This month Chloe Green and I spoke with Anushka Shah, the winner of 26’s Emerging Writer Award 2024. We met over coffee at Bermondsey Street’s Chapter 72, running (fittingly) through the chapters of her life from out-of-copyright children’s literature, to fashion writing and plum jam.
Tell us a bit about yourself – where are you from and what do you do?
I grew up just outside of Nottingham, surrounded by lots of green. I think that influenced a lot of what has followed in my life since then.
I was lucky to spend time in my childhood in untouched or semi-untouched green spaces. That kind of connection comes through both in my writing and my motivations as a person. I live in London now and work in environmental policy consulting. I am also a creative writer and do some freelance fashion writing.
Where did your love of words come from?
I’ve always loved reading. I used to read at the dinner table and read going up and down the stairs and I still do both of those things. I had one of the first generation Kindles and used to read old out-of-copyright books that you could find for free online, so I’d be reading all these classic children’s stories from over 100 years ago.
I used to write stories when I was little and that gradually evolved to writing poems and now I write lots of things across lots of forms.
What interests you about fashion?
I love clothes. I don’t even need to buy them, I just need to be around them, look at them, feel them, admire them. Clothes can be the first thing you notice about someone before you get to speak to them. Not everyone uses clothes as an outlet for expression but you can use them that way. You can use clothes as a way to show the world a little bit of who you are before you even open your mouth.
I did an internship with a sustainable fashion start up in my first year of university and since then I’ve done some fashion writing, including writing for an indie show during London Fashion Week SS24. Fashion and textiles have a huge environmental impact. I’m interested in learning about and exploring sustainable materials.
What are you wearing today?
This is a brown leather jacket that I got from a charity shop the other day. I’m also wearing a yellow shirt with brown stripes, deep blue jeans I got from Berlin, and square toe Docs. I’ve also got a fun little red scarf I thrifted.
Can you tell us more about your writing project, Pantoscope?
Pantoscope started out as an exploratory project around the theme ‘What is it like to be another?’. It’s a website with book reviews, interviews, prose pieces, poems, and articles that I have written. There is also a gallery with photos I have taken. My first thing on there was a book review of Olivia Laing’s Funny Weather: Art in an Emergency.
Pantoscope is a space for me to create things just for the sake of creating them. I am curious, so I am going to explore my question through several different lenses. And that’s why it is called Pantoscope, a historic word for a very wide-angled camera lens. I’m not necessarily trying to capture lots of perspectives — everything is inherently from my perspective because I’m writing about it — but I’m trying to be open with form and approach.
That fits 26 quite well. And you are now, as of Thursday, our newest member! How did you first get involved?
I came to 26’s annual writing event, Wordstock, in 2023. The discussion was based around growth, the natural world, and plants. The theme instantly spoke to me. I later started volunteering with the Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust through a contact I made through Kaye Brennan who spoke at Wordstock.
Chloe reached out to me earlier this month saying she would like to nominate me for the Emerging Writer award. I was touched to be nominated and I’m delighted to have won! Part of the award wins me a year’s membership to 26.
Could you tell us about a piece of writing you’re particularly proud of?
I wrote my poem Plum jam / West Coast Oranges during lockdown and it’s the poem I read at the awards ceremony for 26. It’s gone through some redrafts. I wanted to convey the same meaning through very few, very simple words, and I’m pleased with how it turned out. One thing I’m proud of in that work is the transition between locations and times. It’s quite a fluid poem.
Where do you get your inspiration?
I almost feel as though at any instant I can start writing. I’m always brimming with things I want to say, I just need to find time to sit down and write them. My New Year’s resolution for 2024 was to dedicate time every Sunday for writing. I really enjoyed creating space for that.
What is your resolution for this year?
To keep writing, of course! I think I’m going to amend my resolution away from ‘writing every Sunday’ to ‘setting aside a certain number of hours per week for writing’ to allow me some more flexibility. I would like to keep working on Pantoscope and also keep an eye out for further fashion writing opportunities. The Emerging Writer Award feels as though it has come at a perfect time for me. I feel really encouraged and full of enthusiasm! I’m excited for what the new year will bring. Thank you for all the support and I’m really looking forward to being further involved with 26.