NASIM MARIE JAFRY: ON WRITING, READING and CHRONIC ILLNESS

‘Can there exist, in principle, a proper beginning to any story at all? Isn’t there always, without exception, a latent beginning-before-the-beginning?’ Amos Oz

Showing posts with label short stories. Show all posts

Showing posts with label short stories. Show all posts

Saturday, 29 November 2014

The Missing Story

A couple of months ago my friends lent me Tagore's selected stories, recommending one in particular, 'Kabuliwallah'. When I loo...

Wednesday, 27 August 2014

The Istanbul Review: Issue 5

Delighted that the gorgeous The Istanbul Review Issue 5 is now on sale in Looking Glass Books, a wonderful indie book store in Edinburgh. ...

Thursday, 13 February 2014

Three essays & a review

I highly recommend Deborah Levy's recently published essay, 'Things I Don't Want to Know' - it's feisty and sharp, wit...

Saturday, 18 January 2014

Short story in The Scotsman

Delighted to have a short story in today's Scotsman , they showcase emerging - I will be forever emerging - and established writers i...

Sunday, 8 December 2013

Being nudged over by Nelson, gently

When I woke up on Thursday morning the shed had been blown over on its side like a Monopoly piece. I'd been awake for a few hours befo...

Friday, 5 April 2013

Why do we read fiction?

Can reading literature make doctors better doctors was one of the questions posed at a 'Dissecting Edinburgh' event last month. It ...

Sunday, 17 March 2013

Guide to flash fiction

I was delighted last year to be shortlisted for the Bridport flash fiction award, though I have written very little flash and am still not...

Sunday, 23 December 2012

Manto & translation, & Pakistani fathers

This is Saadat Hasan Manto's Mottled Dawn , Fifty Sketches and Stories of Partition, published by Penguin India. The cover is exquis...

Monday, 17 December 2012

Tinsel and Heated Rollers

This is the micro story I contributed to Caroline's fundraising ebook in late spring , 100 RPM. Every story had to be one hundred words...

Friday, 7 December 2012

Saadat Manto's 'Toba Tek Singh'

I have recently discovered the writer, Saadat Hasan Manto , he wrote short stories in Urdu, the bad boy of Partition literature. This story...

Friday, 26 October 2012

Junot Díaz on writing

I came across this interview with writer Junot Díaz a while ago and am only getting round to reading it . I love what he has to say: W...

Sunday, 23 September 2012

Literary criticism, Karachi Lit Festival 2012

Interesting discussion here on literary criticism from Karachi Literary Festival 2012. This is the third year of KLF. Speakers are Hanif K...

Thursday, 13 September 2012

Writing about writing

Is there any process or human endeavour that has as much written about it as the act of writing? It seems to be endlessly discussed, a subj...

Saturday, 8 September 2012

Always the bridesmaid...

Found out last night I'd been shortlisted for the Bridport Flash Fiction Prize 2012 (officially announced next month). Of course would...

Tuesday, 26 June 2012

Gems

I recently read a Ray Bradbury short story, 'The Veldt', from The Illustrated Man , first published in 1951 , and I was blown away,...

Thursday, 31 May 2012

100 RPM - stories inspired by music

100 RPM, a gorgeously designed ebook anthology, is released today, the project of Caroline Smailes, whose enthusiasm is irrepressible and...

Sunday, 27 November 2011

Two lovely things

Congratulations to Kitty Aldridge and the other winners of the Bridport Prize 2011 , announced yesterday! I was v. chuffed to make the shor...

Thursday, 17 November 2011

Blowing your own trumpet

My back is fucked again, really it is getting ridiculous, I shouldn't be at my laptop but there are things to say. Today is RLS day...

Wednesday, 17 August 2011

Storytelling (4)

Been resting for days to be okay for some storytelling today at 4pm at the Edinburgh Book Festival. *I like how the banner photo makes me...

Sunday, 30 January 2011

From Glasgow to Saturn (19)

Delighted to have a wee story ( Parched ) - very wee, very short - in issue 19 - of From Glasgow To Saturn , Glasgow University's free...

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About Me

nmj: Scotland, United Kingdom; My autobiographical novel The State of Me was published in 2008 by HarperCollins. Based on my experience of the neuroimmune illness myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME), it's my weapon against the ignorance that prevails. I was diagnosed with ME in 1984 by a consultant neurologist after Coxsackie B4 virus. I remain ill today. I've been published in a range of literary magazines and was shortlisted for RLS Award (2005), Bridport Short Story Prize 2011 and Bridport Flash Fiction Prize 2012 & 2023. Links to more published writing below. In slow process of writing novella about my late Pakistani doctor father. Am of mixed heritage.

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