“The bus trip from Nottingham to London had taken many long hours more than I’d expected and I desperately needed the bathroom as soon as we got to the British royal residence. Vaguely waved towards a corridor, I dived in through the first door I suspected led to a toilet, to find myself in a time warp…”
Please click here to read the article in full.
Image: From The British Media, the author can be seen in the front row, with The Queen at the centre
(Pic: Reading ‘Handle With Care’ to Gerald Durrell, a travel literature inspiration of Shreya’s)
After Britain’s leading literacy charity, the National Literacy Trust, selected Shreya Sen-Handley’s 3rd book, ‘Handle With Care’ (HarperCollins 2022), from amongst many ‘reader favourites’ nominated across Britain, and presented it to The Queen last week, at their 30th anniversary celebrations, the British press covered the event extensively and the author and her book featured in each article (please check reel on previous post). BBC Radio caught wind of it and interviewed her soon after.
‘Handle With Care’ has had excellent reviews in the Indian press too, and last year, it was longlisted (in a very short list of 8 books) for Nonfiction Book of the Year by the Times of India’s Auther Awards, a prize eventually won by top Indian journalist, Barkha Dutt, known for her warzone broadcasts. And the Times of India has the widest circulation of any English language newspaper in the world.
So, this book’s been keeping good company for a while, and is now on The Queen’s To-Be-Read pile, alongside Maya Angelou!
Here’s Shreya’s BBC interview this July, from around 1:23:15 to 1:30:20 https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p0j641rn
Please click on play to watch this 25-second HarperCollins video on the British media attention garnered by Shreya Sen-Handley’s third book ‘Handle With Care’ being presented to The Queen at Clarence House for Britain’s biggest literacy charity, the National Literacy Trust’s 30th anniversary. ‘Handle With Care’ (HarperCollins 2022) was selected from the many reader favourites nominated from across Britain for this special occasion.
Images with The Queen at Clarence House and in front of a rainswept Buckingham Palace from British media and NLT colleague
“Pussycat, pussycat where have you been? I’ve been to London to see The Queen. Pussycat, pussycat, what did you there?”
Shreya and her schoolgirl daughter were invited, in recognition of their efforts to encourage literacy in Britain, along with select Literacy Champions, to meet The Queen in London, to celebrate the National Literacy Trust’s 30th anniversary.
Shreya’s third book, ‘Handle With Care’ (HarperCollins 2022), was presented to The Queen at the celebration, selected from the many books nominated as ‘reader favourites’ from across Britain.
A wonderful royal adventure, with fab people, dampened only by the incessant rain (hence the waterproofs of the second photo)!
Shreya is also the author of award-winning ‘Memoirs of My Body’ (HarperCollins, 2017), short story collection ‘Strange’ (HarperCollins, 2019), and travelogue ‘Handle With Care’ (HarperCollins, 2022).
Please watch this space for further details!
Image: by Olivia Rose Barns at 200-year old Bromley House Library, for Nottingham Trent University and Nottingham UNESCO City of Literature
Author, columnist and playwright Shreya Sen Handley hosts the second Beyond The Spectrum masterclass.
In the pandemic, Shreya discovered she was autistic. She’s written about it at the end of her third book, Times of India Best Nonfiction Book 2023 longlisted ‘Handle with Care’ (HarperCollins 2022), and her newspaper columns. Her play on the subject, ‘Quiet’, premiered at award-winning Tara Theatre in London, alongside new work by Hanif Kureishi, in 2021.
In this writing masterclass, Shreya explores how being Autistic gives her writing unique perspective and shares her best tips for aspiring novelists.
Please click here to watch
“Especially loved the section you read on Sting. Your self effacing sense of humour couched in good writing always touches me!” said one viewer.
Please click here to watch
Image: At the Auroville Literature Festival in Puducherry, India, organised by Auroville and Government of India’s Ministry of Culture, plus other well-known Indian cultural and literary organisations, standing beside the festival banner featuring Shreya (1st column, 3rd row) alongside other celebrated/award-winning authors.
Here are two of the articles in the media in the run-up to the festival, in The Hindu, India’s most trusted newspaper https://www.thehindu.com/life-and-style/auroville-literature-festival-to-kick-start-with-a-diverse-line-up-of-indian-and-international-authors/article67196717.ece
And in the popular New Indian Express, which praises Shreya as a ‘strong author’ but unfortunately mangles her name https://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/chennai/2023/aug/21/auroville-literature-festival-2023-exploring-the-worlds-within-words-2607151.html
Her works in the spotlight at this festival were the bestselling ‘Handle With Care’ (HarperCollins, 2022), longlisted in a select list of eight for Times of India’s AutHer Awards’ Best Nonfiction Book 2023, and Welsh National Opera’s epic production ‘Migrations’ which Shreya co-wrote, listed by both The Times and The Guardian in their best shows of 2022.
Shreya Sen-Handley’s Handle with Care is a blithe and zippy travelogue that chronicles her adventures around the globe. In tow, most of the time, is the ‘quirky clan’ comprising her British husband, their two children, and their dog.
Here are tales of the world beyond south Kolkata and Sherwood Forest – places they call home. From much-loved Indian locales like Rajasthan and Kerala to bustling international capitals like New York and Paris, from English idylls like Dorset and Haworth to the sleepy pleasures of Corfu – the journeys are described in vivid detail, seasoned with humour, and sprinkled with wise trip-tips. No matter how gruelling the trek, you weather the storms well, and while you’re about it, have tons of fun, food and epiphanies. Mishaps or not, one learns, there is always magic to find.
These are delightful stories that’ll take you places without having to move an inch!
Please read more about the book and its longlisting here and here
Shreya Sen-Handley 