AuthorTalks Series

This series is an exciting opportunity for you to hear from a range of authors and for us to showcase talented writers, new and established! The Sher Jung Foundation are excited to announce the continuation of our AuthorTalks series, where we will be speaking with the acclaimed DAME MEERA SYAL! An award-winning actress, comedian, playwright, screenwriter and bestselling novelist, Dame Meera Syal is one of Britain’s most celebrated and influential creative voices. Born in Wolverhampton to Punjabi Indian parents, Meera grew up in a world shaped by the meeting of cultures, traditions and expectations. These experiences became rich material for her writing, informing her ability to explore the universal through the particular, and to find both humour and humanity in the everyday. As co-writer and performer in the groundbreaking television series Goodness Gracious Me, she helped redefine the representation of British Asian life on screen. Her celebrated novel Anita and Me, a moving and often humorous exploration of childhood, friendship and identity in 1970s England, became a modern classic and was adapted for film and the stage. Her many other achievements span television, theatre, film and literature, including the much-loved The Kumars at No. 42. Her novels, including Life Isn't All Ha Ha Hee Hee, explore friendship, family, identity and the complicated realities of modern British Asian life with characteristic humour and insight. In Vigilante, Meera Syal turns her sharp observational eye towards contemporary society, exploring questions of justice, power and the choices people make when they feel the system has failed them. In recognition of her outstanding contribution to the arts, she was awarded the prestigious BAFTA Fellowship in 2023, BAFTA’s highest honour, and received a damehood in the 2026 New Year Honours for her services to drama and literature. A trailblazer in British arts and culture, Dame Meera has broken barriers, challenged stereotypes and brought British Asian stories to the forefront of literature and entertainment. Join us for a very special evening of conversation, storytelling and inspiration with one of Britain’s most remarkable literary and cultural voices. We're delighed to announce that Meera's book "Vigilante" will be available for purchase and signing at our event. The ticket price also includes a welcome drink and food!