Latest news with #Anisa
Hindustan Times
24-05-2025
- General
- Hindustan Times
Book Box: Heart Lamp wins the Booker - Now what?
Dear Reader, A few days ago, I received a text message from my student Anisa. 'It's great that Heart Lamp has won a big literary prize. But now I have a problem. It's one more book everybody is talking about, one more book I feel compelled to read. Every month there seems to be a new literary prize in the news - the Booker prize, the International Booker, the Pulitzer, the Woman's prize, the Nobel Prize. Then there's the JCB prize, the Crossword prize - the list of prizes is as long as Hanuman's tail! Honestly, I am confused. There is all this talk of how we shouldn't just be swayed by prizes. And then when a book wins a prize, everyone lines up to read it. A few years ago, I picked up a book that had won this same prize. It was so slow, and hard to understand. Nothing happened - maybe it was too 'arty' for me. I stopped after 40 pages but I felt like a loser giving up, I felt there was something wrong with me that I didn't 'get' the book that a distinguished jury had given the prize to. And then there are so many prizewinning books that are emotionally triggering, like Shuggie Bain or Prophet's Song - reading them feels depressing. What is it about these prizewinning books, and why do they feel like a pressure for me? Is it wrong of me to want to enjoy my reading? And is it weird that I feel burdened by having to read these prize winning books ? And do you think I should read Heart Lamp ? Please help. Your (confused) student Anisa Dear Anisa, I get your dilemma. The list of literary prizes is long. What's interesting though is that each prize has its own personality - the Pulitzer for instance is purely American, the Nobel Prize is given for an author's body of work and not for a single book. The International Booker prize is special because it picks literature in translation. Also Read | Book Box | Reading without rules It's different - and not just because it has been won by Indian books twice already - Tomb of Sand (2022) and Heart Lamp (2025). Last year the prize went to a German novella, the year before to a Bulgarian novel. This year's win means that Heart Lamp, written by Banu Mushtaq and translated from Kannada by Deepa Bhasthi, will now be in the international spotlight. This means these slice-of-life stories, with the real life struggles of Muslim women in Karnataka will now find their way to bookstores around the world - the Strand in New York, Foyles and Waterstones in London, the large chains and small independent bookstores all over the world. This also means that India will be seen in a more nuanced way, in terms of quietly courageous women and not just in terms of a caricatured version of a rich woman exploiting her poor driver, and sending him to jail for her own rash driving, as happens in the story of the The White Tiger, the 2008 Booker prizewinner. So here's my take - You don't have to read every prizewinner—prizes are just one more way of curating books, of bringing certain titles to your notice, titles you may not have come across otherwise. So read the description, and a review or two, and only if the prizewinning book speaks to you, give it a try. Maybe intersperse this book with lighter fun reads - because reading is above all a pleasure and we want it to stay that way. Heart Lamp offers a chance to see the world through a new lens—but only if you're ready for it. If you do pick it up, here's three things to consider 1. Maybe begin with reading just one story. You could start with Stones for Shaista Mahal. Or dip into the centre with Fire Rain, with the story of the maulvi and the discarded wife. Or with the title story. No life is too small to be worthy of notice, no story is too small to tell, say these selected short stories. 2. Read Heart Lamp to see how powerful fiction can be in giving voice to the powerless and how a story can bring small moments of quiet courage into the spotlight. 3. Be part of a global conversation with readers all over the world - we may be different but here's how we live and love. In a world that increasingly tries to divide us, here is where we can live inside each other's minds, if only for a few pages. (Sonya Dutta Choudhury is a Mumbai-based journalist and the founder of Sonya's Book Box, a bespoke book service. Each week, she brings you specially curated books to give you an immersive understanding of people and places. If you have any reading recommendations or reading dilemmas, write to her at sonyasbookbox@ The views expressed are personal)
BBC News
19-05-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
My daughter had to move schools because of racism
The number of incidents of racism or racist bullying recorded in Scotland's schools increased by 50% last year, figures obtained by BBC Scotland News reveal. According to Freedom of Information (FoI) requests to all 32 councils there were more than 3,600 incidents last year, compared to 2,400 the year say the true figure will be far higher as councils are not complying with Scottish government guidance to log all incidents Scottish government said one of the reasons for the increase could be improved reporting. Ekta's daughter Anisa was only seven when she started getting taunted for the colour of her mother says Anisa became quiet and withdrawn at home and she could not understand what was the was only months later that Anisa broke down in tears and alerted her mother to what was going says she immediately went to the headteacher and a child was asked to apologise to her says the school asked her daughter to accept the apology but in the following months the bullying and racism continued. Ekta told the BBC she offered multiple times to work with the school to help with their understanding of racism but they never took her up on those offers. Last October, two years after the initial incident, Anisa told her mother she could no longer go to the school and she was experience is not an isolated obtained by BBC Scotland News show a large increase in incidents of racism and racist bullying recorded in said some issues are not recorded at all and others are logged as bullying instead of its FoI response, Highland Council admitted that not all its schools were recording racist incidents on the school recording system, by watchdog Education Scotland also previously suggested many schools were also not using SEEMIS properly for recording bullying incidents. Racist comments Ekta told BBC News that before the incidents her daughter was "bubbly, confident and outgoing"."When the racism began she started questioning things – why am I being told I'm different? Why am I being told the colour of my skin means people don't want to talk to me?," Ekta said. "I don't send my child to school to be abused or be a victim of racism. I send her to school to learn and be safe."When Ekta approached the school she says she was told they had not had to deal with racism before and were not clear how to handle said a child who had made a number of racist comments was asked to apologise but the school did not seem to think wider learning was thinks the school failed to meet its legal and ethical duties. For Ekta it brought back memories of the racism she faced when growing up in Bearsden, north of Glasgow, decades ago."I thought that 30 years down the line it would have stopped or at least that the systems would be better to address some of these things," she said she felt the school managers failed to take the issue seriously and the bullying and racism says she later found out that the school logged the incidents as bullying not raised an official complaint with East Dunbartonshire Council, where the school is located, and received a partial she feels they have not changed their approach, training or systems and not properly understood the is now pursuing her claim through the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman (SPSO).Meanwhile, her daughter is at a new primary school with a new group of friends and her mother said she is happy. Is racism on the increase? The Coalition for Racial Equality and Rights (CRER) in Scotland says statistics from other organisations including the police suggest there has been an increase in racist they have also found evidence that many incidents in schools are not year they set up AdRESS – Advocates for Race Equality in Schools Scotland - to support parents and carers who have a child going through racism at Adje, the education advocacy officer for CRER and head advisor for AdRESS, said hate crime reports had gone up but it was also apparent from research that the true figure should be a lot higher."Our previous research in 2022 indicated that 85% of schools are not reporting incidences that have been reported to them," he said."If we're not recording them, how do we know that the incident is being dealt with in any way?" Mr Adje said that just asking a child to apologise would not help tackle the underlying said: "We need to ensure that they are educated and told about why it was wrong to display that kind of behaviour, the impact it can do and see from there if there's any form of reconciliation."Then people will learn why it's wrong and how to not exhibit those behaviours."Mr Adje said one of the reason incidents were increasing could be that racist behaviour is "not being challenged".Another factor could be some of the toxic content on social media, he said."We need to ensure that they are challenged if you're hearing anything," Mr Adje said."It could something as like a joke. It could microaggressions." CRER are calling for mandatory logging of racist incidents and bullying in schools. They say there is not enough training available for Glasgow's east end, pupils at St Francis of Assisi Primary School have written their own anti-racism charter and set up their own equalities wrote their own charter after realising the council charter wasn't in "child friendly language".The work came about after head teacher Ciara Henderson decided to attend a new course in leading an anti-racist establishment at the University of said: "We had a small number of racist incidents last year and speaking with colleagues across Glasgow and across my learning community I had recognised there was an rise in racist incidents."We were hearing language and terminology that we hadn't heard for a very long time. "I thought I really want to tackle this head-on. It's not acceptable. I don't want this for the children in my school."The first starting point was looking at the professional development I could do around that in order to be able to empower the children in my school."Racism is a systemic, cultural, societal issues that we all need to be involved in order to instigate change and empower change." No place for racism The Scottish government said improved reporting could be a factor in the rise but added there was "no place for racism" in schools. A spokesman said: "It is deeply concerning that so many people in Scotland continue to face racial discrimination." He added: "Diversity and equality are at the heart of policies that underpin education in Scotland."Incidents of discrimination or prejudice must be addressed whenever they arise. "It is important that we are vigilant in challenging any racist behaviour in Scotland's Scottish government will publish new guidance for schools on responding to racist incidents, including guidance on recording and monitoring in the coming weeks. Ann Davie, the chief executive of East Dunbartonshire Council, where Anisa went to school, said it takes racism and bullying very said there was a standardised approach to ensuring educational establishments create safe and inclusive learning environments that celebrate diversity for all children and young people. "Teachers and school staff are offered very clear guidance and professional learning relating to Bullying and Equalities and there is a clear expectation that all staff have a shared understanding of bullying, including racism, and the skills to respond effectively," Ms Davie said. "We work with schools to ensure these incidents are reported timeously and action is taken to address any needs identified."
Daily Mail
28-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Apprentice star Anisa Khan's Italian-Indian fusion pizza parlour suspends online deliveries amid 'incredible' surge in orders
A pizza parlour in London 's south has become a viral sensation with foodies travelling for hours and lining up around the block to get a slice of the action. Bombay Pizza in Wallington is making a name for itself with its unusual - yet delicious - fusion pies that marry Italian and Indian cuisines. Fronted by Apprentice runner-up Anisa Khan, 26, the new hot spot has been so inundated with orders that staff are working overtime to keep up with demand. The hype comes after Anisa battled it out with fellow contestant Dean Franklin on the BBC reality show's finale where the pair had to relaunch and rebrand their existing businesses. After 11 long weeks, the final two were tasked with creating a new brand, producing an advertising campaign, and then pitching their business to Lord Sugar and other leading industry experts to receive his £250,000 investment. For the challenge, the young businesswoman created a chickpea pizza with a flavourful dahl base and changed the company name to Zaal Pizza. Although Lord Sugar favoured Dean's pitch and crowned him the winner, viewers rallied behind Anisa. Since the finale was aired, Bombay Pizza - operating under its original name again - has received so many orders, its UK-wide delivery service had to be paused. The eatery is currently only accepting in-person takeaway orders serviced in London. To meet customer demand, Anisa also stepped up and began pulling extra shifts in the kitchen with her staff to catch up with the backlog of more than 500 orders. A statement posted to Bombay Pizza's social media read: 'We're currently experiencing an incredible surge in demand and are truly grateful for everyone's enthusiasm. To ensure we maintain the quality of our service, we're temporarily accepting in-person orders only at our restaurant. 'We're receiving a high volume of emails and calls, so please bear with us if there's a delay in our response. Our small team is working hard to get back to everyone as quickly as possible. 'We truly appreciate your patience and understanding during this exciting time. Once things settle down, we'll resume normal service - and we can't wait to see you again soon.' Just days after the message was posted, Bombay Pizza shared a video of Anisa greeting dozens of fans as they queued up outside the restaurant waiting to place their orders. 'I'm in south Wales and so tempted to drive five hours just to taste these pizzas, they look absolutely delicious,' one user said. 'I'm going to have to fly to London to try this, it's on my bucket list now,' another replied. 'My boyfriend and I travelled from London to try this pizza after seeing all the great reviews on The Apprentice. Although the wait time was 2.5 hours, we were happy to wait at a local pub. These pizzas didn't disappoint. The chicken tikka masala was absolutely delicious,' a reviewer wrote. 'I've just had the best pizza of my life – the Bombay Pizza in Wallington is an absolute gem! From the first bite, I could tell this wasn't your average pizza,' another said. Speaking exclusively to MailOnline earlier this month about how the interest in her pizza changed after her stint on The Apprentice, she said: 'It was like hundreds of people. 'We had queues coming out of my takeaway restaurant and it's amazing. 'Also it's amazing because one, it's great business, but two, it's nice that I've had an impact on so many people. 'So it's strange, because obviously the show I did last year, and I knew I was a finalist the whole time. 'Like, the whole time the air shows I know how far I got right, I knew I did well on the show, but now the nation has caught up, now everyone's so proud and I've had so many messages, and so many people have come in. 'I'm trying my best to handle it, because honestly, last Friday and Saturday was just mental. Like, I've never experienced that level of busy.' Bombay Pizza opened in Sutton in 2020 as a dark kitchen serving a range of South-Asian-inspired pizzas. Popular choices include The CTM, with tandoor-grilled chicken tikka in masala sauce, red onions, mozzarella, and coriander, as well as the Khan's Keema Special with lamb, spices, peas, cheese and herbs. Also on offer is the vegan Bombay Brinjal that's topped with roasted aubergine, mushrooms, spinach and masala spices and the best-selling chilli paneer pizza. There is also a range of sides like the cheesy garlic coriander and chilli slices and fiery Bombay fries. Off the back of the unique restaurant's success, Anisa said she wants to open more Bombay Pizza dark kitchens in high-demand areas. She told the BBC: 'This will allow me to grow the business strategically, introduce our innovative menu to more customers, and build towards establishing a nationally recognised brand'.
The Independent
18-04-2025
- Business
- The Independent
Apprentice runner-up shares surprise revelation about final boardroom
The runner-up of The Apprentice 2025 has opened up about falling at the final hurdle – and revealed a surprise claim about the climactic boardroom showdown. On Thursday (17 April), Lord Sugar made his decision after whittling down 18 candidates to just two – and selected Dean Franklin as his latest business partner, securing him the tycoon's £250,000 investment. Dean's air-conditioning business was favoured over Anisa Khan's restaurant, which offers pizzas with Indian-based ingredients. In a follow-up interview after the episode aired on the BBC, Anisa acknowledged that Dean's business 'does make more money' than hers, which is now called Bombay Pizza, stating to MailOnline: 'I think from a business perspective, it makes sense, we're all sure that Sugar wants to invest in the one that makes more money. And I think that's what it came down to in the end.' However, rather than succumb to nerves in the final showdown, Anisa said she felt strangely measured. 'I know the final boardroom was the most important, but it's also the one I was the most calm in it, because I think by that point, I was just speaking about my business and I knew, in terms of the final task being about my business, that I had done everything I could have in a way. 'I presented well, I said my arguments, I described the business.' Meanwhile, Franklin told Yahoo! News that he always had a feeling he'd win the show if he made it through the auditions. 'I've always wanted to do The Apprentice; I've always said to my friends and family, 'I'm gonna get on that show one day and I'm gonna win it.' And I've done it.' However unlike Anisa, he found the final boardroom 'a struggle' as he was so tired and 'had nothing left'. 'I knew my taxi was outside that was taking me home. That got in my head when I was in the final boardroom and I was just thinking, 'I'm going home in a minute. Let's just get this done.' Dean continued: 'I'm not the best speaker and this is what I was saying in the process – I was up against people that are professional speakers. I've never done anything like this before. I never had to speak in front of an audience or speak about myself in these ways. 'I've always been a grafter, I've always been on the tools and sites, and that's what I'm used to, so this was me out of my depth. But I was just true to myself and just spoke how I could, really.' The Apprentice returns to BBC One in 2026.
The Independent
17-04-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Where to buy Apprentice finalist Anisa Khan's Bombay Pizza ahead of tonight's finale
After another gruelling 12 weeks of mad-dash BBC Apprentice action,tonight Lord Sugar will crown his next business partner, investing a life-changing £250,000 to supercharge their business. Hoping to go all the way in tonight's finale is Sutton-based Anisa Khan, who has to be one of this series' biggest losers, having only been on the winning team twice this series. But having reached the final, she's hoping to tempt Lord Sugar with her South Asian-inspired pizzas. Tonight, Anisa's pizzas will go up against Dean Franklin's London and Essex-based air conditioning business in the final task of the series. Both candidates, who have existing businesses already, will re-launch and brand their business with a digital billboard and TV ad, and will be grilled by industry professionals. But will the entrepreneur's fusion pizza get Lord Sugar smacking his lips? Here's everything you need to know about Anisa's Bombay Pizza business and how you can try a slice for yourself. Anisa has been operating Bombay Pizza out of a dark kitchen in Wallington, Sutton since 2020, creating a selection of hand-crafted pizzas with a South Asian twist. Serving up a huge range of fusion pizzas – all 12in in size – Bombay Pizza's selection includes everything from the fiery 'chilli paneer', made with sautéed chilli paneer, red onions, peppers, mozzarella and fresh chillies on a spicy masala base, to the rich and indulgent 'CTM', which combines tender tandoor-grilled chicken tikka with creamy masala sauce, red onions, mozzarella and fresh coriander. Meat lovers can opt for Khan's 'keema special', topped with lamb keema, peas and masala spices, or go all-in with the 'Bombay meat feast', which throws halal pepperoni, sausage and spiced keema into the mix. For something plant-based, the 'vegan Bombay brinjal' features roasted aubergine, mushrooms and spinach sautéed in aromatic spices on a marinara base. It looks like a mash-up of traditional Italian technique and bold desi flavours. Bombay Pizza also serves a range of sides – from jumbo tandoori wings and cheesy masala fries to chilli cheese bites and onion bhajis – as well as fresh salads, high-protein options and desserts like Nutella-filled samosas and kulfi lollies. Right now, due to high demand, Bombay Pizza is only taking in-person orders – so if you want a slice, you'll need to head down to Sutton yourself. And if that's a bit too far, you'll be pleased to hear that last month Anisa launched Bombay Pizza by Post, a nationwide delivery service. All postal orders have already sold out, but you can sign up to the mailing list to be the first to know when they're back in stock. In a cute twist, Anisa has also launched a special run of Apprentice -inspired pizzas on the Bombay Pizza by Post site, each one named after one of the final five contestants. 'The Jordan' features a BBQ base with Bombay aloo, red onions and mozzarella; 'The Dean' has a spicy masala base topped with chicken madras, mozzarella and chillies; 'The Chisora' pairs butter chicken with BBQ sauce, sweetcorn, peppers and mozzarella; 'The Amber-Rose' combines an Italian marinara base with chicken tikka, peppers, sweetcorn, olives and cheese; and finally, The Anisa brings the heat with Bengali chicken naga, peppers, red onions and mozzarella on a spicy masala base.
