Preti TanejaFRSLis a British writer, screenwriter and educator. She is currently professor of world literature and creative writing atNewcastle University.Her first novel,We That Are Young,won theDesmond Elliott Prizeand was shortlisted for several awards, including theRepublic of Consciousness Prize,thePrix Jan Michalski,and theShakti Bhatt Prize.In 2005, a film she co-wrote was shortlisted for thePalme d'Orat theCannes Film Festival.Taneja's second book,Aftermath,is an account of the2019 London Bridge terror attack,and describes her knowledge of the victims, as well as her experience having previously taught the perpetrator of the attacks in a prison education programme. It won theGordon Burn Prizefor 2022.[1]
Preti Taneja | |
|---|---|
| Born | United Kingdom |
| Education | St. John's College,Cambridge University;City University;Royal Holloway University, London |
| Occupation(s) | Writer, screenwriter and educator |
| Notable work | We That Are Young(2017) |
| Awards | Desmond Elliott Prize Gordon Burn Prize |
Biography
editEarly years and education
editTaneja was born in the United Kingdom, daughter of pioneering Indian cookery writer and food entrepreneur Meera Taneja.[2]and grew up inLetchworth,Hertfordshire,[3]where she attendedSt Francis College,[4]
She studied theology, religion, and philosophy along with Sanskrit atSt. John's College,Cambridge University.[5]She went on to complete two post-graduate qualifications - a P.G. Dip. in print journalism fromCity University,London, and an M.A. degree in creative writing fromRoyal Holloway University, London,before completing a doctorate in creative writing from Royal Holloway University.[5]
Teaching, editing, and film
editTaneja initially worked as a reporter for a non-governmental organization, covering human rights issues, and particularly focusing on the American invasion of Iraq in 2003.[5]She is the editor ofVisual Verse,an online magazine of poetry and art,[6]and is a contributing editor forThe White Review[7]and for the publisherAnd Other Stories.[5]She has been a judge for several literary awards, includingThe White Review Short Story Prize,theWasafiriPrize,the inauguralOrwell Prize for Political Fiction,and theDesmond Elliott Prize.[5]In December 2021, along with So Mayer she was appointed to chairEnglish PEN's translation advisory group.[8]She is currently Professor of World Literature and Creative Writing atNewcastle University.[5]
Taneja and Ben Crowe co-wrote the screenplay for a film titledThe Man Who Met Himself,which was nominated for the Palme d'Or for short films at the Cannes Film Festival in 2005.[9][10]In 2013, she wrote and produced a feature film,Verity's Summer.[11]
Writing
editTaneja published her first novel,We That Are Young,in 2017. The book was a re-imagining ofShakespeare's playKing Lear,and was set in contemporary India.[12]It won theDesmond Elliott Prizefor best debut novel in 2018, theEastern EyeAward for literature in 2019, and was nominated for several other literary prizes, including theRathbones Folio Prize,thePrix Jan Michalski,theJhalak Prize,theShakti Bhatt Prize,andRepublic of Consciousness Prize.[13]Taneja researched the book in India, traveling to several locations including Kashmir.[14]In 2019,Gaumont Film Companyannounced that they would be adaptingWe That Are Youngfor television.[15]
Taneja's second book,Aftermath,deals with the circumstances of the2019 London Bridge terror attack.[16]The perpetrator of the attack,Usman Khan,had attended a creative writing course that Taneja had taught atHMP Whitemooras part of a prison education programme called Learning Together, and the attack was conducted while Khan attended a Learning Together conference on licence.[17]Although Taneja had been invited to attend the conference, she did not go, but personally knew one of the victims of the attack as her colleague in the education programme.[14]Aftermathis an account of the incident, told through poetry, journalism and Taneja's own memoirs.[14]It won theGordon Burn Prizefor 2022.[1]
Awards and honours
edit- 2018: Winner,Desmond Elliott Prize–We That Are Young[13]
- 2018: Longlisted,Jhalak Prize–We That Are Young[18]
- 2018: Longlisted,Prix Jan Michalski–We That Are Young[8]
- 2018: Shortlisted,Republic of Consciousness Prize–We That Are Young[19]
- 2018: Shortlisted,Shakti Bhatt Prize–We That Are Young[20]
- 2019: Winner,Eastern EyeAward for Literature –We That Are Young[21]
- 2022: Winner,Gordon Burn Prize–Aftermath[22]
- 2023: Elected as a Fellow of theRoyal Society of Literature[23]
Bibliography
edit- We That Are Young(2017) (UK: Galley Beggar Press)
- We Are That Young(2018) (USA: AA Knopf)
- Aftermath(2021) (USA: Transit Books)
- Aftermath(2022) (UK: And Other Stories)
References
edit- ^abKnight, Lucy (13 October 2022)."2022 Gordon Burn prize awarded to London Bridge terror attack examination, Aftermath".The Guardian.ISSN0261-3077.Retrieved28 January2024.
- ^Taneja, Preti (8 September 2023)."Preti Taneja: 'My mother dedicated her book to me and it made me want to be a writer'".The Guardian.ISSN0261-3077.Retrieved27 January2024.
- ^Majumdar, Anushree (10 April 2018)."Language is political – it shapes us and our identities: Preti Taneja".The Indian Express.Retrieved22 February2022.
- ^"SFOGA".stfranciscollege.alumni-online.Retrieved27 January2024.
- ^abcdef"Staff Profile - English Literature, Language and Linguistics - Newcastle University".ncl.ac.uk.Retrieved22 February2022.
- ^"Visual Verse".Visual Verse.Retrieved22 February2022.
- ^"Preti Taneja".The White Review.Retrieved22 February2022.
- ^ab"So Mayer and Preti Taneja appointed co-chairs of English PEN's Translation Advisory Group".English PEN.15 December 2021.Retrieved22 February2022.
- ^"THE MAN WHO MET HIMSELF".Festival de Cannes.Retrieved22 February2022.
- ^"£400 UK film on Cannes shortlist".BBC News.8 May 2005.Retrieved23 February2022.
- ^"British Council Film: Verity's Summer".film-directory.britishcouncil.org.Retrieved23 February2022.
- ^"We That Are Young by Preti Taneja: 9780525563341 | PenguinRandomHouse: Books".PenguinRandomhouse.Retrieved22 February2022.
- ^ab"Past winners of the Desmond Elliott Prize".National Centre for Writing.Retrieved22 February2022.
- ^abcGreengrass, Martha (21 June 2018)."The Interview: Preti Taneja on her Desmond Elliott Prize-Winning Novel We That Are Young".Waterstones.
- ^Ramachandran, Naman (4 March 2019)."Gaumont Heads to India With 'We That Are Young' (EXCLUSIVE)".Variety.Retrieved22 February2022.
- ^"Transit Books — Aftermath".Transit Books.Retrieved22 February2022.
- ^Pidd, Helen (27 November 2021)."Author Preti Taneja on realising she had taught the Fishmongers' Hall attacker: 'We were all unsafe'".The Guardian.Retrieved22 February2022.
- ^"2018".Jhalak Prize.Retrieved22 February2022.
- ^"2018 Prize".Republic of Consciousness.Retrieved22 February2022.
- ^"Shakti Bhatt First Book Prize shortlist announced".The Week.4 April 2020.Retrieved22 February2022.
- ^Jesus College (18 July 2019)."Preti Taneja wins Eastern Eye award".Jesus College University of Cambridge.Retrieved22 February2022.
- ^Lucy, Knight (13 October 2022)."2022 Gordon Burn prize awarded to London Bridge terror attack examination, Aftermath".The Guardian.Retrieved14 October2022.
- ^Creamer, Ella (12 July 2023)."Royal Society of Literature aims to broaden representation as it announces 62 new fellows".The Guardian.