amal chatterjee
... about me ...
An author and creative writing tutor based in Amsterdam and Oxford, my writing includes novels, short stories, theatre plays, and non-fiction articles. I'm currently working on Xenophiles, a conversation on (so far) stage and page with Julie Philips, Richard de Nooy & Vamba Sherif ; a book on why countries fail (expanding on an article of mine); and on a script for screen of a (fictional ) mysterious disappearance on the Isle of Bute in Scotland. And fiction.
Besides writing, I teach, and am Senior Course Tutor for the University of Oxford's MSt (Master’s Programme) in Creative Writing, and teach on, and help coordinate, the Paris Institute of Critical Thinking's Creative Writing programme.
I also create and teach academic and creative writing courses for, amongst others, the VU Taalcentrum, the Amsterdam Institute of Social Science Research at the University of Amsterdam, and the NIAS (the Netherlands Institute for Arts and Sciences).
... some (more) background ...
Born in Sri Lanka, brought up in India, and having lived in a few other countries, I enjoy mixing influences and ideas in my writing. My novel, Across the Lakes, was shortlisted for the Crossword India Best Novel Award in 1998, while my short fiction has been published in numerous countries including the Netherlands, India, and the UK.
My non-fiction has appeared in publications such as Prospect, the Huffington Post, The Independent, and the Hindustan Times, and includes the book Representations of India, 1740-1840 (1998). I also edited and contributed to Writers on Writing (2013), featuring writing from the US, the UK, India, Pakistan, Ireland, and Australia.
In 2017 and 2018, two of my short plays, Dreams of England and Finding José, were staged by the Tamasha Theatre Company and Pokfulam Road Productions at London venues including the Arcola and Theatre503.
A recipient of the Scottish Arts Council Writers Bursary and shortlisted for a Creative Scotland Award, I have been an advisor for the Literary Festival of the Hague.
I've also run - and still run - workshops and courses in creative and academic writing in places like Aarhus, Amsterdam, Coimbra, Glasgow, Paris, and Prague.