Nikesh Shukla
{{short description|British author and screenwriter (born 1980)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2021}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Nikesh Shukla
| image =
| caption =
| birth_name =
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1980|07|08|df=y}}
| birth_place = Harrow, London, England
| nationality = British
| occupation = Author
Screenwriter
| years_active = 2010–present
| website = {{URL|nikesh-shukla.com}}
}}
Nikesh Shukla {{Post-nominals/GBR|FRSL}} (born 8 July 1980) is a British author and screenwriter. His writing focuses on race, racism, identity, and immigration. He is the editor of the 2016 collection of essays The Good Immigrant, which features contributions from Riz Ahmed, Musa Okwonga, Bim Adewunmi, and Reni Eddo-Lodge, among others.{{cite news|last1=Parmar|first1=Sandeep|title=The Good Immigrant review – an unflinching dialogue about race and racism in the UK|url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2016/sep/22/good-immigrant-review-nikesh-shukla-britain-racist|work=The Guardian|date=22 September 2016}}{{cite news|last1=Sandhu|first1=Sukhdev|title=The Good Immigrant edited by Nikesh Shukla review – racial identity in the UK|url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2016/oct/02/the-good-immigrant-edited-nikesh-shukla-essays-race-colour-society-riz-ahmed-kieran-yates-selena-bim |work=The Observer|date=2 October 2016}} With Chimène Suleyman, he co-edited the 2019 follow-up collection called The Good Immigrant: 26 Writers Reflect On America.{{cite news|title=The Good Immigrant: 26 Writers Reflect on America|url=https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/nikesh-shukla/the-good-immigrant/|work=Kirkus Reviews|date=20 November 2018}}
Early life and career
Shukla was born to Indian immigrants in the London suburb Harrow.{{cite news|last1=Sethi|first1=Anita|author-link=Anita Sethi|title=Nikesh Shukla: 'You keep going, you're persistent'|url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2019/mar/16/nikesh-shukla-good-immigrant-usa-essays|work=The Guardian|date=16 March 2019}} He attended Merchant Taylors' school in Northwood, leaving in 1996,{{Cite web|date=2021-01-23|title=Nikesh Shukla: 'If I'm writing for my daughters, I want them to know who I am'|url=http://www.theguardian.com/books/2021/jan/23/nikesh-shukla-if-im-writing-for-my-daughters-i-want-them-to-know-who-i-am|access-date=2021-03-11|website=The Guardian}} then Dr. Challoner's Grammar School.
Career
= Literature =
Shukla is the author of four novels: Coconut Unlimited (2010),{{cite news|last1=Holdsworth|first1=Rachel|title=Book Review: Coconut Unlimited By Nikesh Shukla|url=https://londonist.com/2010/10/book_review_coconut_unlimited_by_ni|work=Londonist|date=28 October 2010}} Meatspace (2014),{{cite news|first1=Jane|last1=Housham|title=Meatspace by Nikesh Shukla – review|url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2014/jun/27/meatspace-nikesh-shukla-review|work=The Guardian|date=27 June 2014}} The One Who Wrote Destiny (2018), and The Council of Good Friends (2020).
He is also the author of two books for Young Adults: Run, Riot (2018) and The Boxer (2019).
In 2017 he one of was one of the co-founders of the Jhalak Prize awarded annually to British or British resident writers of colour.{{Cite web|date=2021-06-14|title=I turned down an MBE – I don't want an honour glorifying the British empire|url=http://www.theguardian.com/books/2021/jun/14/nikesh-shukla-i-turned-down-an-mbe-i-dont-want-an-honour-glorifying-the-british-empire|access-date=2021-06-14|first=Nikesh|last= Shukla|website=The Guardian}}{{Cite web|title=The Jhalak Prize|url=https://www.jhalakprize.com/|access-date=14 June 2021|website=The Jhalak Prize}}{{Cite web|date=5 January 2017|title=New British books prize for BAME authors unveils inaugural longlist|url=http://www.theguardian.com/books/2017/jan/05/first-british-books-prize-for-bame-authors-unveils-inaugural-longlist|access-date=14 June 2021|first=Danuta|last= Kean|website=The Guardian}}
In 2019 he was made a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature. He was a Rathbones Folio Prize Mentor in 2019–2020.{{cite news|title=Announcing: the Rathbones Folio Mentors 2019-20|url=https://www.rathbonesfolioprize.com/2020-press-release/announcing-the-rathbones-folio-mentors-2019-20/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200804130806/https://www.rathbonesfolioprize.com/2020-press-release/announcing-the-rathbones-folio-mentors-2019-20/|url-status=usurped|archive-date=4 August 2020|work=The Rathbones Folio Prize|date=2019}}
Brown Baby, a memoir addressed to his young daughter, was published in 2021.{{cite news |last1=Sandhu |first1=Sukhdev |title=Brown Baby by Nikesh Shukla review - a memoir of race and family |url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2021/feb/03/brown-baby-by-nikesh-shukla-review-a-memoir-of-race-and-family |website=The Guardian |access-date=2 June 2021}} He hosts a podcast of the same name.{{cite web |last=Davies |first=Hannah J |title=How to bring up children with joy and wonder - podcasts of the week |url=https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2021/jan/15/how-to-bring-up-children-with-joy-and-wonder-podcasts-of-the-week |website=The Guardian |date=15 January 2021 |access-date=2 June 2021}}
= Film =
Shukla co-wrote the short film Two Dosas with Sarmad Masud. It starred Himesh Patel. After Danny Boyle awarded the film Best Short at the 2017 Shuffle Festival,{{cite web|title=Short Film Prize|website=Shuffle Festival|url=http://www.shufflefestival.com/shortfilm|access-date=28 October 2019}} Boyle cast Patel in the title role of Jack in Yesterday (2019).
= Journalism =
Shukla has been a columnist for The Observer{{'}}s magazine supplement and The Pool.
= Radio and podcasts =
In January 2019, Shukla appeared in series 47 of the BBC Radio 4 show Great Lives, nominating Pakistani wrestler The Great Gama (1878–1960).{{cite web|title=Great Lives|url=http://www.radiolistings.co.uk/programmes/g/gr/great_lives.html|work=RadioListings|access-date=27 October 2019}}
Shukla hosted a podcast called The Subaltern podcast, in which he has conversations with writers about writing.{{cite web|title=The Subaltern podcast|url=http://www.nikesh-shukla.com/the-subaltern-podcast|website=Nikesh Shukla}} He also co-hosted a podcast called Meat Up, Hulk Out with sci-fi writer James Smythe.{{cite web|last1=Shukla|first1=Nikesh|last2=Smythe|first2=James|title=Meat Up, Hulk Out|url=https://soundcloud.com/meat-up-hulk-out|website=SoundCloud}}
Selected works and publications
= Books =
- {{cite book|last1=Shukla|first1=Nikesh|title=Coconut Unlimited|date=2010|publisher=Quartet|location=London|isbn=978-0-704-37204-7|oclc=661047464}}
- {{cite book|last1=Shukla|first1=Nikesh|title=The Time Machine|date=2013|publisher=Galley Beggar Press|location=New York|isbn=978-1-910-29605-9|url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/875097790|oclc=875097790}}
- {{cite book|last1=Shukla|first1=Nikesh|title=Meatspace|date=2014|publisher=Friday Project|location=London|isbn=978-0-007-56508-5|url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/1004224836|oclc=1004224836}}
- {{cite book|last1=Shukla|first1=Nikesh|title=The One Who Wrote Destiny|date=2018|publisher=Atlantic Books|location=London|isbn=978-1-786-49280-7|oclc=1098249965}}
- {{cite book|last1=Shukla|first1=Nikesh|title=Run, Riot|date=2018|publisher=Hodder Children's Books|location=London|isbn=978-1-444-94068-8|oclc=1039899069}}
- {{cite book|last1=Shukla|first1=Nikesh|title=The Boxer|date=2019|publisher=Hodder Children's Books|location=London|isbn=978-1-444-94070-1|oclc=1110445739}}
- {{cite book|last1=Shukla|first1=Nikesh|title=Brown Baby: A Memoir of Race, Family and Home|date=2021|publisher=Pan Macmillan|location=London|isbn=978-1-529-03291-8|oclc=1144864045}}
= Collections =
- {{cite book|editor1-last=Shukla|editor1-first=Nikesh|title=The Good Immigrant: 21 Writers Explore What It Means to be Black, Asian & Minority Ethnic in Britain Today|date=2016|publisher=Unbound|location=London|isbn=978-1-783-52296-5|url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/1064008971|oclc=1064008971}}
- {{cite book|editor1-last=Shukla|editor1-first=Nikesh|editor2-last=Suleyman|editor2-first=Chimène|title=The Good Immigrant: 26 Writers Reflect on America|date=2019|publisher=Little, Brown and Company|location=New York|isbn=978-0-316-52429-2|url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/1083266326|oclc=1083266326}}
- {{cite book|editor1-last=Shukla|editor1-first=Nikesh|editor2-last=Jones|editor2-first=Sammy|title=Rife: Twenty-One Stories from Britain's Youth|date=2019|publisher=Little, Brown and Company|location=New York|isbn=978-0-316-52429-2|url=https://www.worldcat.org/title/rife-twenty-one-stories-from-britains-youth/oclc/1107493815/viewportt|oclc=1107493815}}
= Other work =
- {{cite book|last1=Yates|first1=Kieran|last2=Shukla|first2=Nikesh|title=Summer of Unrest: Generation Vexed: What the English Riots Don't Tell Us About Our Nation's Youth|date=2011|publisher=Vintage Digital|location=London|isbn=978-1-448-11475-7}}
- {{cite book|last1=Shukla|first1=Nikesh|title=The Time Machine|date=2013|publisher=Galley Beggar Press|location=London}}
- {{cite book|last1=Heuchan|first1=Claire|last2=Shukla|first2=Nikesh|title=What is Race? Who are Racists? Why Does Skin Colour Matter? And Other Big Questions|date=2018|publisher=Wayland|location=London, England|isbn=978-1526303981}}
Filmography
- 2014: Two Dosas (short film) - co-writer
- 2011: Kabadasses (TV series)
Honours
- 2010: Costa Book Awards, first novel, short-list for Coconut Unlimited
- 2010: Desmond Elliott Prize, long-list for Coconut Unlimited
- 2014: Aspen Shortsfest's "Best Comedy" Short Film for Two Dosas
- 2013: Sabotage Awards, Best Novella for The Time Machine
- 2014: London Calling Plus "Jury Award" for Two Dosas
- 2014: Shuffle Festival, Best Short for Two Dosas
- 2016: Liberty Human Rights Award, shortlist{{Cite web|url=https://www.libertyhumanrights.org.uk/human-rights-awards-2016-shortlist|title=Human Rights Awards 2016: Shortlist|date=13 October 2016|website=Liberty Human Rights|access-date=28 October 2019}}
- 2016: Books Are My Bag Readers' Awards, reader's choice for The Good Immigrant
- 2016: British Book Awards, Book of the Year short-list for The Good Immigrant
- 2016: The Bookseller{{'}}s 100 most influential people in publishing
- 2016: Foreign Policy{{'}}s 100 Global Thinkers {{Cite web|url=https://2016globalthinkers.foreignpolicy.com/2016/profile/nikesh-shukla?3fa4cfa909=&c0244ec121=|title=Global Thinkers 2016|website=foreignpolicy.com|access-date=28 October 2019}}
- 2019: Time magazine, one of the twelve leaders shaping the next generation of artists{{Cite magazine|last1=Abrams|first1=Abigail|last2=Lang|first2=Cady|last3=Gajanan|first3=Mahita|last4=Greenspan|first4=Rachel E.|last5=Davies|first5=Wilder|url=https://time.com/longform/art-leaders-next-generation/|title=12 Leaders Who Are Shaping the Next Generation of Artists|magazine=Time|date=7 February 2019|access-date=6 November 2019}}
- 2019: CrimeFest Awards, Best YA for Run, Riot{{Cite web|url=https://publishingperspectives.com/2019/05/uk-crimefest-2019-awards-feature-nikesh-shukla-jk-rowling-bristol/|title=The UK's CrimeFest 2019 Honors Shukla, Lippman, Rowling|date=12 May 2019|website=Publishing Perspectives|access-date=28 October 2019}}
- 2019: National Book Awards, short-list for Run, Riot{{Cite web|url=https://www.nationalbookawards.co.uk/run-riot|title=Run, Riot|website=National Book Awards|access-date=28 October 2019}}
- 2019: Royal Society of Literature, Fellow{{cite news|title=Nikesh Shukla|url=https://rsliterature.org/fellow/nikesh-shukla/|work=Royal Society of Literature|date=2019}}
- 2021: Declined offer of MBE for services to literature in the Queen's birthday honours list.
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{Official website}}
- {{IMDb name|nm4776001|Nikesh Shukla}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Shukla, Nikesh}}
Category:British writers of Indian descent
Category:English male novelists
Category:English people of Indian descent
Category:Fellows of the Royal Society of Literature
Category:People educated at Dr Challoner's Grammar School
Category:People educated at Merchant Taylors' School, Northwood