Writing samples
Guardian Poem of the week: Microbial Museum
“Finding the poetry in scientific vocabulary, this work is alive to the marvels of its discoveries as well →
Butterfly Orchid highly commended in the Forward Poetry Prize
Very excited to announce that my poem Butterfly Orchid was highly commended in 2017 the Forward Poetry Prizes. →
Fossil – poetry book
Fossil explores the impact of human activity on climate change though a post-colonial lens and from the perspective of all life on earth including plants, creatures, elements and inanimate objects. “The poems in Fossil have been waiting millions of years to be born. Maya Chowdhry’s language erupts out of deep time, vital and vivid. This is powerful work.” Robert Minhinnick →
The Seamstress and the Global Garment
“Maya Chowdhry’s voice springs directly from the soul. It is authentic, sensuous and urgent. Although dreamlike, her poems are not vague. They rankle with precision and are fuellled by the collision of colonial and family history. Anger gives way to the generosity of love and the open heart of humour.” Sarah Hymas, Flax
“Chowdhry’s poems are uniquely alive to the possibilities of multiple identities, fused mother tongues and the interweaving of myths.” Saradha Soobrayen Chroma Journal →
Ripple
In collaboration with artist and poet Sarah Hymas, a Triptych of freestanding oversized artist books that use augmented reality, organic objects and poetic text to explore climate change. The Installation consists of interactive poetic sculptures that use augmented reality to illuminate anthropogenic climate change. Shortlisted for the 2015 Dot Award. →
My Eyes
My poem – ‘My Eyes’ has been selected for the Poetry Places promotion who have produced this fantastic poster. Outline 2012 marks the 10thanniversary of Time To Read and it has produced a wonderful set of posters and postcards from 12 poets in the region to celebrate this. Time To Read is the NW public libraries network which works to promote reading. It works with 22 Library authorities from Cumbria to Cheshire, Wirral to Blackburn, Manchester to Liverpool. →
Kaahini
Kaahini was commissioned and developed by Red Ladder Theatre Company and toured nationally. It premiered at Bradford Theatre in the Mill, May 1997. The company wanted a play about identity that spoke specifically to young Asian women. The Birmingham Rep re-staged the play in 1998. The play was nominated for Best Children’s Theatre by the Writers Guild. It was subsequently toured nationally by Red Ladder Theatre company in 2006 and published by Capercaille Books (2004). →
Black is the Colour of my True Love’s Hair
A Play for Radio 4 by Maya Chowdhry, directed by Lu Kemp. Fiona wants to be a mum; the problem is that Mark, her husband, is infertile. Fiona convinces Mark that adopting a child is the answer. But she’s unaware that the support of her bigoted mother in law is a crucial factor in getting approved for adoption. →
The Crossing Path
Performed at The National Theatre, 2003 as part of Connections. This fifth anthology of Connections plays is as wide-ranging and eclectic as its predecessors. It features ten works from some of the finest writers of our time. This volume brings you new plays from Philip Ridley, Laura Ruohonen, Jon Fosse, Lucinda Coxon, Connie Congdon, Christopher William Hill, David Farr, Maya Chowdhry, Sarah Daniels and Mark Ravenhill. Published by Faber and Faber (2003). →