Anita and Me
Encyclopedia
Anita and Me is Meera Syal
's debut novel
, and was first published
in 1996. It is a semi-autobiographical
novel which won the Betty Trask Award
.
The story revolves around Meena, a British Punjabi
girl (the "me" of the title), and her relationship with her English neighbour Anita as they grow up in the fictional Midlands
village of Tollington in the 1970s.
It is used as a GCSE
set text for an English literature
examination provided by the WJEC.
in 2002, in which Meera Syal appears as Meena's Auntie Shaila. Syal also wrote the screenplay
for the film. The film starred Chandeep Uppal
and Anna Brewster
.
The story follows young Meena Kumar, a girl who would be considered very normal by today's standards, and the life she lives with her parents in Tollington, near Birmingham. One seemingly ordinary day, her life is turned upside down by Anita Rutter, played by Anna Brewster. Meena is a brilliant character, with a wise head on young shoulders but one who retains a childlike exuberance. An aspiring writer, Meena pines for some of the breaks that white children had; upon patronisingly being asked "what do you want to be when you grow up", Meena replies "blonde". Anita & Me is filled with witty lines like this throughout.
Meera Syal
Meera Syal MBE is a British comedienne, writer, playwright, singer, journalist, producer and actress. She rose to prominence as one of the team that created Goodness Gracious Me and became one of the UK's best-known Indian personalities portraying Sanjeev's grandmother, Ummi, in The Kumars at No...
's debut novel
Debut novel
A debut novel is the first novel an author publishes. Debut novels are the author's first opportunity to make an impact on the publishing industry, and thus the success or failure of a debut novel can affect the ability of the author to publish in the future...
, and was first published
Publishing
Publishing is the process of production and dissemination of literature or information—the activity of making information available to the general public...
in 1996. It is a semi-autobiographical
Autobiography
An autobiography is a book about the life of a person, written by that person.-Origin of the term:...
novel which won the Betty Trask Award
Betty Trask Award
The Betty Trask Prize and Awards are for first novels written by authors under the age of 35, who reside in a current or former Commonwealth nation. The awards were established in 1984 by the Society of Authors, at the bequest of the late Betty Trask, a reclusive author of over thirty romance novels...
.
The story revolves around Meena, a British Punjabi
Punjabi people
The Punjabi people , ਪੰਜਾਬੀ ), also Panjabi people, are an Indo-Aryan group from South Asia. They are the second largest of the many ethnic groups in South Asia. They originate in the Punjab region, which has been been the location of some of the oldest civilizations in the world including, the...
girl (the "me" of the title), and her relationship with her English neighbour Anita as they grow up in the fictional Midlands
English Midlands
The Midlands, or the English Midlands, is the traditional name for the area comprising central England that broadly corresponds to the early medieval Kingdom of Mercia. It borders Southern England, Northern England, East Anglia and Wales. Its largest city is Birmingham, and it was an important...
village of Tollington in the 1970s.
It is used as a GCSE
General Certificate of Secondary Education
The General Certificate of Secondary Education is an academic qualification awarded in a specified subject, generally taken in a number of subjects by students aged 14–16 in secondary education in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and is equivalent to a Level 2 and Level 1 in Key Skills...
set text for an English literature
English literature
English literature is the literature written in the English language, including literature composed in English by writers not necessarily from England; for example, Robert Burns was Scottish, James Joyce was Irish, Joseph Conrad was Polish, Dylan Thomas was Welsh, Edgar Allan Poe was American, J....
examination provided by the WJEC.
Film
The novel was made into a film of the same nameAnita and Me (film)
Anita and Me is a British comedy-drama film released in 2002 based on the book Anita and Me by Meera Syal. It was released during a period of popularity for British Asian films, alongside films like East Is East, and Bend It Like Beckham....
in 2002, in which Meera Syal appears as Meena's Auntie Shaila. Syal also wrote the screenplay
Screenplay
A screenplay or script is a written work that is made especially for a film or television program. Screenplays can be original works or adaptations from existing pieces of writing. In them, the movement, actions, expression, and dialogues of the characters are also narrated...
for the film. The film starred Chandeep Uppal
Chandeep Uppal
Chandeep Uppal is a British actress best known for her critically acclaimed starring role as Meena Kumar in the film Anita and Me.-Career:...
and Anna Brewster
Anna Brewster
-Acting career:Anna has appeared in the films Anita and Me, Mrs Henderson Presents, Hippie Hippie Shake with Sienna Miller and Cillian Murphy and How to Lose Friends & Alienate People...
.
The story follows young Meena Kumar, a girl who would be considered very normal by today's standards, and the life she lives with her parents in Tollington, near Birmingham. One seemingly ordinary day, her life is turned upside down by Anita Rutter, played by Anna Brewster. Meena is a brilliant character, with a wise head on young shoulders but one who retains a childlike exuberance. An aspiring writer, Meena pines for some of the breaks that white children had; upon patronisingly being asked "what do you want to be when you grow up", Meena replies "blonde". Anita & Me is filled with witty lines like this throughout.
Secondary literature
- Rocío G. Davis, "India in Britain: Myths of Childhood in Meera Syal's Anita and Me", in Fernando Galván & Mercedes Bengoechea (ed.), On Writing (and) Race in Contemporary Britain, Universidad de Alcalá 1999, 139-46.
- Graeme Dunphy, "Meena's Mockingbird: From Harper LeeHarper LeeNelle Harper Lee is an American author known for her 1960 Pulitzer-Prize-winning novel To Kill a Mockingbird, which deals with the issues of racism that were observed by the author as a child in her hometown of Monroeville, Alabama...
to Meera Syal", in Neophilologus 88, 2004, 637-59.