A BRADFORD author has been shortlisted for a national award that celebrates voices and stories from the North.

Sairish Hussain’s debut novel ‘The Family Tree’, which was published in 2020, has been shortlisted for the biennial Portico Prize.

The novel focuses on themes such as grief, homelessness, revenge, and redemption after Amjad’s wife passes, leaving him with a young family to look after.

The shortlist features six books, four of which are debut novels. The books are either written by Northern authors or include characters and stories that reflect the North.

Sairish said: “I’m so honoured to have been shortlisted for the Portico Prize. It’s such a prestigious award and one that feels extra special as it recognises northern writing.

“If the ‘North’ was to be defined, I, and people who look like me, may not be the first people that come to mind. But I’m very proud of my northern identity and this shortlisting shows that ‘the spirit of the North’ can encompass a wide range of experiences.”

The winner will be announced in January 2022, where the victor will receive a prize of 10,000.

Sairish was keen to write a book about British Muslims that resonated and reflected the community’s struggles, but also went against the general trope and stock characters that are found in books about Muslims.

“I didn’t want to write a book about forced marriage or oppression. I wanted to write a book that if you changed the names of the characters’, it would be reflective of any other story.

“After reading the book, British Muslims readers said that they found the book relatable which was a real compliment.”

“A lot of people feel they have to write about themselves and their communities, but you can write about whatever you want, you don’t have to write about things people expect you to write about.”

Sairish’s book was published by Harper Collins as part of a two-book deal of which she has recently submitted her second book.

She works part-time in Bradford Teaching hospitals NHS Foundation Trust in the Ultra-Sound department and lectures at the University of Huddersfield, where she was once a student.

“With the pandemic it was different, but I got to attend online events across the globe which would have never happened had everyone not been functioning from behind a computer.

“Book people really are the best people, because even in a difficult time, they still kept up the demand for books.”