Javeria Kausar
Doctoral Student in Creative Writing - Javeria’s thesis is entitled ‘Hypervigilant Second Person; Islamophobia, Misinterpretation, and the Novels of Leila Aboulela'
Research Project Title:
Hypervigilant Second Person; Islamophobia, Misinterpretation, and the Novels of Leila Aboulela
Supervisors:
Prof Preti Taneja, Prof Neelam Srivastava + Prof Jo Robinson
Contact Details:
Email: j.kausar2@newcastle.ac.uk
Research Interests:
- Hypervigilance
- Collective guilt
- Toxic shame
- Internalised Islamophobia
- Coloniality
- Anti-immigrant rhetoric
- Taqwa
- Islam as a means of empowerment
Brief Outline of Research Project:
My research aims to explore how fiction can raise awareness and inspire reflection and resistance against Islamophobia.
The creative component (70%) is a fiction novel. Through experimentation and research, I am developing an innovative literary form (which I call hypervigilant second person) that mimics the mind of someone made hypervigilant due to the growing Islamophobia in society. This hypervigilant mind becomes the narrator, a "cop in the head" (Boal), wreaking havoc in the day-to-day life of my Muslim protagonist. I use third person as well as second person points of view and show how Islamophobia can seep in and affect the most private aspects of people's lives, even when it may not be directly affecting them. The novel interrogates the potential of choice-based fiction (as form) and the second person point of view (as tool). Moreover, it takes inspiration from the principles of Augusto Boal's Theatre of the Oppressed and Rainbow of Desire for impactful creative representation of oppression.
The novel (tentatively titled Hypervigilant Second Person) is set in Newcastle Upon Tyne in the present, and revolves around a South Indian (Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh) Muslim named Sahil Adam, who is convinced that he needs to hide his identity--to not be himself--in order to be safe. He seems to have figured out how to protect himself and his wife, but he can no longer sustain this lifestyle when his sister, a visibly Muslim girl, arrives from India to stay with him. I intend for the novel to examine Islamophobia in both the UK and India and their impact on the innocent and marginalised. It also highlights a culture (Andhra Muslim) that has not been written about much in English literary fiction, to my knowledge.
The critical component (30%) focuses on the novels of Leila Aboulela and the representation of Islamophobia in them. Additionally, it discusses how her work has been misinterpreted by critics. In a bridging chapter, I intend to include a reflection on my creative process and output and how the two components relate.
Creative Writing
Erin and the Indian Delight (novelette, sequel to Erin and the Indian Bride) was chosen from the international Story Shares contest and published by Story Shares, USA in 2023. This novelette addresses Islamophobia in India. Story Shares aims to increase literacy rates among children and adults via “easy to read” and “hard to put down” stories.
My short story "Being Here as Myself" (unpublished) was shortlisted for the Story Tyne, North Tyneside Libraries short story competition 2022. The shortlist was announced in September 2023.
(Con)TEXT, Interactive Poem, 2022
Longlisted for 'Opening Up' category of the New Media Writing Prize
72 Hours of Insanity (Vol. 6) (Anthology) 2019
First Runner-up in the international Writer’s
Games 2019, ‘An Inconvenient Assassin’ Event
(Short Story: Assassin)
Sweekstars 2017 - Bundle I (Anthology) 2018
Finalist (No winners; only 4 finalists chosen for publication out of 8500 entries) in the First
Sweekstars Awards – ‘Most Powerful Stories’ category
(Foam and Froth—on OCD)
Erin and the Indian Bride (Novelette) 2018
Finalist in International Story Shares Contest 2018. Published by Story Shares, USA, which aims to increase literacy rates among children and adults via “easy to read” and “hard to put down” stories.
(—on child marriage and education in India)
Wordweavers: Poetry & Short Story Anthology 2018
Winner of the Wordweavers India Haiku Contest
(Calm, tranquil water—on nature)
First Runner-up in the Wordweavers India Short
Story Contest (Amir—on kindness) (Issue 4)
72 Hours of Insanity (Vol. 5) (Anthology) 2018
Winner in the international Writer’s Games 2018, ‘Campfire’ Short Story Event
(The Stained Glass River—on old age and depression)
72 Hours of Insanity (Vol. 4) (Anthology) 2018
First Runner-up in the international Writer's Games 2018, ‘Silence’ Short Story Event (A Bangle to Stop Her Tears—child labour in Indian bangle-making industry)
Aatish 2 (Poetry Anthology) 2018
Second Runner-up, The Great Indian Poetry Contest, judged by Javed Akhtar, Kausar Munir, and Kalki Koechlin (Rhyme—on discrimination against rhyming poetry)
Sweek Flash Fiction Book: Part 1 (Anthology) 2017
Winner of the international Sweek Microfiction
Contest: Microlight Event
Awarded 50 USD (Foam and Froth—on OCD)
The 2017 Scythe Prize: Stories and Essays from College Writers (Anthology) 2017
Shortlisted in the international Scythe Prize
(Still Alive—on child soldiers)
Conferences
1. NarraScope 2023: Celebrating Narrative Games (9-11 June 2023)
NarraScope is an event that supports interactive narrative, adventure games, and interactive fiction by bringing together writers, developers, and players. It was held at the University of Pittsburgh, and I delivered a 15-minute lightning talk on my own research. It was titled "Choices of the Oppressed: Writing Choice-Based Fiction Using Theatre of the Oppressed Methods to Enable Muslim Minorites and Challenge Majority Assumptions"
Speakers list: https://2023.narrascope.org/pages/schedule.html#theatreoftheoppressed
Archived conference website: https://2023.narrascope.org/
2. University of Idaho's English Graduate Association Spring Conference 2023 Storytelling: Narrating Agency
It was an interdisciplinary conference exploring the meaning of agency, and what/who can have it. It was held on 1st April 2023 in Moscow, Idaho, USA, in a hybrid format. I presented my talk "Using Second Person Point of View and Forum Theatre Methods to Give Agency to Muslim Minorities to Explore and Tackle Islamophobia" virtually through Zoom. I was part of the panel for "Story Culture and Theory".
3. Electronic Literature Organization 2023 International conference and media arts show on the theme Overcoming Divides: Electronic Literature and Social Change
12-15 July 2023 – Coimbra, Portugal
I was selected as an artist and my interactive poem (con)TEXT (muslimwriter.itch.io/context) was presented as part of the exhibition of digital artwork on "Resistance" in Coimbra. The conference exhibition gallery can be viewed here: https://ucpages.uc.pt/en/events/overcoming-divides-electronic-literature-and-social-change/exhibitions/
Funding and Awards:
I have been awarded the Newcastle University Overseas Research Scholarship for my studies.
I have been chosen to be awarded a studentship from the Northern Bridge Doctoral Training Partnership (AHRC)
Honourable Mention - July 2022
Story Shares’ first Bestseller Challenge. From among the several books that are part of the Story Shares library, 110 fan favourites were shortlisted for the challenge. My novelette, Erin & the Indian Bride, was among the top 6 best-selling works. This was based on sales during the #PaperbacksThatGiveBack campaign, aimed at promoting global literacy by donating a free book for every book sold.
Second Runner-up - Dec 2021
International short fiction contest conducted by Sarojini Naidu Vanita Maha Vidyalaya (a college affiliated to Osmania University), Hyderabad, on the occasion of the 60th birthday of Arundhati Roy – The Champion of Humanity
Second Runner-up - 2019
Intercollegiate on-the-spot script-writing contest hosted by the English and Foreign Languages University
Gold Medallist (BA) - 2019
Best student in the undergraduate program
Certificate of Appreciation - 2019
Felicitated in Maris Stella College, for my “creativity, imagination and literary skills”
Winner (Group) - 2018
Maris Stella College Drama contest – I wrote and directed majority of the play.
Winner - 2017
Damodarshree National Award for Academic Excellence
A national-level essay writing, presentation, and defence contest in two levels. The finale entailed defending
the essay in front of a panel of esteemed professors in Uttar Pradesh, India.
Prize: 2,00,000 INR
Second Runner-up - 2017
Paper presentation contest (my topic: “How can our homes, colleges, cities be gender sensitive”) in the national-level workshop on “Moving Towards Synergetic Convergence of Society for Equal Rights and Opportunities for Girls and
Young Women” organised by Dept. of Social Work (Maris Stella) and Mahita-Plan International
First Runner-up - 2017
Essay Writing contest conducted by the Election Commission of India on the eve of National Voters’ Day Celebrations
Winner - 2016
Maris Stella College – Constitution Day Debate Competition (Group)
First Runner-up - 2016
Maris Stella College – Constitution Day Elocution Competition
First Runner-up - 2015
Maris Stella College – 125th Birth Anniversary of Dr B R Ambedkar – Paper Presentation Competition
Second Runner-up - 2015
Maris Stella College – Competition in Narration
Academic Background:
- MA English, The English and Foreign Languages University, Hyderabad (India)
- BA Literature, Maris Stella College (affiliated to Krishna University), Vijayawada (India)
Website:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/javeria-kausar-a170b911a
Latest Interview: https://www.storyshares.org/blog/javeria/