AFRICAN QUILT is a collection of ten stories exploring the wide canvas of the Asian Indian experience in Kenya through the 20th century. There is a panopoly of humor, injustice, pathos, exploitation, wonderment in an age of innocence, and self-discovery in the stories. The characters, whose lives are subtly, but often dramatically, affected by their surroundings, and the political climate in a changing country, are ordinary in their origins, but rise to personal triumph and leave a mark on society.
In an era when the Asian Indian community lived largely segregated from their Kenyan counterparts, the Asian Indian lifestyle and culture are portrayed against an African backdrop. The stories transcend linguistic and cultural differences despite being ensconced in the confines of close-knit families, and an insular community. The early stages of the colonization of Kenya, and the eventual sunset over the British Empire are sensitively portrayed.
Mengenai Pengarang
Dr. Parvin D. Syal was born and raised in Nairobi, Kenya where he studied Medicine. After further training in England, he migrated to California where he still practices his profession. While in Kenya, he published poetry ¡n the literary magazines, Nexus and Busara. He was also a contributor to Poems from East Africa edited by David Rubadiri, and David Cook. He is author of Streams of Consciousness, and co-author, with Harshi Syal Gill, of a play on the life of Buddha, God Minus. His second anthology of poetry, One Zero Eight is in publication. In California, Syal wrote extensively for the ethnic press, in addition to playing a leadership role in community and political activism. He has written for the stage, and film and has acted in both these media of entertainment. Syal lives in Chatsworth, California with his family.