Middle class mummy's boys - the hype, criticism and story behind Londonstani
1st June, 2006
by Sunny Hundal
Editor
« part 1
Malkani has been with the Financial Times since 1997 having started as a graduate trainee. Prior to that he studied Social and Political Sciences at Cambridge. At the FT he did stints as a reporter, on the UK news desk and writing for the Washington bureau.
He progressed to being editor of the Creative Business section and is now commissions features for the newspaper. His ethnicity has not been a consideration at work. So why the Asian theme to the novel?
Why do 'ethnic writers' usually write about their community, I ask. And does that mean his views should represent the Asian community in a way that many Asians themselves frequently demand?
"Well I wrote about it because I know about being Asian. I think it's because you write about what you know about. I don't understand what is wrong with that."
For his next book, he says with a laugh, he will write science fiction. "No one is going to question my authenticity if I wrote about aliens. It is the only way to stop people from saying lazy things about whether it is representative or not."
"The important thing is that if voices like this and that of Bali Rai have rarely been heard before, then let's hear other such voices." he adds.
But it's not as easy as that. The most savage criticism of Londonstani came from another Hounslow boy, Nirpal Singh Dhaliwal, who was so cutting in his Evening Standard review that it prompted an article on Pickled Politics magazine and a huge discussion raged for weeks.
One poster said: "Dhaliwal’s rage against Malkani's tome smacks of 'I’m the only Asian in the village' superciliousness."
To add to the madness, upcoming first-time writer Anita Sethi was commissioned to review both Londonstani and Tourism. I wonder why Asian writers are even asked to review each other's work, as if they will 'get it' more than non-Asians.
Media representations of him and the book have bordered on "ridiculous", he says. "Some people referred to me as the Muslim Irvine Welsh," he says with another laugh. Just to clarify - he is Hindu.
It is not outrageous to suggest Londonstani could be a sleeper cult-classic like Catcher in the Rye - to be read by school kids as a way of understanding their own modern, urban culture. Did he have a specific target audience in mind?
Gautam admits the book was aimed at the Hounslow boys he followed for his university project. That is why it took the shape of a novel. "Had I turned my project into a piece of non-fiction work then it would have been a very different market. The young Asian, urban kids wouldn't read it. It would just bore them.
"To reach that young, urban Asian audience there is only one way - you have to bang the drums really hard and they were very clear about that. Otherwise the book would never have been read by the kids I wanted to reach."
He said his publisher was always admant that Londonstani would never be marketed as just 'an Asian novel' suited for Asians only. They wanted to tell everyone not just the Asian media. Of course the reputed £400,000 advance for a two books played a part too.
But the really interesting story is how the book came to be published.
Gautam he had been writing it privately for around four years. Worries that "it would be shit" kept him from telling anyone, until the July bombings last year forced his hand.
"I had the name Londonstani for the book for years. After July 7th it suddenly became a word in the popular conciousness. And I just felt I needed to protect the name. I could not deal with the fact that I might lose the title that I had."
To try and get some ownership of the name Londonstani, he sent the first chapter to the magazine Prospect, who published it.
"At the end of the chapter it said it was part of a book called Londonstani. The magazine advised me to get an agent and so I did. It's ridiculously stupid. But that is what happened. I only gave it to them in November and it's already on the shelves. It's been mad."
Londonstani is out now by Fourth Estate. Also on Amazon.co.uk.
Editor
« part 1
Malkani has been with the Financial Times since 1997 having started as a graduate trainee. Prior to that he studied Social and Political Sciences at Cambridge. At the FT he did stints as a reporter, on the UK news desk and writing for the Washington bureau. He progressed to being editor of the Creative Business section and is now commissions features for the newspaper. His ethnicity has not been a consideration at work. So why the Asian theme to the novel?
Why do 'ethnic writers' usually write about their community, I ask. And does that mean his views should represent the Asian community in a way that many Asians themselves frequently demand?
"Well I wrote about it because I know about being Asian. I think it's because you write about what you know about. I don't understand what is wrong with that."
For his next book, he says with a laugh, he will write science fiction. "No one is going to question my authenticity if I wrote about aliens. It is the only way to stop people from saying lazy things about whether it is representative or not."
"The important thing is that if voices like this and that of Bali Rai have rarely been heard before, then let's hear other such voices." he adds.
But it's not as easy as that. The most savage criticism of Londonstani came from another Hounslow boy, Nirpal Singh Dhaliwal, who was so cutting in his Evening Standard review that it prompted an article on Pickled Politics magazine and a huge discussion raged for weeks.
One poster said: "Dhaliwal’s rage against Malkani's tome smacks of 'I’m the only Asian in the village' superciliousness."
To add to the madness, upcoming first-time writer Anita Sethi was commissioned to review both Londonstani and Tourism. I wonder why Asian writers are even asked to review each other's work, as if they will 'get it' more than non-Asians.
Media representations of him and the book have bordered on "ridiculous", he says. "Some people referred to me as the Muslim Irvine Welsh," he says with another laugh. Just to clarify - he is Hindu.
It is not outrageous to suggest Londonstani could be a sleeper cult-classic like Catcher in the Rye - to be read by school kids as a way of understanding their own modern, urban culture. Did he have a specific target audience in mind?
Gautam admits the book was aimed at the Hounslow boys he followed for his university project. That is why it took the shape of a novel. "Had I turned my project into a piece of non-fiction work then it would have been a very different market. The young Asian, urban kids wouldn't read it. It would just bore them.
"To reach that young, urban Asian audience there is only one way - you have to bang the drums really hard and they were very clear about that. Otherwise the book would never have been read by the kids I wanted to reach."
He said his publisher was always admant that Londonstani would never be marketed as just 'an Asian novel' suited for Asians only. They wanted to tell everyone not just the Asian media. Of course the reputed £400,000 advance for a two books played a part too.
But the really interesting story is how the book came to be published.
Gautam he had been writing it privately for around four years. Worries that "it would be shit" kept him from telling anyone, until the July bombings last year forced his hand.
"I had the name Londonstani for the book for years. After July 7th it suddenly became a word in the popular conciousness. And I just felt I needed to protect the name. I could not deal with the fact that I might lose the title that I had."
To try and get some ownership of the name Londonstani, he sent the first chapter to the magazine Prospect, who published it.
"At the end of the chapter it said it was part of a book called Londonstani. The magazine advised me to get an agent and so I did. It's ridiculously stupid. But that is what happened. I only gave it to them in November and it's already on the shelves. It's been mad."
Londonstani is out now by Fourth Estate. Also on Amazon.co.uk.
