Fair & Lovely is a product extremely well-known and easily available in many non-white countries of the world. What is being sold here in physical terms and in ideology? Why is buying such a product problematic and what can we learn about societies through this?

“The Reluctant Fundamentalist” is a compelling read but for many different reasons. I was just passing time in the Waterstones near SOAS when I saw this book. A subconscious compulsion made me reach for the novel and before I realised it, I had purchased it. Even though the title suggest the novel would contain some hard hitting material, I thought it would be a suitable read before bedtime, a novel from which I could read a chapter or two before falling asleep…how wrong was I!!!

I read the entire novel within 4 hours (this did mean it was 2 a.m. by the time I finished.)