Meera Syal – författare

''Dazzling. Intense and gritty at times, sparkling and hilarious at others. I found it absorbing, witty, joyous and moving…and that’s all I really want from a book!'' - JO BRANDLittle India, East London: Shyama, aged forty-four, has fallen for a younger man. They want a child together.Meanwhile, in a rural village in India, young Mala, trapped in an oppressive marriage, dreams of escape.When Shyama and Mala meet, they help each other realise their dreams. But will fate guarantee them both happiness?...Brimming with warmth, wit and indignation, Meera Syal immerses us in a devastating story of friendship, family and the lengths women will go to have a child. THE HOUSE OF HIDDEN MOTHERS is her long-awaited third novel and shows Meera Syal at the height of her literary powersMeera Syal, CBE, is one of our most acclaimed actors and writers of stage and screen. She starred in the hit series The Kumars at No.42 and recently in the BBC film of David Walliams'' The Boy in the Dress. She is currently in David Hare''s play, Behind the Beautiful Forevers at the National Theatre, and in the latest series of Broadchurch. Meera Syal is also highly regarded for her funny, sharp and provocative fiction. Her earlier novels are ANITA AND ME and LIFE ISN''T ALL HA HA HEE HEE (now available as a re-issue). THE HOUSE OF HIDDEN MOTHERS is her long-awaited new novel.''Brilliant. It is destined to be a bestseller. There is so much in it too. Beautiful writing, human frailty, love, vanity, friendship - but most importantly the shocking reminder of how woman are abused the world over.'' - ESTHER FREUD

The complete series of the Asian radio station comedy starring Sanjeev Bhaskar, Nitin Sawhney, Meera Syal and Nina WadiaSpice up your life with Masala FM, East London’s most happening community radio station. It’s the home of banging tunes, advice for the lovelorn and the hottest news from the street – all brought to you by down-with-the-kids DJ Maz Mazoo, no-nonsense agony aunt ‘Auntieji’, romance show smoothie Khalid and hard-hitting investigative reporter Shanta.But when the network’s owner, corn oil tycoon ‘Krispy’ Krishna, decides to shake things up, the presenters are running scared. To keep their jobs, they must come up with more scoops and scandals – can Bollywood celebrity Johnny ‘Muscles’ Patel save their bacon? The station also finds itself in a fix when Maz Mazoo gets an offer from rival Radio Fun FM; Auntieji upsets a listener; Asian Celebrity Week gets hijacked by a hoaxer; and Ram Krishna gets religion. And with Valentine’s Day looming, romance is in the air as the team prepares for the first wedding resulting from Khalid’s matrimonial phone-in. But is love blind, or just stupid?First broadcast in 1996, this light-hearted comedy was written by Meera Syal, who also stars alongside fellow Goodness Gracious Me actors Sanjeev Bhaskar, Nina Wadia and Nitin Sawhney.Cast and creditsWritten by Meera SyalStarring Sanjeev Bhaskar, Nitin Sawhney, Meera Syal and Nina WadiaMusic by Nitin SawhneyProduced by Liz AnsteeProduction assistant: Kim WilsonFirst broadcast BBC Radio 4, 4 September-9 October 1996© 2024 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2024 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd.

Nothing escaped the eye of the satirical eye of Britain''s phenomenally successful all-Asian sketch show Goodness Gracious Me. The complete BBC Radio series 1-3 preceded the award-winning BBC TV series that ran in the late 1990s, and features the same cast. Prepare for your heart to pound in the Indian recreation of Brief Encounter, sing along to the profound words of wisdom with Fifty Ways to Leave your Mother, and enjoy pop classics such as ''Hindi People'' and ''Punjabi Girl''.Along with the discovery that The Royal Family are actually Indian, there are a ton of characters to enjoy- the Guru, Smeeta Smitten, the Coopers, Mrs I-Can-Make-it-at-Home and Mr Everything-Comes-from-India. If you don''t like your comedy to be really, really bland (like a good English) then Goodness Gracious Me is the satirical series for you.