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From Diaspora to Multi-Locality: Writing British-Asian Cities

Explore the dynamics of British-Asian cities and the changing representation of identities through various genres of writing. This project aims to establish a forum for scholars and study social, religious, and literary/cultural aspects. Visit the website for resources and join the symposium to reflect and discuss the politics of representation in these cities.

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From Diaspora to Multi-Locality: Writing British-Asian Cities

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  1. From Diaspora to Multi-Locality: Writing British-Asian Cities Drs Seán McLoughlin, William Gould Ananya Kabir & Emma Tomalin Religious Studies, History & English Literature University of Leeds www.leeds.ac.uk/writingbritishasiancities

  2. Overview • 1) Welcome, Network Background & Progress (5 mins) • 2) The Cities & City Events (10 mins) • 3) The Website (5 mins) • 4) Introductions (10 mins) • 5) Symposium Aims & General Themes (10 mins) • 6) Housekeeping Matters / Q & A (5 mins)

  3. 1) Network Background • To establish forum for scholars/others interested in UK South Asian presence • To compare local, multi-local & trans-local dynamics of five ‘British-Asian’ cities & examine changing; representation of (public) identities, 1960s - 2000s • How written by different genres of ‘writing’: ethnography; local/oral history; literary/cultural production; the media; official reports.

  4. 1) Network Background • To reflect upon the (multi)disciplinary perspectives of Social, Religious, Literary/Cultural Studies, History. • To consider differently located/empowered ‘insiders’/ ‘outsiders’, scholars/civil society/cultural /community • To establish a steering committee & website, hold city events & a symposium

  5. 2) The Cities & City Events • Bradford: • Northern wool town. Conservatism & radicalism. Mirpuris, Manningham & Mela. Bradford 12, Honeyford, Rushdie. • Tower Hamlets: • Eastenders in global Olympic city. Sylheti seamen & Brick Lane. Baul singers & East London mosque. GLC & after. • Greater Manchester: • North-South split: Pakistanis in cotton & the rag trade; from riots in Oldham to mixing it up & Eid on Curry Mile. • Leicester: • Model of cohesion? Majority minority city. East African Twice Migrants. Imperial Typewriters. Diwali & Golden Mile • Birmingham: • The second city. Handsworth & Sparkbrook, Punjbai Sikhs & Muslims. Indian Workers Association, Bhangra & the Balti.

  6. 2) The Cities & City Events • Hidden Histories, Silent Voices? • Limitations and silences of any project/network. • Importance of self-awareness and reflexivity. • Which cities? Major urban conurbations. The usual suspects? • Language: English rather than vernaculars • Gender: goes beyond attempts at inclusiveness at workshops to focus on ‘public’ representations - not women’s histories • Ethnic & religious affiliations: dominance of certain groups in cities, other groups silenced. Reflects how ‘written’.

  7. 3) The Website • www.leeds.ac.uk/writingbritishasiancities • Anchor network over time, juxtaposing cities & creating repository for resources (use for teaching): • Records of city events • Introductory bibliographies • Links to key texts, other resources / sites of interest, new research & related projects • Symposium recording, working presentations & interactive papers • Opportunities for networking - register /post details. Database of academic & non-academic contacts.

  8. 5) The Symposium • Looking back, moving forward: • Reflecting together & opening up the conversation • From diaspora to multi-locality? • Divergent local & regional contexts of emigration & resettlement (Vertovec 2000). Similarity & difference? • British-Asian, BrAsian identities & beyond? • Post-colonial contest of ethnic tropes / Britishness but ‘not yet its own name’. Transformed by conjoining (Sayyid 2006)? • Writing & the politics of representation: • Discourse & city image. Gaze, stereotype & mainstreaming? Genre. Authors. Publishers. Audiences. • Arts/Humanities & Social Sciences? Beyond texts? Power, materiality, performance & identity in cultural production.

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