Anglophone Writing and Postcolonial Diaspora: Reading Monica Ali,Zia Haider Rahman and Tahmima Anam in Bangladesh and Beyond

Abstract

Monica Ali (b. 1967), Zia Haider Rahman (b. 1969) and Tahmima Anam (b. 1975), Bangladeshi-born but currently living in the UK and the USA, belong to the tradition of South Asian Anglophone and diaspora writing. With different backgrounds in terms of the places where they have grown up and cultural orientations, all three writers have received education in the UK and the USA, and their experiences are as varied as transformative. Although their works are taught as diaspora literature or Bangladeshi writing in English, Ali, Rahman and Anam are also studied as South Asian writers through other critical lenses. In some cases, they fall under the broader realm called postcolonialism. This article, therefore, attempts to situate Ali, Rahman and Anam in the categories as they are taught in Bangladesh and beyond, exploring their notable works in light of diaspora and postcolonial studies. The article argues that they deserve wider space in South Asian and postcolonial literary and cultural scholarship. As far as merit is concerned, their works resonate with those studied and critiqued across the world. The article draws on critical proliferations in alignment with the sites of diaspora studies, Anglophone literature and postcolonial diasporas to examine their major works, taking pedagogical concerns and the significant grounds of teaching them in Bangladesh and beyond into consideration.