Building Visibility, Shaping Narratives

The Queer Writers’ Room culminated with an in-person showcase and launch of a digital zine, “Tributaries,” at Soho House Mumbai. (Photograph courtesy Soho House Mumbai)

The Queer Muslim Project (TQMP) came into existence in 2017 as a Facebook page to provide an accessible, safe space for queer Muslim individuals to come together and tell their stories. TQMP has now expanded to more platforms and connected a growing global community of over 40,000 people. “We use art, culture, media and storytelling to challenge harmful stereotypes and norms, build power and visibility for underrepresented LGBTQIA+ artists, activists and storytellers, and enable them to shape their narratives,” says Maniza Khalid, programs and innovations manager at TQMP.

In 2023, TQMP launched a creative writing program, The Queer Writers’ Room, in collaboration with the U.S. Consulate General Mumbai. The program culminated with an in-person showcase at Soho House Mumbai. The event included the launch of an ezine titled “Tributaries,” featuring works by young writers from India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

Excerpts from an interview with Khalid about TQMP’s collaboration with the U.S. Consulate General Mumbai and the key outcomes.

How was the concept for The Queer Writers’ Room developed with the U.S. Consulate General Mumbai? What were the main goals?

There is a shortage of spaces in South Asia that foster an inclusive creative writing culture. In collaboration with the U.S. Consulate General Mumbai, we aim to build a pipeline of underrepresented writers and artists who can support each other and access opportunities that are otherwise not available to them. The Queer Writers’ Room invests in young writers through arts and culture strategies, empowering them as catalysts for change, contributing to a culture of justice and equity.

Please describe The Queer Writers’ Room. How were participants selected? What were the activities conducted?

The Queer Writers’ Room offers a mix of creative workshops, craft lectures, author conversations, generative exercises and mentoring opportunities. New work produced by the participants is published in the form of an anthology. The program brings in notable mentors and writers from the United States and South Asia who provide participants with knowledge, skills and opportunities to meet and connect in an affirming environment.

Aged between 18 to 25 years, 14 writers from India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka were selected from a wide pool of applicants. The key considerations were diversity, the strength of their narrative voice, and the applicant’s vision of the link between writing and social change.

The skill-building sessions were led by specialists like Christopher Merrill, the director of the International Writing Program at the University of Iowa, experts from the Asian American Writers’ Workshop, and writers like Lamya H., author of “Hijab Butch Blues.” These specialists assisted participants in expressing their ideas through creative prose and poetry.

Notable LGBTQIA+ writers and experts from the publishing industry offered valuable insights and shared experiences from their respective fields with the cohort through guest sessions. The young writers also had one-on-one sessions with mentors and reviewed their peers’ drafts, which helped them hone their editing skills.

What are some of the outstanding results of this program?

The fresh writings produced by the participants were published in the form of a digital zine that weaves together prose, poetry, plays, artwork and photography about queerness at the intersection of faith, caste, ethnicity, social justice, climate change, gender and ability. More importantly, the writers found an opportunity to connect with prominent industry professionals such as Parmesh Shahani and Dr. Trinetra Haldar Gummaraju during a public showcase at Soho House Mumbai. Beyond skill-building, the program encouraged community-building, providing a space for queer writers across borders to cultivate a sense of belonging. Participants appreciated having a space where they could authentically express themselves and create substantive, quality work.

In what ways can programs like The Queer Writers’ Room help drive a narrative change?

Stories and narratives have the power to change how people perceive themselves and the potential to transform cultural norms, policies and systems. Through The Queer Writers’ Room, we hope to build a solid body of new writing from the region and nurture voices that can bring about positive cultural and narrative shifts about LGBTQIA+ and Muslim communities.

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