From the Margins | Issue 08
From memoir to photography: A carefully curated selection of contemporary South Asian writing that moves and challenges
Periphery is a publication dedicated to fostering greater understanding and appreciation of Asian cultures and experiences among a global readership. Subscribe to Periphery to decolonize your reading and discover unique writing.
Announcements
- is looking for a WRITING MENTOR with a focus on fiction writing. Please contact her at addiebara@gmail.com for more details!
- ’s NEW ROMANCE NOVEL, Something Cheeky, is being released soon on March 4, 2025! To celebrate, she has a book event in the D.C. area. See this page for all the details.
- ’s ESSAY COLLECTION, The Untangling, is now available on Amazon. These essays, previously available only to patrons, move fearlessly through territory both intimate and universal: a crisis of faith, the complexities of cross-cultural identity, the grief of losing a child, and the challenge of building a home in the aftermath of loss.
Do you have news you’d like included in next month’s issue? Email me at tiffany (at) peripherylit (dot) org by March 26, 2025.
This issue of Periphery features was curated by
of Sanobar’s Newsletter.Hi everyone, I’m Sanobar Sabah (she/her), enjoying the messy yet beautiful process of becoming in my 40s. Thrilled to be part of Periphery; I’m here for the community. Writing on Substack helps me reclaim my voice and, as an Indian Muslim neurodivergent mother based in the Middle East, I write to carve space for myself and, in the process, discover fellow space-makers like you.
Here are some of my Substack essays that I’m quite fond of: Writing as a Sacred Act, Thriving with ADHD, Family Honor or Truth? And, if you want to know how I use writing to protest injustice, please read Ashraf Ali Sayyed Hussain Is Not a Terrorist. The Cow Vigilantes Are.
Having lived all my life away from my home country, I’m reading plenty of essays by South Asian writers - especially Indian authors - as a way to decolonise my mind. Sharing with you the ones that have made me think, feel, and, when it comes to fiction (which I don’t write), sparked my imagination.
Please feel free to engage should any of the essays move you in any way. I’m truly grateful for your time and interest.
COMMUNITY
I want to begin by recommending reading Ochre Sky Stories - the sanctuary that held me in my darkest, lowest moments and showed me that I could not only write my pain away without shame but also, celebrate it. Follow Ochre Sky as they amplify the voices of South Asian men writing about family, depression and therapy, South Asian women writing about desire, leisure and money, and everything in between. And for good measure, there’s plenty of room for humour and fiction too. Like Periphery, Ochre Sky keeps extending their table, always happy to share their spotlight.
BEING OTHERED
Next on the list is a piece written by Reem Faruqi. It’s about a brown hijabi Muslim woman going through US immigration with her husband and baby. The way she writes - sharp and unflinching - pulls you right into that moment of being othered. It’s a classic case of resisting through writing – it angered me, hurt me, and, as a third culture kid myself, made me think again about what ‘home’ really means. If you’ve ever felt like you don’t fully belong anywhere, this one will stay with you.
“Home”
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writes Reem’s SubstackDon't they see that everyone in this room is colored? That almost all the women are hijabed? And when the puffy man says Young man, No phones allowed to the Black man, does he realize that the man isn't really young, instead he's old? And your heart was thumpthumpthumping to be home, but now it's going pitter and patter and what kind of country, what kind of continent is this, that almost every time you return “home,” you are pulled to the side…
ROMANCE FICTION
As someone who struggles to write fiction, I’m in awe of how Isha Jain infuses playfulness into her storytelling. This short story is a delightful mix of love, banter, and the kind of intimacy that feels both real and cinematic - Raj and Riva’s push-and-pull dynamic is pure fun. While Isha adds a TW for single poets out there (too romantic!), I requested her to add one for married folks as well - because honestly, this kind of romance sets the bar way too high!
A Lazy Afternoon, A Lost Bet, and a Little Love
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writes The Indian StoryRaj had made quite a good space in the middle with a comfortable rug, pillows, a lit candle, and even the book she was reading. But the light white cloth over the chairs, giving it the feeling of a tent, made it better. He helped her sit down. She laid lazily across him and picked up the book, "Well, this is nice."
PHOTOGRAPHY
I grew up in Abu-Dhabi, the slow, less glamorous sister city of Dubai. Mumbai, on the other hand, is where my parents decided to settle after their retirement in the Gulf. That’s why Mumbai has always been a city I’ve watched from the outside - close enough to be charmed, but never quite adapting to its nauseous pace. Gopal, the eye behind Mumbai Paused, does the impossible with his pictures: he brings this ever-buzzing city to a standstill. Every picture is a story with little to no captions – a treat to my overstimulated ND brain! If you’ve ever wanted to see Mumbai in a way that makes you stop and stare, his images will do just that. A picture like this and this show exactly what keeps me intrigued about the city.
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writes Mumbai Paused
WRITING A MEMOIR
Rafia’s writing speaks straight to my heart. As an American Muslim memoirist, she wrestles with the moral challenges of writing one’s truth. In this essay, she discusses the inner conflict of writing a memoir: how much is too much, and can one share their story without betraying their faith or their loved ones? I cannot wait for her book to come out!
Black & White Thinking
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writes Raf DraftsWhen the term ghiba (backbiting) was evoked by one of the scholars, I immediately thought about my memoir. I know my dad - pre-dementia - would have stopped at the first mention of anything less than idealized. I don’t know what he would have done, but he would not have been happy. I don’t know how my mom will respond. I’m not even sure about my Canadian-born siblings now that I think about it.
FATHER-SON RELATIONSHIP
Saving this for last because, honestly, I love unvarnished personal essays that normalize complicated family dynamics - and if that’s coming from a man, I’m sold straightaway! Rohan’s essay is a quiet yet devastating exploration of the unspoken distance between fathers and sons. As someone who’s always complaining about her craft, I read Rohan to learn craft. But encountering this essay of his was deeply moving - it’s gold in terms of depth and honesty, reflecting both tenderness and restraint. Told you he’s crafty!
A Letter
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writes More Letters, Less NewsI will wonder if we could’ve spoken for longer if you were not a Luddite; if Ma was not the only bridge that existed between us, brought us together. But if we’re being honest, we will both admit it is not your blissful ignorance of technology that has kept - is keeping - us apart. We do not merely lack a means of communication; we lack a vocabulary, a shared language.
This issue of Periphery features was curated by
of Sanobar’s Newsletter. If you enjoyed these picks, be sure to subscribe to her Substack.A very warm welcome to the newest additions to the Periphery Directory!
, , , , , , , , , , and .Glad to have you all in this growing community.
To join the directory, you can fill out the form here.
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Happy to pause Mumbai for you :) Thank you.
Thanks so much for the feature, Sanobar!
I hadn't received any notification and just came across this post. It was some surprise! Very kind of you and couldn't agree more with your observation about building communities.