Book Launch: What it meant to survive by Mala Kumar

The Common Press is proud to host Mala Kumar's new book What It Meant to Survive on 28th November from 7 pm to 9 pm. Join novelist Mala Kumar, author of What It Meant to Survive, and Sharan Dhaliwal of Burnt Roti for a conversation about intersectional and global queer relationships, women's empowerment, and more. Hear select readings from Mala. Books will be available for purchase and signing.

Synosis

Featuring strong queer female protagonists who must navigate class, race, religion, language, and nationality, Mala Kumar’s What It Meant to Survive is a poignant and heartbreaking commentary on modern-day America and Nigeria. Written by a singularly talented, wildly imaginative novelist, What It Meant to Survive is a powerful and bracing work of fiction inspired by the true event, the Virginia Tech Massacre, and the author’s real experience navigating its long-term social and emotional impacts.

Ramya and Juliet begin to uplift each other and heal the moment they match on Tinder. For nearly a decade, Ramya, an American of Indian origin from Virginia, has grappled with her survivor’s guilt from a devastating mass shooting that occurred during her last year of university. Halfway around the world in Nigeria, Juliet has survived family tragedies, economic downturns, and an oppressive patriarchy. With a one-chance swipe on their phones in a foreign country, the two women begin a remarkable romantic relationship that most fairy tales wouldn’t dare to depict.

But can they hold onto each other?

As their lives intertwine, Ramya suffers acute memory loss so pronounced that she sometimes forgets where she is, who she’s with, and even who she is. Periodically, Juliet experiences time freezes that throw her out of sync with everyone around her. Ultimately, the two women choose to begin a new life together in New York City, where their love will be acknowledged and respected. But for Juliet to make it through the American immigration process, the two women must get to the root causes of these memory loss and time-lapse episodes by coming to terms with their pasts.

Written by a singularly talented, wildly imaginative novelist, What It Meant to Survive is a powerful and bracing work of fiction inspired by the Virginia Tech Massacre, and the author's real-life experience navigating its long-term social and emotional impacts

About Mala Kumar

Mala Kumar is the author of the 2014 novel, The Paths of Marriage. What it Meant to Survive is her second novel. Her op-eds, interviews, and essays have appeared in The Guardian US, The Advocate, TechCrunch, USA Today, India Abroad, The Aerogram, and Brown Girl Magazine. In her professional life, Mala is a global leader in tech for social good, having worked extensively for the United Nations and at GitHub, a Microsoft-owned software company. She is currently the Director of Program Management, AI Safety at MLCommons. Mala lives in New York City with her wife Cybel. Visit https://malakumar.com for more information about her writing and work.

About Sharan Dhaliwal

Sharan Dhaliwal founded the UK’s leading South Asian culture magazine Burnt Roti, which is a platform for young creatives to showcase their talent, find safe spaces and destigmatize topics around mental health and sexuality, amongst others.

She is also the Founder and co-director of Middlesex Pride, an annual free family-friendly event centering and celebrating the unheard LGBTQIA+ community in the largely immigrant Middlesex area.