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[CCBC-Net] More on South Asian YA writers
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From: Tripathi, Namrata <Namrata.Tripathi>
Date: Thu, 10 Sep 2009 21:07:51 -0400
I wanted to add another author's name to the discussion on South Asian writers. Marina Budhos's (http://www.marinabudhos.com/) first YA novel ASK ME NO QUESTIONS dealt with the experiences of a 14-year-old Bangladeshi immigrant living in NYC after 9/11. It's a very moving story about being an outsider in the only home you know. Marina does a really lovely job of talking about larger global issues while focusing on one girl's coming of age story. I'm an editor at S&S and working with Marina now on her second YA novel which deals with the experiences of three girls (from Slovakia, Mexico, and Trinidad)who live in a wealthy suburb in NJ and find that they are all the daughters of maids or nannies. What I really like about this story is that while it acknowledges each girl's individual cultural background it focuses on the experiences that unite them. There is often a surprising amount of overlap in the experiences of immigrants or minorities form disparate backgrounds. There is something wonderful about focusin g on those commonalities.
On a slight tangent, I think it's fascinating to get glimpses into the Asian diaspora (Indians from Guyana or Trinidad & Tobago, Japanese-Peruvians or Japanese-Brazilians etc.) Perhaps that's too niche of a market! But I'd love to hear more about the stories of what happens when those immigrants come to America. Do you know of novels that address this kind of experience?
Namrata Tripathi Executive Editor Atheneum Books for Young Readers
Received on Thu 10 Sep 2009 08:07:51 PM CDT
Date: Thu, 10 Sep 2009 21:07:51 -0400
I wanted to add another author's name to the discussion on South Asian writers. Marina Budhos's (http://www.marinabudhos.com/) first YA novel ASK ME NO QUESTIONS dealt with the experiences of a 14-year-old Bangladeshi immigrant living in NYC after 9/11. It's a very moving story about being an outsider in the only home you know. Marina does a really lovely job of talking about larger global issues while focusing on one girl's coming of age story. I'm an editor at S&S and working with Marina now on her second YA novel which deals with the experiences of three girls (from Slovakia, Mexico, and Trinidad)who live in a wealthy suburb in NJ and find that they are all the daughters of maids or nannies. What I really like about this story is that while it acknowledges each girl's individual cultural background it focuses on the experiences that unite them. There is often a surprising amount of overlap in the experiences of immigrants or minorities form disparate backgrounds. There is something wonderful about focusin g on those commonalities.
On a slight tangent, I think it's fascinating to get glimpses into the Asian diaspora (Indians from Guyana or Trinidad & Tobago, Japanese-Peruvians or Japanese-Brazilians etc.) Perhaps that's too niche of a market! But I'd love to hear more about the stories of what happens when those immigrants come to America. Do you know of novels that address this kind of experience?
Namrata Tripathi Executive Editor Atheneum Books for Young Readers
Received on Thu 10 Sep 2009 08:07:51 PM CDT
