Hanif Kureishi

And he just left the chaos of India, you remember, after partition... And my dad thought it was fantastic. You'd get a free education. You could go to the doctor, the dentist. We had the welfare state. There was a rising standard of living in the 1960s. There was the Beatles. There was pop. My dad saw it as a great opportunity for us, his kids, to do really well.

Of course, at that time in Britain, particularly where I was in South London, there was a lot of violence. There was a lot of racism. There were a lot of attacks on people like us of colour. and we were terrified of that, and we used to run and have to hide, and my father was frightened and so on.

Of course, at that time in Britain, particularly where I was in South London, there was a lot of violence. There was a lot of racism. There were a lot of attacks on people like us of colour. and we were terrified of that, and we used to run and have to hide, and my father was frightened and so on.

Of course, at that time in Britain, particularly where I was in South London, there was a lot of violence. There was a lot of racism. There were a lot of attacks on people like us of colour. and we were terrified of that, and we used to run and have to hide, and my father was frightened and so on.

It was quite tough and rough, but on the whole, my father was really pleased that he had come to Britain and given us the chance as his kids to grow up in Britain and to do well. He thought it was a great opportunity for us, and he believed that I, his son, could become a significant writer, you know, that the world was our oyster, there were opportunities in Britain.

It was quite tough and rough, but on the whole, my father was really pleased that he had come to Britain and given us the chance as his kids to grow up in Britain and to do well. He thought it was a great opportunity for us, and he believed that I, his son, could become a significant writer, you know, that the world was our oyster, there were opportunities in Britain.

It was quite tough and rough, but on the whole, my father was really pleased that he had come to Britain and given us the chance as his kids to grow up in Britain and to do well. He thought it was a great opportunity for us, and he believed that I, his son, could become a significant writer, you know, that the world was our oyster, there were opportunities in Britain.

And to be honest, he was right about that. I mean, when I was a young man, there were not many Asian artists in pop or photography or in the arts, people from South Asia at all. And there were certainly no writers, really, apart from V.S. Naipaul, writers of colour who were successful in England. But we changed it all, you know.

And to be honest, he was right about that. I mean, when I was a young man, there were not many Asian artists in pop or photography or in the arts, people from South Asia at all. And there were certainly no writers, really, apart from V.S. Naipaul, writers of colour who were successful in England. But we changed it all, you know.

And to be honest, he was right about that. I mean, when I was a young man, there were not many Asian artists in pop or photography or in the arts, people from South Asia at all. And there were certainly no writers, really, apart from V.S. Naipaul, writers of colour who were successful in England. But we changed it all, you know.

Other writers like Salman Rushdie and, of course, Sadie Smith and so on. And the whole scene has changed and opened out now. And there's been a huge unfurling of these really, really talented people from South Asia.

Other writers like Salman Rushdie and, of course, Sadie Smith and so on. And the whole scene has changed and opened out now. And there's been a huge unfurling of these really, really talented people from South Asia.

Other writers like Salman Rushdie and, of course, Sadie Smith and so on. And the whole scene has changed and opened out now. And there's been a huge unfurling of these really, really talented people from South Asia.

Beautiful questions. I really enjoyed it. Thanks.

Beautiful questions. I really enjoyed it. Thanks.

Beautiful questions. I really enjoyed it. Thanks.

I'm thrashing my arm about a bit now as I speak to you, but I can't use my fingers. I can't grip. I couldn't pick up a pen or anything like that. I can move my shoulder. I can move my legs a bit. Obviously, I'm in a wheelchair. I can't stand up. But I can't actually use my hands. So I'm around the clock dependent, as you put it earlier. But I'm stronger than I was. And I have physio every day.

I'm thrashing my arm about a bit now as I speak to you, but I can't use my fingers. I can't grip. I couldn't pick up a pen or anything like that. I can move my shoulder. I can move my legs a bit. Obviously, I'm in a wheelchair. I can't stand up. But I can't actually use my hands. So I'm around the clock dependent, as you put it earlier. But I'm stronger than I was. And I have physio every day.

I'm thrashing my arm about a bit now as I speak to you, but I can't use my fingers. I can't grip. I couldn't pick up a pen or anything like that. I can move my shoulder. I can move my legs a bit. Obviously, I'm in a wheelchair. I can't stand up. But I can't actually use my hands. So I'm around the clock dependent, as you put it earlier. But I'm stronger than I was. And I have physio every day.

And so I'm stretched out. I move a bit. But I think this is pretty much where I'm going to remain from now on.