Rekha Waheed
BornRekha Waheed
Shepherd's Bush, London, England
OccupationNovelist, writer
LanguageEnglish
NationalityBritish
EducationMSc Economic Development
Alma materSchool of Oriental and African Studies
SubjectArranged marriage in the Indian subcontinent, Bengali wedding, British Bangladeshi, British Asian women
Years active2005–present

Rekha Waheed (Bengali: রেখা ওহীদ রহমান; née Waheed) is an English novelist and writer of Bangladeshi descent. She has written four novels including 2004's The A-Z Guide to Arranged Marriage, and 2010's Saris and the City and My Bollywood Wedding.

Early life

Rekha Waheed was born in Shepherd's Bush, London, England to parents of Bangladeshi origin. She completed her MSc in economic development at the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London.[1][2]

Whilst pursuing her passion for writing she travelled the world as a corporate consultant. However, she soon caught the attention of a literary agent delivering public readings at the Harrow Writers' club.[1][2]

Career

In October 2005, Waheed's debut novel The A-Z Guide to Arranged Marriage was published by Monsoon Press.[3][4] In April 2010, her second novel Saris and the City was published by Little Black Dress, followed by her third novel Adam Akbar – Master of Poverty by Perfect Publishers in June 2010,[5] and then her fourth novel My Bollywood Wedding by Little Black Dress in December 2010.[6] Waheed says her natural writing style is first-person narrative.[7] Her distinct style has been described as "bridging the gap between old world traditions with new world savvy".[1][2]

In June 2005, Waheed co-founded Monsoon Press Publisher with Rabina Khan.[8][9][10] Through Monsoon Press, she works with the Arts Council and Penguin to raise the profile of British Ethnic and Muslim literature.[1][2] She has previously worked as a columnist for Bangla Mirror[11] and sat on the board of Women in Publishing. In addition, she has worked voluntarily as a treasurer for a Bengali community organisation. She is currently represented by MBA Literary Agency.[1][2]

In 2006, Waheed read at the London Literacy Event. In 2007, she read at the Spitalfields Literacy Event. In 2006, she was cited by Asian Woman magazine as one of the "Faces to Watch" and one of the fastest rising British Asians in media. She is regular guest on BBC Asian Network,[11] women's programmes,[12] and literary and social events to debate social issues affecting British Asians in the west.[10]

Personal life

Waheed is a Muslim.[7]

Novels

Year Title Publisher ISBN
2005 The A-Z Guide to Arranged Marriage Monsoon Press 978-0755215003
2010 Saris and the City Little Black Dress 978-0755356133
Adam Akbar – Master of Poverty Perfect Publishers Ltd 978-1905399505
My Bollywood Wedding Little Black Dress 978-0755356140

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Karim, Mohammed Abdul; Karim, Shahadoth (July 2008). British Bangladeshi Who's Who (PDF). British Bangla Media Group. p. 224. Retrieved 18 September 2011.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Karim, Mohammed Abdul; Karim, Shahadoth (October 2009). British Bangladeshi Who's Who (PDF). British Bangla Media Group. p. 133. Retrieved 1 September 2014.
  3. ↑ Rekha Waheed – The A-Z Guide to Arranged Marriage. 27 October 2005. ASIN 0755215001.
  4. ↑ Rahman, Emdad (November 2005). "The book launch that bridged the diversity divide". CyberSylhet.com. Retrieved 1 August 2015.
  5. ↑ "Master of Poverty". 5 June 2010. ASIN 1905399502.
  6. ↑ My Bollywood Wedding. 9 December 2010. ASIN 0755356144.
  7. 1 2 Shaikh, Farhana (8 February 2011). "Rekha Waheed". The Asian Writer (Blog). Retrieved 17 September 2011.
  8. ↑ "'The veil should not be a barrier between women'". The National. Abu Dhabi. 29 August 2009. p. 4. Retrieved 1 May 2012.
  9. ↑ "Book week: Profile – Rabina Khan". Asians in Media. 14 September 2007. Archived from the original on 3 December 2013. Retrieved 1 December 2012.
  10. 1 2 "Behind the Hijab". Silsila Productions. 27 October 2005. Retrieved 18 September 2011. Rekha Waheed
  11. 1 2 "Biography for Rekha Waheed". Authors OnLine. 27 October 2005. Archived from the original on 21 January 2012. Retrieved 18 September 2011.
  12. ↑ "Rekha Waheed". Fantastic Fiction. 27 October 2007. Retrieved 18 September 2011.
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