Kasim Ali

In the Podcast this week, we’re speaking to author Kasim Ali. Kasim has previously had a short story published in The Good Journal and has been longlisted for both the 4th Estate B4ME Short Story Prize and shortlisted for Hachette's Mo Siewcherran Prize. On the 3rd of March his debut novel Good Intentions was published by 4th Estate. It tells of the story of Nur and Yasmina who have been together for four happy years, however Nur has not yet told his parents of Yasmina’s existence for fear of losing his status as the Golden Child. On New Years Eve he decides to break the news to his parents: That he has built a life with a woman he loves and she is Black. Author Lillian Li described it as “Compelling, emotionally honest, and unafraid of the grey areas of race, faith, sexuality and love.” It is a beautifully written novel, and one that stands out for me for its exquisite rendering of the complex relationships between lovers, family, and friends. Good Intentions asserts an exciting new voice on the UK literary scene. When he is not writing Kasim is an assistant editor at Penguin Random House and is currently working on his third novel while he should be editing his second. The podcast is produced and presented by the team at Mostly Books. Find us on Twitter @mostlyreading & Instagram @mostlybooks_shop. Edited by Nick Short @alongstoryshorter. Good Intentions is published in the UK by 4th Estate. Books mentioned in this episode include: Good Intentions – Kasim Ali (9780008450656) The Stolen – Alex Shearer Frankenstein – Mary Shelley (9780141198965) Dracula – Bram Stoker (9780141199337) Attack Of The Graveyard Ghouls - R.L. Stine (9781407157290) The Bad Beginning - Lemony Snicket (9781405266062) The Secret History - Donna Tartt (9780140167771) A Little Life - Hanya Yanagihara (9781529077216) White Teeth - Zadie Smith (9780140276336) The Reluctant Fundamentalist - Mohsin Hamid (9780141029542) The Incarnations - Susan Barker (9781784160005)