Afshan
D’souza-Lodhi’s debut poetry collection re:
desire
explores the yearning to love, be loved and belong from a desi
(South Asian) perspective. Her work sits on the intersections of
flash fiction, poetry and script, echoing the hybridity of the worlds
that many young British desis find
themselves occupying. Drawing on the poetry of many different
languages and cultures – Urdu, English, Konkani, Islamic and
Christian – this collection explores how we access our traditions
from a distance.
re:
desire
is a collection of poetry that draws upon literary traditions and
cultural references to flip the male gaze common in mushairas
on its head. Common themes for mushairas
are
love,
God and being drunk or intoxicated by love and God – but is usually
seen from a male perspective. The pieces in re:
desire
are mainly told from a female perspective, and question the gender
given to particular acts, objects and ideas.