Tanuja Desai Hidier

I read this book several weeks ago, and I wanted to share it with you, not so much because of the story (Which was okay), but because of it's author.



Tanuja Desai Hidier is not only an accomplished author and filmmaker, but also a musician, and lead singer in an English rock band.

Her first novel, "Born Confused" features the cultural concerns of an Indian girl (Dimple Lala) raised in America. I originally thought this novel was going to be a true story, but instead it turned out to be a work of fiction, which diminished its value in my eyes, but it was a good story nevertheless. "Born Confused", published in 2002, won the Larry King pick of the week, an American Library Association BBYA book of the year, and a Sunday Times (Times of London) book of the week.

Tanuja's first short film, The Test, which she wrote and directed, deals with many of the same issues as "Born Confused", and was screened at the 19th Asian American International Film Festival, the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, D.C. and the Toronto's Desh Pardesh festival, receiving the Award of Merit from the 1996 Sinking Creek Film & Video Festival at Vanderbilt University. She is currently turning "Born Confused" into a screenplay.

She is the lead singer and songwriter in the London band Tanu & Marie

She was a finalist for the 2006 Asian Women of Achievement Awards for the United Kingdom and was recently voted one of the 50 Coolest Desis in the world by Desiclub.com.

(Information paraphrased from her website)

--------------------------------------------------------------

I feel that Tanuja is an inspiration to any female interested in the arts. She is only in her midtwenties, and has already accomplished so much (And some of her accomplishments I didn't even include!)

To read more about her, including an overview of her musical career, and a Q&A, click on the link above.