Shyama Perera

Shyama Perera left school at 16 and got a job in the London Transport typing pool. At 17, she got her longed-for break into journalism as a copyreader, and by 23, she was the youngest-ever reporter on the Guardian staff. That crown was soon stolen, but her love for words and information remains. After a segue into TV and radio, the confinements of motherhood opened opportunities to write fiction. Her first novel, Haven’t Stopped Dancing Yet, was published by Sceptre in 1999. Two more followed, and a belated fourth remains a work in progress, having been rewritten seven times and currently reconfigured as a film script.

Shyama still contributes short stories and essays to anthologies, mentors and edits new writers, and can be spotted in newsprint and news broadcasting. She is Chair of SADAA (South Asian Diaspora Literature and Arts Archive) housed at Birmingham Museum, and of Healthwatch Brent. As a member of the Olivier Awards panel, she indulged her love for theatre and ran a highly successful reviews blog for many years. For the Royal Literary Fund, she has worked with community groups, university students, voluntary organisations, and Recovery Colleges.