SOAS University of London

SOAS Library

South Asia Resources by Topic

  • Film and Cinema Studies

    We have interpreted South Asian cinema in the broadest sense, to include not only Bombay/Mumbai-based Bollywood and other popular cinemas of South Asia (such as Lahore-based Lollywood), but also fringe and art-house cinema, shorts and documentaries.

    We have also included all genre of films made outside of South Asia by South Asian or South Asia diasporic writers, filmmakers, producers and directors.

    Although the industry and the resources on the Web are dominated by India, we have included information, where available, about film and cinema in other countries of South Asia.

  • South Asian Literatures in English Literatures in English

    We have interpreted “South Asian literatures in English” very broadly to include British writers from the colonial period (such as Rudyard Kipling and E. M. Forster); South Asian writers (such as R. K. Narayan, Arundhati Roy, Raja Rao, Manju Kapur, Shashi Deshpande, Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni) and writers of the South Asian diaspora (such as V. S. Naipaul, Ruth Prawer Jhabvala, Salman Rushdie, Anita Desai, Monica Ali and Hanif Kureshi).

    • Contemporary Writers
      This British Council website is a useful source for background information on writers. It provides biographical details, bibliographies and critical perspectives on a range of British writers, including British Asian/South Asian diasporic writers. The site can be searched by author name.

    • Postcolonial Web : Literature & Culture of the Indian subcontinent
      Hosted by the University of Singapore, entries for individual authors list their main writings and discuss the characterization, genres, themes and images in their work. Includes history, religious and political context and structure of gender relationships in which they are working. There is a section devoted to post-colonial theory itself.

    • Another Subcontinent : South Asian Society & Culture
      Another Subcontinent is a non-profit group that seeks to foster an interactive understanding of South Asian society and culture.

    • Cerebration
      Cerebration’s goal is to create a trans-cultural space for critical thought and creative work. Submissions cover a wide variety of topics and issues ranging from politics, culture and literature to science, art, music and films.
    • DesiLit : building support for South Asian and diasporic writing
      DesiLit was founded in 2004, and works to build support for South Asian and diasporic writers. The site includes DesiLit Magazine (with its emphasis on contemporary writing) and a weblog.
    • Red Earth
      Red Earth is devoted to designing events such as performances, talks and workshops and fostering artistic and cultural activity in various other ways like publications and art exhibitions; with a premium on aestheticism and innovation.

    • South Asian Literature Festival
      A platform for promoting and discussing the literature of South Asia including emerging and established writers.

    • South Asian Women’s Creative Collective
      The South Asian Women’s Creative Collective is an organization dedicated to the advancement, visibility and development of emerging and established South Asian women artists, including writers.

    • SADAA : South Asian Diaspora Literature and Arts Archive
      SADAA’s digital archive is a free online resource featuring collections of South Asian literature, art, theatre, dance and music by British based artists and organisations

    • The SASIALIT mailing list : Literature of South Asia and the Indian diaspora
      This discusses contemporary literature of South Asia ( Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka ), including works by authors of South Asian origin throughout the world. Examples of authors discussed might include: Vikram Chandra, Anita Desai, Farrukh Dhondy, Amitav Ghosh, Romesh Gunesekera, Hanif Kureishi, V.S. Naipaul, Salman Rushdie and Vickram Seth.