Bradford independent publisher Fox & Windmill publish their debut book Into the Wilds

Co-founders Sara Razzaq and Habiba Desai made a commitment from the outset to “bring new and aspiring writers to the forefront of UK publishing” and with their debut publication Into the Wilds, they have certainly got off to a good start. The book features short stories and poems by South Asian writers from across the UK.

“When we launched last year we didn’t know how the industry was going to react to us and we thought about the best way to introduce ourselves to the publishing world and to writers,” says Desai. “So we thought ‘let’s do an anthology and see where that takes us’.”

They announced a competition just over 12 months ago in July 2021, inviting submissions initially from South Asian writers in the North. The response was so huge, however, that they decided to widen their scope to the whole of the UK. “It was amazing,” says Desai. “We had over 80 submissions which for a new independent publisher was a massive achievement and we were really happy with that.”

There was no specific theme for the anthology which was a deliberate move. “We didn’t have rigid guidelines, so we have a real variety of subjects and styles,” says Desai. “There are stories with elements of folktale to them, some slice-of-life stories and some really funny stories about taboo subjects. It is great to have that variation of emotion across the collection.”

It has been very well received so far and the reviews have been glowing. It has been described as “an immersive collection of wry, absorbing, surprising stories”, “a timely, vital publication” and “a brilliant collection of writers and writing”. For a first book to be so acclaimed is quite an accomplishment.

“We didn’t really know what we were anticipating,” says Desai. “We just thought ‘let’s just get something out there’. And it is great that the collection has had such a wide appeal to lots of different readers. Some of the themes –grief, friendship, lust, family – are really universal and that was important to us.”

The book was launched at Bradford Literature Festival this summer and Desai says that the response from those who attended, of all ages, was quite overwhelming. “We older South Asian people thanking us and young girls coming up to us and saying ‘you’ve made us think we could do the same thing’. There is a lot of stigma around South Asian women and especially Muslim women. It is a huge responsibility but we hope we can become role models for others.”

Next year Fox & Windmill plan to publish two books. They have no shortage of submissions. “We are so happy to be receiving all this amazing work,” says Desai. As well as the anthology, Desai and Razzaq have set up writing groups with Bradford Libraries and are also working with bookshops, festivals and schools. “It’s unbelievable how far we have come in a year,” says Desai. “And we are really excited about the future.”

REVIEW

Into the Wilds

Published by Fox & windmill, £8.99

Yvette Huddleston 4/5

An anthology of poetry and prose by British South Asian writers, this debut publication from Bradford independent publisher Fox & Windmill is an outstanding collection of impressive work.

Showcasing a range of styles and voices, the short stories and poetry featured demonstrate the wealth of talent that has hitherto been largely untapped.

The collection introduces work by up and coming authors and poets from across the UK, alongside pieces by already established writers – award-winning journalist and author Saima Mir provides a beautiful foreword while acclaimed poet Zaffar Kunial and Bradford-based novelist Sairish Hussain both make significant contributions.

The subject matter is rich and varied, covering the whole panoply of human interaction and emotion. Some of it is specific to the South Asian experience, much of it is universal, all of it engaging and resonant. There are coming of age stories, love stories, folkloric tales, stories of friendship, redemption and self-realisation, about the joy of family gatherings and the pain of seeing an elderly relative drift into dementia. There are poems that transport you to a certain place or time, that distil a feeling, or enlighten. It is an important, ground-breaking collection. As Mir says in her introduction: “If playing fields are to be balanced, we need to be able to access each other’s stories.”