Farrukh Dhondy
Encyclopedia
Farrukh Dhondy is a British writer, playwright and activist of Indian Parsi descent.
in India before winning a scholarship to Pembroke College, Cambridge
in 1964 where he read Natural Sciences before switching to English. After graduating he studied for a Masters degree at Leicester University
and was later a lecturer at the Leicester College of Further Education and a secondary school in London.
and later, in London, with the British Black Panther movement
, joining the publication Race Today
in 1970 and discovering his calling as a writer on race-related themes.
(1985–87) for the channel, which concerned the rivalry of two curry house owners. His children's stories include KBW (Keep Britain White), a study of a young white boy's response to anti-Bengali racism.
Education
Dhondy obtained a BSc degree from University of PoonaUniversity of Pune
The University of Pune , is a university located in northwestern Pune, India. It was founded in 1949. Spread over a campus, the university is home to 46 academic departments...
in India before winning a scholarship to Pembroke College, Cambridge
Pembroke College, Cambridge
Pembroke College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge, England.The college has over seven hundred students and fellows, and is the third oldest college of the university. Physically, it is one of the university's larger colleges, with buildings from almost every century since its...
in 1964 where he read Natural Sciences before switching to English. After graduating he studied for a Masters degree at Leicester University
University of Leicester
The University of Leicester is a research-led university based in Leicester, England. The main campus is a mile south of the city centre, adjacent to Victoria Park and Wyggeston and Queen Elizabeth I College....
and was later a lecturer at the Leicester College of Further Education and a secondary school in London.
Early activism
In Leicester, Dhondy became involved with the Indian Workers' AssociationIndian Workers' Association
The Indian Workers' Association is a political organisation in Great Britain.The first Indian Workers' Association was founded in London in the 1930s, while another was set up in Coventry in 1938. Set up by immigrant workers from India, their members included Udham Singh, and they focussed on...
and later, in London, with the British Black Panther movement
Black Panther Party
The Black Panther Party wasan African-American revolutionary leftist organization. It was active in the United States from 1966 until 1982....
, joining the publication Race Today
Race Today
Race Today was a monthly British political magazine. Launched in 1969 by the Institute of Race Relations, it was from 1973 published by the Race Today Collective, which included figures such as Darcus Howe, Farrukh Dhondy and Linton Kwesi Johnson...
in 1970 and discovering his calling as a writer on race-related themes.
Writing
Dhondy's literary output includes books for children, young adults and adults, as well as plays for theatre, film and television. He is also a columnist, a biographer (of C.L.R. James (2001)), and a former media executive (Channel Four Commissioning Editor for Multicultural Programmes 1984–1997). During his time with Channel Four, he wrote the comedy series Tandoori NightsTandoori Nights
Tandoori Nights was a television sitcom broadcast on Channel 4 between 1985 and 1987. It consisted of two series of six episodes each. The series was directed by Jon Amiel and written by Farrukh Dhondy. It is the story of two rival restaurants in London, and starred Saeed Jaffery, Tariq Yunus, Rita...
(1985–87) for the channel, which concerned the rivalry of two curry house owners. His children's stories include KBW (Keep Britain White), a study of a young white boy's response to anti-Bengali racism.
Honours and Awards
- Children's Rights Workshop Other award: 1977, for East End at Your Feet, and 1979, for Come to Mecca, and Other Stories;
- Collins/Fontana Award for books for multi-ethnic Britain: for Come to Mecca, and Other Stories;
- Works represented in "Children's Fiction in Britain, 1900-1990" exhibition, British Council's Literature Department, 1990;
- Nomination for Whitbread Award for first novel, 1990, for Bombay Duck.
Books
- East End at Your Feet (short stories), Macmillan PublishersMacmillan PublishersMacmillan Publishers Ltd, also known as The Macmillan Group, is a privately held international publishing company owned by Georg von Holtzbrinck Publishing Group. It has offices in 41 countries worldwide and operates in more than thirty others.-History:...
(London, England), 1976. - Come to Mecca, and Other Stories, Collins (London, England), 1978.
- The Siege of Babylon (novel), Macmillan (London, England), 1978.
- Poona Company (short stories), GollanczGollanczGollancz often refers to the British publishing house Victor Gollancz Ltd.Gollancz, a family name originating from the Polish town Gołańcz , is mainly known as the name of a prominent British Jewish family, including:* Sir Hermann Gollancz , rabbi* Sir Israel Gollancz , scholar of...
(London, England), 1980. - Trip Trap (short stories), Faber and FaberFaber and FaberFaber and Faber Limited, often abbreviated to Faber, is an independent publishing house in the UK, notable in particular for publishing a great deal of poetry and for its former editor T. S. Eliot. Faber has a rich tradition of publishing a wide range of fiction, non fiction, drama, film and music...
(London, England), 1985. - Bombay Duck (adult novel), Jonathan CapeJonathan CapeJonathan Cape was a London-based publisher founded in 1919 as "Page & Co" by Herbert Jonathan Cape , formerly a manager at Duckworth who had worked his way up from a position of bookshop errand boy. Cape brought with him the rights to cheap editions of the popular author Elinor Glyn and sales of...
(London, England), 1990. - Black Swan, Gollanz (London, England), 1992, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (Boston, MA), 1993.
- Janacky and the Giant, and Other Stories, HarperCollinsHarperCollinsHarperCollins is a publishing company owned by News Corporation. It is the combination of the publishers William Collins, Sons and Co Ltd, a British company, and Harper & Row, an American company, itself the result of an earlier merger of Harper & Brothers and Row, Peterson & Company. The worldwide...
(London, England), 1993. - C L R James: Cricket, The Caribbean and World Revolution, 205pp, Weidenfeld & NicolsonWeidenfeld & NicolsonWeidenfeld & Nicolson Ltd is a British publisher of fiction and reference books. It is a division of the Orion Publishing Group.-History:...
, 2001. - The Bikini Murders, based on the life of Charles Shobhraj also known as The Bikini Killer, 2008.
Plays
- Mama Dragon, produced in London, England, 1980.
- Trojans (adaptation of a play by Euripedes), produced in London, England, 1982.
- Kipling Sahib, produced in London, England, 1982.
- Vigilantes (produced in 1985), Hobo Press, 1988.
- King of the Ghetto (television series), British Broadcasting Company (BBC1), 1986.
- Split Wide Open (screenplay; based on the story by Dev Benegal), Adlabs/BMG Crescendo, 1999.
External links
- Biography of Dhondy on Answers.comAnswers.comAnswers.com is an Internet-based knowledge exchange, which includes WikiAnswers, ReferenceAnswers, VideoAnswers, and five international language Q&A communities. The Answers.com domain name was purchased by Bill Gross and Henrik Jones at idealab in 1996. The domain name was acquired by NetShepard...
, from Gale Biographies of Children's Authors