Sathnam Sanghera FRSL (born 1976) is a British journalist and best-selling author.[1]
Sathnam Sanghera | |
|---|---|
 Sanghera in 2021 | |
| Born | 1976 (age 47–48) Wolverhampton, England |
| Education | Wolverhampton Grammar School |
| Alma mater | Christ's College, Cambridge |
| Occupation(s) | Journalist and author |
| Employer(s) | The Times Express and Star |
| Notable work | The Boy with the Topknot (2009) |
| Website | www |
Early life and education
editSathnam Sanghera was born to Indian Punjabi parents in Wolverhampton in 1976.[2][3] His parents had emigrated from India to the UK in 1968.[4][5] He was raised a Sikh.[5] He attended Wolverhampton Grammar School, an independent school where he had gained a place after passing the 11+ examination and was funded by the government's Assisted Places Scheme. He graduated from Christ's College, Cambridge, with a first-class degree in English Language and Literature in 1998.[3]
Career
editBefore becoming a writer, Sanghera worked at a burger chain, a hospital laundry, a market research firm, a sewing factory and a literacy project in New York.[3] As a student, he worked at the Express and Star in Wolverhampton and dressed up as a "news bunny" for L!VE TV.[6] Between 1998 and 2006, he was a reporter and feature writer for the Financial Times.[3]
Sanghera joined The Times as a columnist and feature writer in 2007.[3] He also writes the motoring column for Management Today magazine.[3] His memoir, The Boy with the Topknot (2009), was adapted for BBC Two in 2017.[2] His novel Marriage Material, originally published in 2013, was inspired in part by Arnold Bennett's The Old Wives' Tale.[7]
In 2016, Sanghera was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature (FRSL).[8][9]
In November 2021, his Channel 4 documentary series about race, Empire State of Mind, received a four-star review in The Guardian from Chitra Ramaswamy.[10]
Personal life
editSanghera lives in North London.[3][11]
Publications
edit- The Boy with the Topknot: A Memoir of Love, Secrets and Lies in Wolverhampton.[11] Published by Penguin, 2008, ISBN 978-0-14-102859-0.
- Marriage Material. Published by Europa Editions, 2016, ISBN 978-1-60945-317-6.
- Empireland: How Imperialism Has Shaped Modern Britain. Published by Viking, 2021, ISBN 978-0-241-44529-7.
- Stolen History: the Truth About the British Empire and How It Shaped Us. Published by Penguin, 2023, ISBN 978-0-241-62343-5.[12]
- Empireworld: How British Imperialism Has Shaped the Globe. Published by Penguin, 2024, ISBN 978-0-241-60041-2.[13]
Awards
edit- Young Journalist of the Year at the British Press Awards, 2002.[3]
- Article of the Year in the 2005 Management Today Writing Awards.[3]
- Newspaper Feature of the Year, Workworld Media Awards.[3]
- Journalist of the Year, Watson Wyatt Awards, 2006 and 2009.[3]
- Shortlisted for the Costa Biography Award, 2009
- Shortlisted for the PEN/Ackerley Prize, 2009.[3]
- Winner, Mind Book of the Year, 2009.[14]
- Honorary Doctor of Letters for services to journalism, University of Wolverhampton, September 2009.[3]
- President's Medal, Royal College of Psychiatrists, 2010.[3]
- Costa Book Awards (First Novel) shortlisted for Marriage Material[15]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Home". Sathnam Sanghera. Retrieved 24 November 2022.
- ^ a b Saner, Emine (5 November 2017). "Sathnam Sanghera on The Boy with the Topknot: 'Mum cried while she told our story. I cried as I wrote it'". The Observer. Retrieved 5 November 2017.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n "Biog". Sathnam Sanghera. Retrieved 19 May 2015.
- ^ Perkins, Roger (9 March 2008). "Loves, secrets and lies in Wolverhampton". The Telegraph.
- ^ a b Batt, David (5 March 2008). "Sathnam Sanghera: interview". Time Out.
- ^ "Les asiatiques dans les médias | Mag, news, actu, jeux, let's play en folie avec notre amie l'asiatique !".
- ^ "Sathnam Sanghera website".
- ^ Onwuemezi, Natasha, "Rankin, McDermid and Levy named new RSL fellows", The Bookseller, 7 June 2017.
- ^ "Sathnam Sanghera", The Royal Society of Literature.
- ^ Ramaswamy, Chitra (20 November 2021). "Empire State of Mind review – 'Within moments, I am crying on to my laptop'". The Guardian.
- ^ a b O'Hara, Mary (19 August 2009). "Interview| Home truths". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 4 October 2016.
- ^ Sanghera, Sathnam. Stolen History.
- ^ Sanghera, Sathnam (25 January 2024). Empireworld.
- ^ Sundari, "Sikh Author Wins Mind Book of the Year Award", The Langar Hall, 26 May 2009.
- ^ Brown, Mark (26 November 2013). "Costa book awards 2013: late author on all-female fiction shortlist". The Guardian. Retrieved 27 November 2013.