Mission & Values
Established in 2020, South Asia Speaks is a free mentorship program dedicated to fostering emerging literary talent across South Asia. We pair promising writers with established authors from around the world to support the creation of significant works across multiple genres. Our goal is to address inequalities in publishing, elevate traditionally marginalized voices, and create opportunities for those with limited access to literary resources
Who we are: We are a diverse collective of internationally recognized authors, united in our commitment to fostering literary arts in South Asia. South Asia Speaks mentors provide emerging writers with the tools, guidance, and community to bring their stories to the world. We aim to enrich the literary landscape of South Asia and beyond.
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We are Prayaag Akbar, Abhishek Anicca, Deepa Anappara, Diksha Basu, Rahul Bhatia, Tishani Doshi, McKenzie Funk, Fatima Bhutto, Samar Halarnkar, Marc Herman, Taran N. Khan, Mira Kamdar, Karan Mahajan, Aanchal Malhotra, Sanam Maher, Arunava Sinha, Mahesh Rao, Madhuri Vijay, Mansi Choksi, Roman Gautam, VV Ganeshananthan and Srinath Perur.
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Our Program Director is Sonia Faleiro, who is also the founder of South Asia Speaks.
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Organizational Structure: Incorporated as a non-profit foundation in 2023, South Asia Speaks is guided by a board of trustees and supported by a program assistant, consultant and ombudsperson.
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Impact: Fellows (2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 have published seven books since 2021. They have secured representation at top literary agencies such as Creative Artists Agency and The Wylie Agency.
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Signed deals with major publishing houses such as Penguin Random House and Bloomsbury.
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Won fully funded places at prestigious writing programs such as the Iowa Writers' Workshop and the Logan Nonfiction Program.
The Fellowship:​
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Free program with no age restrictions
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One-on-one mentorship
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Upto six annual online collaborative workshops
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Craft-focused masterclasses
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Vibrant community engagement and networking opportunities
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What We Support:
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Fiction
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Nonfiction
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Reportage
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Translation
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Poetry
Specialized fellowships: -
Partition Studies (established 2021)
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Beyond Ability: for writers who identify as persons with disabilities (established 2023)
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SAS x Reportagen: for fellows and alumni pursuing longform writing (established 2024)
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We host approximately six masterclasses annually, featuring renowned writers such as:
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Parul Sehgal (New Yorker staff writer)
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Mayukh Sen (James Beard Award winner)
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Meena Kandasamy (Poet)
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Pankaj Mishra (Essayist)
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Suketu Mehta (Pulitzer Prize finalist)
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Mira Nair (Film director)
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Kamila Shamsie, Vauhini Vara, Jamil Jan Kochai, Nilanjana S. Roy, Manjushree Thapa, V.V. Ganeshananthan (Novelists)​
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Launched in 2024 with support from the Hawthornden Foundation, our workshops offer craft-focused sessions led by published authors across genres:
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Novelists: Diksha Basu, Nikesh Shukla, Taymour Soomro
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Nonfiction writers: Marc Herman, Roman Gautam, Supriya Nair​
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Since it was founded, South Asia Speaks has processed over
1,352 applications and awarded 98 writers a place on the program.
South Asia Speaks provides a transformative platform for outstanding emerging writers. Since 2021, we have awarded 80 writers one on one mentorships with acclaimed authors from around the world.
Your support holds the potential to amplify this influence. Make a one-time gift today or consider a monthly recurring gift. It’s automatic: You just sign up once by ticking the box marked “Make this a monthly donation,” and you can cancel at any time.
By contributing to South Asia Speaks you become a valued member of an expanding community of committed individuals invested in shaping the future of literature.Your contribution:
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Covers operating expenses
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Provides bursaries
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Helps the program scale up
Become a donor today.
The South Asia Speaks Foundation is a 501 (c) (3) non-profit organisation deemed tax-exempt by the US IRS. Donations made to a 501 (c) (3) organisation are typically tax-deductible to the individuals and businesses that make them in the US.