Tawseef Khan

The one and only Bryan Washing will be at Blackwell's on Thursday 22nd January! The acclaimed author of Lot, Memorial and Family Meal is visiting the UK for the publication of his latest novel Palaver by @atlanticbooks.bsky.social. Join us to hear him in conversation with @tawseefkhan.bsky.social!

On Appearances And The Thing Nobody Tells You About Publishing

I've been thinking a lot about the impact being a published author has on our self-image, so I wrote about it in my latest newsletter. It led me to think more broadly about who is considered 'marketable' in publishing. You can check it out here:

tawseefkhan.substack.com/p/on-appeara...

Oh, thank you, Ruby! That means a lot! I’m always fretting about this newsletter business and can never let myself just write it freely.

On Appearances And The Thing Nobody Tells You About Publishing

I've been thinking a lot about the impact being a published author has on our self-image, so I wrote about it in my latest newsletter. It led me to think more broadly about who is considered 'marketable' in publishing. You can check it out here:

tawseefkhan.substack.com/p/on-appeara...

Hi writing folks! We've just migrated to bluesky and thought we should introduce ourselves. We're an online queer literary journal, we've been going since 2019 and we love writing that is daring and innovative.

We're looking to be connected to the writing community here, so please follow and RT! 🍎🍇

Text on a photographed background of mixed fruit. Text reads: Fruit queer literary journal. Submissions open for Writers of Colour, now until 30th November.

🏳️‍🌈 QUEER WRITERS OF COLOUR! 🏳️‍🌈

We’re now open for submissions until 30th November.

We want to read your boundary-bending writing – fiction, non-fiction, poetry, hybrid & visual work all welcome!🍎

See our guidelines: fruitjournal.co.uk/submit/

Oh, brilliant! How was it???

Me too!!!

Afghan food is revolutionising Manchester’s culinary scene From standout rice dishes to fragrant stews and crispy stuffed flatbreads, the flavours of Kabul and beyond have found a new northern home

Spent a month eating at nearly every Afghan restaurant in Manchester and then wrote about it here:

hyphenonline.com/2025/10/08/m...

Afghan food is revolutionising Manchester’s culinary scene From standout rice dishes to fragrant stews and crispy stuffed flatbreads, the flavours of Kabul and beyond have found a new northern home

Spent a month eating at nearly every Afghan restaurant in Manchester and then wrote about it here:

hyphenonline.com/2025/10/08/m...

I’m actually reeling. They are literally walling people inside Elfashir, so they can exterminate them.

And we’re all just watching it happen.

The helplessness is soul crushing 😭😭😭

#KeepEyesOnSudan

I have approximately zero following on this app, sharing in the hopes it can get in front of the right person. A man I went to college with’s wife was kidnapped by ICE at a green card hearing, and he’s trying to find a reporter who will speak to him about the situation

The success of the far right is not only measured in votes and seats but in its impact on rhetoric, policy and ideology. The fact that a (nominally) social democratic head of government with a huge majority choses to say and do this is maybe the biggest success of the far right in Europe yet.

Oh, thank you for reading Osbert! I’m glad it’s resonating with you - sadly, the message of the book feels more timely than ever.

Determination ‘A compassionate, beautifully told portrait’ Guy Gunaratne ‘Absorbing, witty, eloquent fiction, as well as a trenchant political critique’ Tom Benn’A hymn to empathy, …

A vital novel whose complex characters struggle against their own and their family’s expectations, against a society that doesn’t see or value them, and against the random cruelties of the UK immigration system. A thoughtful and touching must-read.

@tawseefkhan.bsky.social
shorturl.at/topdh

Ah, thank you, Jo! Sorry it’s taking me a while to see this! 🥰

John Boyne lives in Ireland where we’ve had self-ID for trans people for over ten years and Boyne (who, just for the record, is vocally anti-trans and supports the views of anti trans hate groups) can’t point to a single instance where this has caused conflict with women’s rights

Controversial AI technology will assess disputed ages of UK Asylum seekers New system could be problematic, a watchdog says, especially where a child is denied rights and protections

What you're normalising by doing photo age verification:

www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home...

By my count this makes 5 out of 12 authors on the Polari First Book longlist who have withdrawn. It's hard to understate the moral courage this involves, esp for folk launching their first book into the world. As so often, those with the most to lose end up showing the most moral fibre. Solidarity x

Why You Didn't Necessarily Vote Better On the Labour party and its track record on immigration.

Wrote my latest substack around a question I get asked a lot at literary events: ‘what can we do?’ It’s about voting better, how we can support refugees, and appraising Labour’s record on immigration one year in. It’s also full of food/film/music/book recs!

tawseefkhan.substack.com/p/why-you-di...

Why You Didn't Necessarily Vote Better On the Labour party and its track record on immigration.

Wrote my latest substack around a question I get asked a lot at literary events: ‘what can we do?’ It’s about voting better, how we can support refugees, and appraising Labour’s record on immigration one year in. It’s also full of food/film/music/book recs!

tawseefkhan.substack.com/p/why-you-di...

Five survivors of Rotherham grooming gangs say they were also raped by police officers Three former South Yorkshire police officers arrested in investigation into claims by the women, as young as 12 at the time

God, the number of people who were willing to believe that the South Yorkshire police were too woke to prosecute sexual abuse cases, when in fact the police force was itself an instrument of patriarchal sexual violence. It’s like a case study in the worst excesses of the British press.

Determination by Tawseef Khan

Just arrived in Berlin!

Determination by @tawseefkhan.bsky.social

The Rumpus Submission Manager The Rumpus publishes original fiction, poetry, literary humor writing, comics, essays, book reviews, and interviews with authors and artists of all kinds. Founded in 2009 and independent from the star...

Some personal news…

@roxanegay.bsky.social and @debbiemillman.bsky.social are relaunching @therumpus.net!!! And I’m excited to be joining their team as poetry editor! 🤓 WEEEEE!!! You can submit your poetry for consideration here: therumpus.submittable.com/submit

The Word for World: The Maps of Ursula K. Le Guin a book by Ursula K. Le Guin, Sarah Shin, and So Mayer. When Ursula K. Le Guin started writing a new novel, she would begin by drawing a map. The Word for World is the first publication focusing on maps by the celebrated author, publishing many for the fir...

2 book year for me – BAD LANGUAGE (Peninsula) in Nov & this amazing compendium I've had the honour to edit w/ Sarah Shin @silver-press.bsky.social in Oct!

More Le Guin, this time w/ added Bhanu Kapil, @davidnaimon.bsky.social, @unamccormack.bsky.social & more!

uk.bookshop.org/p/books/the-...

Why I've Taken Against Reading Lists On Pride Month, Queerness and Exclusion

Link to my second newsletter about pride month and reading lists:

tawseefkhan.substack.com/p/why-ive-ta...

Just posted my second newsletter over at the place beginning with ‘S’. It’s about Pride month and reading lists, and the kinds of books and authors they end up excluding. Ignore the fuzzy picture, it’s a good read! 🥰

Why I've Taken Against Reading Lists On Pride Month, Queerness and Exclusion

Another interesting read from my buddy @tawseefkhan.bsky.social’s new substack. This week: on being a queer writer whose work isn’t considered ‘queer enough’ for reading lists…
open.substack.com/pub/tawseefk...

Just posted my second newsletter over at the place beginning with ‘S’. It’s about Pride month and reading lists, and the kinds of books and authors they end up excluding. Ignore the fuzzy picture, it’s a good read! 🥰