Becoming a published author during a global pandemic is a significant achievement for Harjit Singh, a Creative Writing MA student at De Montfort University Leicester (DMU).
Alongside 164 other hopefuls, Harjit (also known as H.K. Singh) entered the Leicester Writes Short Story Prize earlier this year - his sci-fi tale Steel Hearts made the 20-strong longlist and was recently published in the competition’s 2020 anthology.
“Never in a million years did I think it would be possible to get published traditionally this year. Still, I felt like I needed to put myself out there and the outcome has been really thrilling,” said the 22-year-old from Northampton.
“Having my whole story published in the anthology is exhilarating. It’s also heart-warming to have received some amazing feedback from the judges and to be among such talented writers.”
Steel Hearts is a futuristic story about a protagonist who has steel arms that change colours with his emotions. Steeped in intrigue, it explores the character’s feelings and how they’re affected by the world around them, represented through technology.
Harjit said: “I first came up with the concept for Steel Hearts while I was working part-time at Tesco. I would print out receipts and jot down my ideas between serving customers and then I would develop them in the break room.
“As a sci-fi and fantasy writer, I love using unusual concepts such as hoverboards, androids, dragons or creatures of the night, to symbolise more basic elements of human nature. Monsters can just be monsters. But sometimes they represent something about ourselves, our history, or our world that the story is exploring.”
Due to coronavirus, the anthology recently launched over Zoom, with Harjit and a number of other authors invited to do live readings.
“It was really exciting to do a proper reading and I was so grateful for all of the support. It was also a great opportunity to get to know and celebrate with the other authors before the launch,” he said.
Coming from a mixed-race background, Harjit has become increasingly aware of the significant role that diversity has to play within the book and publishing industry.
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He said: “My mum is from Jamaica and my dad is from India, but I didn’t fully appreciate how important my voice could be as a person of colour until the Black Lives Matter movement gained momentum this summer.
“In sixth form we explored some of the world’s most iconic authors – Shakespeare, Dickens, Fitzgerald – and my teacher pointed out that what they all had in common was that they were white men. It was a wake-up call to realise that none of them looked like me.
“Seeing people like you represented in any industry shows that it’s progressive and not clinging on to past prejudices. It’s a really inspiring message and that’s why I feel so grateful and honoured to be included in the Leicester Writes anthology.”
Harjit embarked on his MA after graduating from DMU’s joint honours degree in Creative Writing and Journalism last year. Feeling like he had honed his writing skills, he was keen to develop his understanding of the publishing and marketing side of the business.
“I knew I wanted to be a writer since I was seven years old, but university has really helped me to figure out what that actually means. It’s gone from something I enjoyed practicing at home to a serious career choice,” he said.
“Beyond all of the valuable teaching and advice from my tutors, the whole experience has enabled me to become more independent and to mature as an individual and as a writer.”
Find out more about Harjit through his website or connect with him on Twitter and Instagram.
Posted on Thursday 29 October 2020