaten withdrawal over Gaza conflict

Highlights:

  • Spain leads a growing boycott movement, with Ireland, the Netherlands and Slovenia also refusing to participate if Israel competes.
  • The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) is in crisis talks, extending its decision deadline to December 2025.
  • The situation draws direct comparisons to Russia’s exclusion in 2022, creating a precedent the EBU must now navigate.
  • The core dilemma pits Eurovision’s non-political ideals against the stark reality of a humanitarian crisis.

The Eurovision Song Contest, that glitter-drenched annual spectacle of pop and unity, is staring into the abyss. The escalating call for a Eurovision boycott over Israel's participation, against the backdrop of the ongoing Gaza conflict, has put the organisers into their most severe political crisis yet. This isn't just about another song entry but a fundamental clash between the contest's cherished apolitical fantasy and the inescapable geopolitics of the real world, threatening to tear the competition apart from within.

Eurovision 2026 Spain announces withdrawal from Eurovision over Israel participation amid growing boycott movement Instagram/eurovision

Keep ReadingShow less
World Curry Festival 2025

The discovery coincides with Bradford’s City of Culture celebrations

World Curry Festival

Bradford’s first curry house traced back to 1942 ahead of World Curry Festival

Highlights:

  • Research for the World Curry Festival uncovered evidence of a curry house in Bradford in 1942.
  • Cafe Nasim, later called The Bengal Restaurant, is thought to be the city’s first.
  • The discovery coincides with Bradford’s City of Culture celebrations.
  • Festival events will include theatre, lectures, and a street food market.

Historic discovery in Bradford’s food heritage

Bradford’s claim as the curry capital of Britain has gained new historical depth. Organisers of the World Curry Festival have uncovered evidence that the city’s first curry house opened in 1942.

Documents revealed that Cafe Nasim, later renamed The Bengal Restaurant, once stood on the site of the current Kashmir Restaurant on Morley Street. Researcher David Pendleton identified an advert for the cafe in the Yorkshire Observer dated December 1942, describing it as “Bradford’s First Indian Restaurant”.

Keep ReadingShow less
Nitin Ganatra art exhibition

Through abstract forms, bold colour, and layered compositions

thelax.art

Nitin Ganatra debuts first solo art exhibition in London’s Soho

Highlights:

  • 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.

Keep ReadingShow less
familie

£1 tickets available for families receiving Universal Credit

HRP

Peter Rabbit brings Beatrix Potter’s tales to life at Hampton Court this summer

Highlights:

  • 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.

Peter Rabbit Explore the Kitchen Garden, Tiltyard and WildernessHRP

Keep ReadingShow less