Writing from behind the veil

Terrorist attacks, burqa bans and public flogging ironically mean good news for Muslim writers, and the publishers backing them. Fiona Fernandez asks why Islamic writing in English, especially by women, is piquing reader interest

It's official. The writer's voice behind the veil is no longer a subdued sigh. It's a loud chorus, with a confident message that the breed has arrived, internationally. "We plumbed for Shelina Zahra Janmohamed's Love in a Headscarf for our launch, to make people sit up and take notice. There were a few typical literary titles we could've launched with, but this was special. It's a light but sensitive portrayal of the modern British-Muslim woman," says Sanjana Roy Choudhury, Head of Publishing, Amaryllis. The novel was launched in India this week.

The Guardian has called it "irreverent and feminine", while The Daily Mail dubbed it "hilarious". But the woman at the centre of it, UK-based Janmohamed, says her debut, now in its third edition in the UK, grew from a desire to deviate from the prototype.

"After I started my blog four years ago, a mix of humour, honesty and East-West insight, I was often asked why I hadn't written a book about being a Muslim woman. I resisted for long, because I assumed what many people do - that I couldn't write unless I was a movie star or a politician! I walked into a local bookstore and spotted a special display of books that screamed 'sold', 'oppressed' or 'kidnapped'".

Full report here Mid-day