ABOUT ME

Hi, I'm Pia. I write this blog.

Sometime in 2011, I thought of creating this space as a way of making myself commit to regular writing. At the time, I'd taken a couple of years off from my career in advertising to muck around with my toddler, and wanted the blog to be a place where I would write only for writing's sake.

Not surprisingly, the blog started with food - I grew up in Calcutta, a city where food is always the easiest thing to talk about. Though at the time, I didn't know if my posts would be talking to anyone at all. So when strangers started writing in, no one was more surprised than I was. Through this space, I've made friends, and have had wonderful people reach out to me. For that, I'm always grateful.

The blog has also changed, shed many skins, since its first post. It has curved and bent and traveled in whichever way my life has gone. In a way, the blog is like the river I live next to now - it reflects bits of my life. Which I share with two remarkable human beings, who're also my closest friends and strongest allies - my husband and eight-year-old daughter. 

Writing

I wrote my first piece of fiction a few years starting this blog. I had not written fiction before, nor considered writing it. But there it was, this feeling. The faint outline of a story wanting to come out. So, as I do with most things, or with everything, I followed my nose.

That was three years ago. Since then much has happened, things that were unexpected, and so all the more wonderful. You can read some of my short stories linked below - they've been published in journals and anthologies in the UK, US, India, and is forthcoming in New Zealand.


Awards and attention

Winner of the 2017 Hamlin Garland Award
Third place at the Aestas Fabula Press Award, 2016
Longlisted for Hourglass Literary Magazine Contest, 2016
Longlisted for the Sunderland Short Story Award, 2016
Shortlisted for The Brighton Prize 2015
Longlisted for the Bath Short Story Award 2015
Highly commended at the Words & Women Competition 2014 and 2016

I'm currently working on my first novel and a collection of short stories (when not honing the fine art of procrastination, or just living life with D and my little girl).

You can read some of my published stories, essays and poetry online:

FICTION

Dominoes in Lunch Ticket

Driving North on Berfrois
This story was also shortlisted for The Brighton Prize, longlisted for the Bath Short Story Award and published in an anthology called Rattle Tales.

Well-brought-up  on Litro
You can read readers' comments about 'Well-brought-up' here

Bilet on Tupelo Quarterly
You can read readers' comments about 'Bilet' here

Dancing in the Drawing Room on Structo Magazine  
You can read readers' comments about the story here 

Third From the Bottom on Visual Verse
[Flash fiction]

Things That Stick Like Glue on Wales Arts Review
[Flash fiction]


ESSAYS

Eating Like a Bad Hindu, Huffington Post

The Smell of Old Books, River Teeth


POETRY

Wildling, Lit Sphere, Strands Publishers

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Advertising & Creative Consultancy
I've worked in advertising as a copywriter for more than a decade in ad agencies in Kolkata, Bangalore, Mumbai and London. I enjoy taking on interesting freelance assignments and working as a creative consultant. If you're interested in discussing a project, please drop me a note.

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Email: peppercornsinmypocket@gmail.com
Twitter & Instagram @piaghoshroy

Photography & Copyright
I take all photographs on this blog using a Nikon D90, and sometimes just my iPhone.
Everything here - words and photographs - are my personal work, and is protected by copyright. Please do not use anything from this space without asking me or linking back to the blog.

Pia Ghosh-Roy, updated 2017