The Birmingham Collection
Author: Wersha Bharadwa
Genre: Short Stories, Fiction, Humour
Publisher: Patrician Press
Format: ebook
Year: April 2020
Blurb: FUNNY SHORT STORIES FOR UNSETTLING TIMES
Sunny the Indian Datsun is a parable of racial integration, by turns funny, moving and shrewd, and with a central character so endearing that it seems a shame that cars can’t talk.
Set in a museum the witty scenes in Living History juxtapose our colonial record of exploitation with contemporary attitudes and prejudices. With perfect irony, the parting shot illustrates how invidious the propaganda about immigration has been.
This is Earth takes us to an alien civilisation; to the planet Zerg, where a mother is explaining to a baffled daughter about the patriarchy.
“I read these short stories in a single greedy gulp. Wersha’s voice is fresh and funny but don’t let that fool you: her work packs killer punches about family, community, empire, power, what it means to move through the world in a female body and the dubious logistics of packing three generations into a Datsun Sunny. Highly recommended.”
-Erin Kelly – Sunday Times bestselling author of He Said/She Said and The Poison Tree.
“Wersha has a beautifully wistful, wise and sometimes poignant way of writing. It pulls the reader in and leaves them better off than when she found them.”
-Brenda Della Casa, author, journalist and founder of BDC Digital Media.
“Quirky, smart and deliciously acerbic. This collection tackles prejudice, power and privilege with a sharp, entertaining wit. This gem deserves instant re-reading.”
-Kia Abdullah, author of Take It Back.