WE MOVE is an interlinked, generous and joyful collection of west-London-set short stories by 23-year-old Southall born and raised Gurnaik Johal. Gurnaik is an original new writing talent who we’ve signed up for two books (his debut novel is forthcoming in 2024). Think Zadie Smith’s London meets Yiyun Li’s craft and skill.
He’s a graduate of the University of Manchester and his day job is as an assistant editor at Hachette Children’s division. He was shortlisted for the Guardian/4th Estate BAME Prize when he was just 19 and an undergraduate and Jon McGregor, Wendy Erskine and Neel Mukherjee are all fans so he’s definitely a talent to watch.
WE MOVE is mostly set in the west London suburbs he grew up in, shifting between there and India with the symbolism of nearby Heathrow Airport (place of work/arrival/departure) in the background. It’s a perfect set of interconnected stories about a community and a shared history that is so confidently done that it’s hard to believe this is the author’s first book.
Deftly and movingly referencing big politics and activism (the 1984 Sikh massacres, Southall Black Sisters) to the personal (repressed sexuality, cross-generational misunderstandings) alongside teenage joy, sibling relationships and bhangra daytimers.
He spoke to Asian Voice about it.
What inspired you to write books? How do you choose your themes?
As a teenager, I wanted to make things like art and music and stumbled upon writing fiction at eighteen. It was the perfect form for me - I didn’t need a studio or instruments or expensive supplies, I could just sit at a computer and there were no limits.
Writing has always been an organic, explorative process for me, and I never begin with any certain theme in my mind. Themes only become visible after the fact, and even then, they’ll be clearer in readers’ minds than they are in mine!
What did you grow up reading?
I mostly read whatever my older brother was reading: a lot of sci-fi and fantasy. I only really began to love reading at university when I was introduced to short stories.
Does it help to have a job in publishing while also being a writer?
It helps to the extent that I’m able to view a book in quite a practical way, as a commercial object as well as an art form. It probably keeps me grounded in that sense. Other than that, it can be a bit difficult working all day on a laptop looking at text and then working all evening on a laptop looking at the text.
What is the key to writing short stories? Where do most writers go wrong?
Frustratingly, each time I start a story it feels like the first one I’ve ever written - they all require new tools and techniques. But a one-size-fits-all approach to writing would probably have quite boring results, so I’m grateful for that.
In terms of where writers go wrong, I can’t speak for others, but I used to have a problem balancing exposition with action. Getting that balance right is important, especially in short fiction.
Please tell us a bit about your latest work. Where can we find it and who is the target reader?
We Move is a collection of interconnected stories set in and around Southall. Following the lives of multiple generations of immigrants, it stretches from the 70s to the present day and offers different (and sometimes conflicting) portraits of one community.
The book has no target reader - I hope it's got enough range for it to appeal to all sorts of readers. You can find it online and in bookshops from 7th April.
