Atima Srivastava was born in Mumbai in 1961, moved to Britain when she was eight, and has since been living in North London. She has written two novels, Transmission and Looking for Maya, both of which are set texts in the syllabi of several Universities in Britain and other European countries ranging from Poland to Spain. She is working on a third novel, tentatively titled The Non-Resident Indian. Several of her short stories have been commissioned and published in anthologies, New Writing 2001, Well Sorted and Tran-Lit.
- "My situation is different, although I came to England at the age of eight. My 'India', if you like, came from my parents' very present idea of India, which involved speaking Hindi, having visitors from India over etc. - very little assimilation - and also from my very frequent trips back. So yes, although the 'broken mirrors' is a concept I understand, an India, even it is not a real or authentic India (whatever that is!), has, does and continues to exist certainly for my sense of self. I have always felt myself to be Indian and a Londoner, never British, never English�.My most potent image of myself is that I always have the feeling that I am from here and also from there. When I am here, I feel Indian constantly and when I am there, I feel ... English, or western, or ... I suppose I feel like an NRI, which has become a relevant identity. And yet, even this is problematic, because I do not feel like a tourist in India, although I am, of course. I feel that I belong to India, while I feel I 'own' London." -- Atima Srivastava
Atima Srivastava has worked in television for over 13 years as a film editor and, more recently, as a director. She has three screenplays to her credit: Dancing in the Dark and The Legendary Vindaloo commissioned for Channel 4; and Camden Story for the BBC. A play, Why not Love? has been commissioned by The National Theatre and she has written the libretto for a new opera, Cross Currents, commissioned by BroomHill Opera, performed in June 2001.
Atima Srivastava has won first prize in the Bridport Arts Short Story competition, an Arts Council Award for her second and third novel, and a Hawthornden Fellowship. She has been Writer in Residence at the University of Singapore and the University of Sophia (Bulgaria) and University of Mainz. She has taught Creative Writing courses and lectured around the world with the British Council.