Stamped within the melanin that flows within our skin Are age-old stories on survival, resilience, adaptability & community. ~~~~~~ The Sunday cha that brews with its bite of spice Unlocks a history that surpasses a lifetime A history passed down from Dadi & Nani to Mum then Me The ancient blending of spices our very own mystery […]
Mum asks me “Beti, please refresh the tinWhere the masala lives”. It’s a timeless ritual,Always me,Navigating the jigsaw,Of my Identity. ~Jeera, coriander, golden haldi~ These spices ground meLengthening my own rootsTo my ancestral home out of reach Mum says my touch sanctifies her cooking. How divine is a mother’s blessing… By: @RadsWrites – Radhika Manek
What does it mean to me? ‘Roots to Routes’ means bringing our history to light and telling it as it truly was. My mother’s journey from Karachi, Pakistan to the Liverpool docks is something we didn’t discuss until I was in my late thirties, prompted by my 8-year-old son’s project for Windrush. Hearing my […]
Ripon Ray I grew up in Tower Hamlets, an area of East London which was known to be one of the most neglected areas in the UK. I only mixed with the Bangladeshi community, both at home and my school, Stepney Green Secondary. I always felt like a Bangladeshi living in Britain, though East London […]
My first recorded writing was my scribbles in my grandad’s diary that proclaimed “Book is god.” Who knows what was going on in my head to write that? When I discovered that tattered diary and found my writing, I realised decades later, it’s on brand for me. I grew up in a family with limited […]
Hello and welcome to my story. My name is Inshirah Kishwar Sakhawat Russell. You can call me Inshra. I’m a Bangladeshi-born British person who has been living in London for the last 20 years. My roots are in Dhaka, Bangladesh, and the richness of culture and values those 19 years of living there with my […]
Let me tell you a bit about myself. My name is Saira, and I’ve been writing poetry for the past 11 years – I started back in May 2012. I love writing from the heart and sharing my life experiences and lessons with others to help them heal. Specifically, I write about themes like marriage, […]
My dad was just a teenager when he arrived in Bradford in the 1970s. With the support of extended family he found work, learnt the language, and a few years later returned to Pakistan to marry my mum. I was born in the 80s, the second girl in a house of five children. We found […]
What does it mean to be a British Indian woman? The Evolution of the British Indian woman – an event which was screened at Kingston-Upon-Thames’ Rose Theatre in June 2013, explored the essence of a British Indian woman through the experiences of three branches of one family tree. A grandmother, who moved to the UK […]
My name is Shaz Khan (Shahzadgai Khan). My story is very simple but my parents’ is not. I stumbled across an article that I wrote when I was 17 years old for my English A-level coursework. It was all about “Being an Asian in Modern British Society”, which is where the inspiration for this podcast […]
South Asian Heritage Month dates changed to "July" from 2026 — Learn more here →
