New Sairish Hussain novel acclaimed for epic yet intimate tale
Creative writing lecturer Dr Sairish Hussain has been acclaimed for her second novel ‘Hidden Fires’, which weaves an epic family tale that takes in the Partition of India and the Grenfell fire tragedy.
‘Hidden Fires’ follows just over four years after Dr Hussain’s debut, ‘The Family Tree’, which was shortlisted for the Costa Book Awards and saw her named as one of the 10 most promising new writers in the UK for the International Literature Showcase.
The new novel is ‘a powerful story of grief and loss, the power of family and the long arm of history.’ Bradford-based Dr Hussain studied for her degree, Master’s and PhD at the University of Huddersfield, and ‘The Family Tree’ was longlisted for the Authors’ Club Best First Novel Award and winner of Calibre Audio's 'Hidden Gem' Prize.
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‘Hidden Fires’ has earned some glowing reviews, including iNews calling it ‘A sweeping tale of resilience’, and Saga Magazine describing it as 'An ineffably touching novel by a talented young author'.
“At the heart of it, this novel is an unlikely friendship story between a grandfather and a granddaughter,” says Sairish. “Two characters who are so different from one another, but go on to develop a fierce bond, that neither of them were expecting.
Both Yusuf and Rubi are grappling with traumas that they have hidden from the outside world. In Rubi’s case, it is struggles with bullying, body image, social media, and mental health. With Yusuf, it is a devastating 70-year-old secret that he has carried with him since the dark days of the Partition.
“It's always been an ambition of mine to write a ‘Partition novel’. It is a such a huge, overwhelming subject to tackle so I had to consider my approach carefully. What did I want to say about this horrifying event that hadn’t already been said? What could I add to the conversation? Was it even relevant to the readers of today?
“I came to the conclusion that it absolutely was still relevant, in fact, with the world still mired in war and conflict, it is more essential than ever. This is British history, the shared history of Britain and the subcontinent. It has been swept under the carpet, deliberately obscured from the curriculum in schools, even families don’t speak about it as the memories are so painful.
Dr Sairish Hussain
Research Fellow in Creative Writing
“It felt like a race against time, as the generation who survived the events of the Partition are very elderly and we are losing them. I wanted to explore the legacy, which is why I set the novel in present day England, rather than 1947."
"The reader learns about the Partition through Rubi, who is discovering her family history for the first time. It’s important for young people like her character to know where they come from. We should all know why we are where we are.
“There are so many historians and journalists out there who are much more qualified than me to detail the history of this event. I just hope, through this tender story about a grandfather and his granddaughter, readers go on to do their own research into what happened, because it changed and destroyed so many lives forever.”