With her novel Amma longlisted for the Women’s Prize for Fiction, Saraid de Silva shines a light on the voices of the diaspora, taking her readers on a captivating journey to uncover the true essence of identity.

Saraid de Silva is a brilliant storyteller utilises her Sinhalese-Pākeha roots in her latest novel, Amma. Longlisted for the prestigious Women’s Prize for Fiction, Amma resonates with the entire diaspora community, weaving a narrative rich with intersectionality and personal connection. Saraid’s writing doesn’t just tell stories. It bridges worlds, immersing readers in experiences that feel both intimate and universal. But her talent doesn’t stop at writing. Saraid is also a powerful advocate for social justice, using her voice to represent marginalised communities, including championing the rights of Palestinians in a world fraught with rising social challenges. In this exclusive interview with Hi!!, Saraid takes us behind the scenes of her creative process for Amma and shares insightful perspectives in an engaging and meaningful conversation.

Growing up with a Sinhalese Sri Lankan mother and a Pākeha father and being raised by your grandmother, how did these cultural influences shape the creation of Amma?

My mother is Sinhalese and Tamil. My Grandmother was Singaporean Tamil and moved to Sri Lanka when she married my Grandfather. My mum and I lived right next to my Gran until I was ten. These cultural influences are just my life, really. The women in Amma are informed by my own family because I wanted to start with stories and worlds I was familiar with, people I felt I could render on the page.

Being longlisted for the Women’s Prize for Fiction is an incredible achievement. How did you feel when you first found out the news? What did it feel like to see Amma acknowledged on such prestigious lists, especially given the novel’s theme of immigrant experience and generational trauma?

Yes, it was a huge shock! I text my publisher back saying “wait, what?”. I'm very grateful to Women’s Prize and to my publishers. Small presses like Weatherglass are so important, I think they can take risks that larger publishers are less likely to and publishing the debut novel of a random girl from New Zealand probably falls into that category of risk pretty squarely!

You’ve described the novel as a story about the Sri Lankan diaspora. How do you hope Amma resonates with readers both within and outside of the diaspora?

I don't have any particular hope for how the book lands with people, I just hope it means something. A reader’s relationship to a book is so personal. I think I'm still getting used to the book being read at all, as silly as that may sound.

What do you think sets Amma apart from other novels in the genre of diaspora literature?

I don't know if I'm the best person to identify what sets it apart, but if nothing did I would be quite happy to be part of the vast universe of diasporic literature that already exists.

Do you have any particular literary influences or authors who inspired you as you wrote Amma?

Everything I read, watch, listen to, and experience is part of the writing. The process of writing and putting Amma out took four years all up. Over that time I read work by Anna Burns, James Baldwin, Rose Lu, Anuk Arudpragasam, Fernanda Melchor, Natasha Brown, Daniel Kehlmann, Toni Morrison, Torrey Peters, K Patrick, Rebecca K. Reilly, Shehan Karunatilaka, Bryan Washington, Tracey Slaughter and Harmony Holiday. All writers whose work I love and follow.

Your academic background is quite varied, with studies in English Literature, Law, and Performing & Screen Arts. How have these fields influenced your approach to writing fiction?

I don't know that I can pull out one or two ways in particular my education contributed to writing fiction, but I'm grateful to have lived (a bit!) of life before trying to write a novel. Studying acting has led me to the conclusion that all art-making requires the same principles no matter the medium. A willingness to be really honest with yourself and to be honest within the work. Also tons of discipline and just rigour.

With your upcoming projects, do you think you’ll continue to explore themes of migration, identity, and family or are you considering new territory in your next work?

I think the idea of home is something I will always write about. I’m also always interested in the lives of women. The rest, I don’t know!

In addition to being a writer, you’re also a passionate activist, speaking out on various social issues. What challenges or frustrations do you encounter most often in your advocacy, and how does it influence your voice as a writer?

I’m not certain I would describe myself as an activist. I've learnt a lot about organising and how to be useful over the last few years. With regards to Sri Lanka, I have been so educated by the work of PEARL (People for Equality and Relief in Lanka) and their advocacy for the rights of Eelam Tamil people. 

In Aotearoa our far-right coalition government has been strategically dismantling environmental protections and indigenous rights, they have gutted the public health and public service here. They have also ignored Israel’s ongoing genocide of the Palestinian people, refusing to issue special visas for Palestinians even now, despite granting Ukrainian refugees that same right with speed. Our government works hard to make Aotearoa unlivable for everyone who isn't a billionaire, but the activists around me work harder. I have so much respect for the people who are teaching me more about how to build community and survive under fascism. 

I have also been incredibly disturbed to notice people I used to consider friends disengaging with the wider world at this moment in time. We are not going to survive the far-right by pretending they are not (in Aotearoa, in the USA, in many other parts of the world) already in power. I guess that’s one challenge of living through this time, is seeing people around you refuse to change their ways.

Outside of writing, what hobbies or interests do you enjoy that encapsulates your personality and creative spirit?

I go to the movies! But I probably need more hobbies. Writing is pretty all-consuming a lot of the time. When I'm not writing, reading, cooking, or seeing friends or family I'm really just doing housework or groceries or all those other little things that make living possible. If I had an excess of time I would like to spend it learning languages. I would love to improve my reo Māori, learn some Sinhalese so I can chat with family more easily when I visit my relatives in Colombo, and learn New Zealand Sign Language.

Any plans to visit Sri Lanka in the near future? If so, what are you looking forward to the most?

I would love to spend more time in Jaffna. When I'm next able to return I just want to chill with my family and eat mangoes and the ripe jackfruit. 

By Tiranya Yalindee Ranasinghe