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Celina Baljeet Basra Biography, Books, and Similar Authors

Author Biography  | Interview  | Books by this Author  | Read-Alikes

Celina Baljeet Basra
Portrait: Lilian Scarlet Löwenbrück, Berlin 2022.

Celina Baljeet Basra

Celina Baljeet Basra Biography

Celina Baljeet Basra is a writer and cultural worker based in Berlin. She is a founder of the Department of Love, a curatorial collective. Happy is her first novel.

Celina Baljeet Basra's website

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Interview

"I am a gulmohar tree, in full bloom: A Conversation with Celina Baljeet Basra about Happy"— Curated by author Tiffany Troy for the Tupelo Quarterly.


Tiffany Troy: I am so curious about the novel's title, Happy, and the choice of the character's name as Happy Singh. The name "Happy" is common as a nickname and so is the last name "Singh." Why did you create the persona of "Happy"? What joy and surprises do you believe this character brings to the readership?

Celina Baljeet Basra: Happy was always going to be Happy––ever since I thought about this novel for the very first time––about twenty years ago––I stuck with the title. Happy's reality, of course, for a large part of the novel, is anything but happy, even if he does try to find joy in it all. The dissonance between the title and the narrative lies at the heart of the novel, and this is amplified by Alex Merto's genius cover: a smile so wide it almost hurts.

TT: I too adore the genius cover because the yellow really conveys that smiley face giddiness that is betrayed when you flip the cover to its back. Can you talk to us about the process of putting together the collection of short stories that incorporate a myriad of forms, from "group text messages" to "interviews," and in thinking about rewriting European myths–and maybe White capitalism–by extension, in a Punjabi ...

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Books by this Author

Books by Celina Baljeet Basra at BookBrowse
Happy jacket
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Read-Alikes

All the books below are recommended as read-alikes for Celina Baljeet Basra but some maybe more relevant to you than others depending on which books by the author you have read and enjoyed. So look for the suggested read-alikes by title linked on the right.
How we choose read-alikes

  • Fabio Geda

    Fabio Geda

    Born in Turin in 1972, Fabio Geda is an Italian novelist who works with children in difficulties. He writes for several Italian magazines and newspapers, and teaches creative writing at the Italian school of storytelling, ... (more)

    If you enjoyed:
    Happy

    Try:
    In the Sea There are Crocodiles
    by Fabio Geda

  • Jhumpa Lahiri

    Jhumpa Lahiri

    Jhumpa Lahiri, a bilingual writer and translator, is the Millicent C. McIntosh Professor of English and Director of Creative Writing at Barnard College (Columbia University). She received the Pulitzer Prize in 2000 for ... (more)

    If you enjoyed:
    Happy

    Try:
    Roman Stories
    by Jhumpa Lahiri

We recommend 3 similar authors

View all 3 Read-Alikes

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