تحریر // TEHREER
تحریر // Tehreer was a 6-month writing group housed within The Rights Collective during the lockdown in 2021 which supported writers who identify as South Asian to develop their own voices in writing about gender, identity and culture. It sought to create a community space where participants could support one another, access mentoring and guidance with their writing, which was published on The Rights Collective blog.
The written content produced through تحریر // Tehreer amplified the lived experiences within our communities, but also invited dialogue, critical thinking and introspection. Tehreer’s vision was to build a community of writers who can write thoughtfully and in a nuanced way about issues that impact the South Asian diaspora with an anti-oppression lens.
To celebrate the beautiful work of our 2021 cohort, we compiled their writings into this incredible book. Click here to download and have a read!
2021 Participants
Hajera Begum (she/her), London
Hajera Begum works to increase access to Higher Education for refugees. She is part of Nijjor Manush, an independent campaigning organisation that aims to educate, empower and organise Bengalis and Bangladeshis in the UK.
She is also part of Abolitionist Futures, a collaboration of community organisers and activists in the UK and Ireland who are working together to build a future without prisons, police and punishment.
Abarna Selvarajah (she/her), Brampton
Abarna Selvarajah is a writer whose work looks at gender, immigration stories, and diasporic art. She is a MA student in the Social Justice Education program with a specialization in Diaspora and Transnational Studies, at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE) housed in the University of Toronto (U of T).
Abarna holds two research assistant positions, for SSHRC-funded projects at both the University of Toronto and the University of Ottawa. She is also a Canadian Advocacy Officer for the non-profit organization People for Equality and Relief Lanka (PEARL), which advocates for justice and self-determination for Tamil people.
Sorubiha Kamalanathan (she/her), Ilford
An educator, creative, advocate and activist, passionate about education, social justice, self-care and self-expression.Art has always been my way of following my joy, healing and expressing myself, as well as connecting to others. I dance, practice (and teach) yoga and meditation, and make things out of junk. I also free-write and journal daily as a form of therapy. I also love gorging on Tamil food and great books written by BIPOC authors.
Niharika Pore (she/her), London
Niharika is an artist and writer, working in prose-poetry, filmmaking, visual cultures research and critical theory.
She currently works with community-led institutions across London through workshops, exhibitions and research projects, exploring her relationships with race, disability, and queerness.
She is also a final-year student at Goldsmiths, University of London, studying Fine Art & History of Art.
Sivakami Prasanna (she/her), Kochi
Sivakami Prasanna is a final-year graduate student at Tata Institute of Social Sciences. She loves to write, collect quotes, and dance.
When not obsessing over issues related to gender and development, you can find her organizing life into a neat to-do list. She tries to skip over the major inconveniences of existence by diving into a good book.
She is a voracious reader who wholeheartedly believes that reading will change the world one day.