A celebration of creativity, culture, and compassion took centre stage at the British Library on Saturday 4 October, as publishers Author In Me (AIM) hosted a storytelling and publishing festival with the theme “Challenge Your Choices.”
The event brought together writers, readers, and industry professionals for a day of inspiration, featuring masterclasses on publishing and book launches by talented authors of South Asian heritage.
Empowering New Voices
AIM founders Ekta Bajaj and Monica Sood told Asian Standard that their mission is to make the publishing world more inclusive.
“We want to open doors for people who aren’t yet part of the industry,” they said. “Author In Me started as a service for children to turn their stories into books, to empower young voices. But we soon realised diverse authors also needed a platform. This festival gives space to both.”
Explaining the event’s theme, they added: “We want stories to break barriers, connect us as humans, and challenge readers to try something new, that’s how stories expand our minds.”
Uplifting Young Mothers
One of the featured authors, Shaleena Chowdhary, shared her journey through motherhood with her book “365 Ways I Love You, Words of Love for a New Mother.”
Written as a collection of daily affirmations and reflections, the book aims to support new mums, particularly those facing postnatal depression.
“There’s still a stigma around postnatal depression,” she said. “My book breaks that wall, it’s like a friend reminding you that it’s okay, and it does get better.”
Honouring Generational Strength
Author Aarti Narayan, born in India and now based in Singapore, launched “The Lives She Carried” a powerful tribute to her grandmother’s journey from Kerala to Bombay in the 1940s.
“She was married at 14, barely educated, yet raised her children to stand tall,” Aarti said. “She had a spine of steel. This story honours her, and all women whose strength shapes their families’ futures.”
A Call for Peace
Also taking the stage was academic and writer Manjiri Gokhale Joshi, who launched her book “In the Name Of…”, a moving exploration of love and cultural divides.
Dedicated “to every human being who has suffered in the name of race, religion, caste or tradition,” the book follows a Hindu–Muslim love story spanning Mumbai, London, Bradford and Auschwitz.
“It’s an appeal for peace, for the world we grew up in and the one we hope our children will inherit,” Manjiri told Asian Standard. “Stories reach hearts where speeches can’t.”
Her storytelling has already resonated deeply with readers.
“At another event, a man told me no one had written about his culture with such empathy. Another reader from Pakistan said the book reminded her of the Karachi she left behind, a time when communities lived together without division.”
Stories That Connect
From supporting new mothers to honouring family legacies and calling for peace, the festival proved that storytelling remains one of humanity’s most powerful tools for connection and change.
“It’s about breaking barriers and celebrating our shared humanity,” said organiser Ekta Bajaj, perfectly summing up a day that lived up to its theme: Challenge Your Choices.
