Selma Carvalho is a British-Asian writer whose work explores issues of migration, memory and belonging. Her debut novel Sisterhood of Swans (Speaking Tiger, 2021) was shortlisted for the Women Writers’ Prize (India) and listed among six notable fiction books of 2021 by Asian Review of Books. As a work-in-progress, it was shortlisted for the Mslexia Novella Prize. Her three non-fiction works document the Goan presence in colonial East Africa. Between 2011-2014, she headed the Oral Histories of British-Goans project funded by the HLF and archived at the British Library. Her short fiction and poetry have been widely published in journals and anthologies, among them by Kingston University Press and Parthian Books Wales. She has been listed or placed in numerous literary contests notably Fish, Bath, London Short Story, New Asian Writing, and winner of the Leicester Writes Prize. A collection of her short stories was a finalist for the SI Leeds Literary Prize and is forthcoming from Speaking Tiger in 2023. Her unpublished novel Horton was shortlisted for the Cinnamon Press Mentorship program. She lives in London.

The following are her published works:

Books

(Non-fiction book) Into the Diaspora Wilderness, published by Goa 1556; 2010, India. An account of the Goan diaspora spanning from East Africa to the Arabian Gulf, Britain and America.

(Non-Fiction) The Naked Liberal: an anthology of George Menezes’s writings, Cinnamon Teal, 2012. Commissioned to edit and write biographical sections.

(Non-fiction book) A Railway Runs Through: Goans of British East Africa, 1865 – 1980, grant commissioned by the Heritage Lottery Fund, UK; 2014.

(Non-fiction book) Baker, Butcher, Doctor, Diplomat: Goan Pioneers of East Africa; an illustrated history, self published, London; 2016.  

(Fiction/Non-Fiction) The Brave New World of Goan Writing 2018 published by BombayKala Books. Editor and contributor.

(Fiction/Non-Fiction) The Brave New World of Goan Writing and Art 2020 published by JRLJ supported by the Fundacao Oriente, Goa.

(Fiction) The Sisterhood of Swans by Speaking Tiger India in 2021.

(Fiction) A collection of short stories forthcoming from Speaking Tiger India in 2022.

(Fiction) WIP novel 'Horton' and 'And Thus to All Tyrants' represented by Ruppin Agency UK

Most relevant honours 

Sisterhood of Swans shortlisted for the Women Writers Prize (India) 2021.

WIP 'Horton' shortlisted by Cinnamon Press for their Mentoring programme 2020.

Winner of the Leicester Writes Prize 2018. Published in the Leicester Writes Anthology 2018 by Dhalia Publishing UK.

Kitchen Sink Mutinies - Short-list finalist for the London Short Story Prize 2017. Published in the London Short Story Anthology (Kingston University Press, 2018)

How Abu Baker Met his Third Wife - Runner-up Dinesh Allirajah Prize (Comma Press & UCLan). Published in the Cafe Stories Anthology (Comman Press, 2018).

Richard the English, Runner-up, Dorset Fiction Award 2018. Published online.

The Blighted Harvest - Third place DNA-Out of Print Contest 2017. Published by DNA newspaper in print Dec 2017.

Home - Runner-up for the (pan-Asia) New Asian Writing Prize 2017. Published online by NAW.

This Space of Transience - Highly Commended for the Brighton Prize 2017. Published in the Brighton Prize Anthology (Rattle Tales, 2018).

'The Returned Empties' novella shortlisted for the Mslexia Novella prize 2018.

How Do I Fit into you Now? - Longlisted for the prestigious Bath Short Story Award. Top 50 from 1,100 entries.

Landbound lullabies longlisted by the prestigious Fish Publishing Contest 2018, (top 180 from 1,170 entries), and published in the Didcot Writers Anthology 2018.

Bed Blocked short story highly commended for Hastings Literary Festival Short Story Prize 2019. 

Sudden mid-life storms poem shortlisted for the Welsh Penfro Book Festival 2019 and published in the anthology 'Heartland' by Parthian Books.

'Sisterhood of Swans' debut collection of short stories longlisted for the prestigious SI Leeds Literary Prize 2018.

Penguin: A Flightless Migratory Bird placed 2nd runner up for the international Nobrow Press SS Prize 2020. Publication in anthology 'Aidan Shaw and his Penis' by Nobrow Publishers.

To Everything There is a Season - Highly Commended, University of Winchester Writers Festival 2018.

What Do Streets Remember? - Shortlist finalist Exeter Writers Short Story Competition 2018.

Contest listings and publications

2023

All the Things we Cry For - longlisted by the Plaza 'First Chapters' Prize.

2021

Cue the Fish Palace published by Fly on the wall press in their 'Power' anthology.

2020

To Everything there is a Season published by BLink (The Hindu) as special issue featuring 12 fiction writers debuting in India in 2020.

Splendid things were dying poem forthcoming with Lighthouse Literary Journal.

A Dying in September and 2 poems published on MIR online (Birkbeck University.) Spring 2020.

I am no lighthouse and 3 poems published by Erbacce journal issue no. 61 Mar 2020.

A Goan Childhood short memoir published in the Indian Quarterly Review. May 2020.

Clown Face short story longlisted for Exeter Writers Prize 2020.

2019

Horton Street short story highly commended for the Leicester Writes 2019 Prize and published in the Leicester Writes Anthology 2019.

A packet of 5 poems longlisted for the Erbacce Poetry Prize 2019.

One point perspective poem shortlisted by Dempsey and Windle and published in the anthology 'Alternative Truths.'

 All the Shuttered Things Blooming flash fiction shortlist for Storgy Competition and publication in anthology 2019.

There Where the Trees Are - shortlisted for the Hillingdon Literary Festival and published in the anthology 'We Are Here.' 2019

Journey shortlisted for the Hammond House Publishing poetry contest 2019 and publication in anthology.

We Don't Kill our Mothers longlisted for the Retreat West Publishing flash fiction contest 2019.

2018

Some Kind of Weird and Wonderful - Editor's Pick Award, Fabula Press Contest Hong Kong 2017. Published in the Aestas Anthology (Fabula Press HongKong, 2018).

In Colder Climes - published by Mechanics' Institute Review (Birkbeck University) April 2018.

Six Months of Winter - Published by Pensando Goa (a pan-Luso journal) in the Interdisciplinary Journal of Portuguese Diaspora Studies, 2018. translated from the English into Portuguese. 

The Arrogance of spring - Published in Lighthouse (Gatehouse Press, UK) Issue no. 16 (2018). 

What do Fish Remember? - Longlisted Brian Dempsey Memorial Prize 2018 and published in the What the Elephant Said to the Peacock (Dempsey & Windle, 2018).

Quilt me a blanket - published by Words for the Wild nature poem journal. May 2018.

2017

The Grief Register - Longlisted for the Exeter Writer's Prize UK, 2017.

The Grief Register - Longlisted for the Strands International Short Story Prize 2017. 

(Flash Fiction) Magdalena Finds the Body - Longlisted for the Brilliant Flash Fiction Contest 2017.

Tobias and Florence - Longlisted by Segora Short Story Prize 2017.

The Jinns on the Windward Side - Longlisted for the Berlin Writing Prize 2017.

And We Grew So Old - Shortlisted for the Words and Women Contest 2017. A nation-wide contest for British women writers.

There where the Trees Are - Longlisted for the (TSS Publishing) Cambridge Prize 2017.

Bed Blocker No. 10 - 4th place The Asian Writer UK Short Story Prize 2017 (Dahlia Publishing).

There where the trees are - Longlisted for the Sunderland University and Waterstone Contest 2017.

The Grief Register - Selected among the 22 British writers to be published by TSS in 2017/18.

The Memory of Being - Bangalore Review, January 2017.

Our American Guest - Bombay Review, Jan-Feb 2017 issue.

Invisible Until We're Not - Kartika Review USA, issue 18, Summer 2017.

How Does Forgiveness Work?  longlisted and Published in 'The Road to Clevedon Pier' anthology 2017 by Hedgehog Press UK.

2016

Sharmini Subramaniam: Name Unknown - Long-listed for the TSS Short Story Quarterly Competition UK 2016.

Mand Goes to Church shortlisted in the national DNA-Out of Print Short Story Contest India 2016. Published by Out of Print journal.

Anatomy of Desire - Shortlisted for the Almond Press short story prize UK 2015 competition, UK and published in the anthology, Apocalyse Chronicles, 2016.

Letters from Nairobi - Jaggery SouthAsian Literary Journal, Issue no. 8, Spring 2016. Pick of three. 

Sharmini Subramaniam: Name Unknown Litro Magazine UK (India issue; editor Shashi Tharoor); issue no 156, October, 2016. 

2015

Black as a Crow - Longlisted for the Exeter Writers prize UK 2014/15.

Remembering the Song - Muse India, issue Nov-Dec, 2015. 

Newspapers & magazines

'Reflections on leaving the Goan Casa Grande' published by Punch Magazine, Oct 2021.

Nationally and internationally published in Saffronart, DNA India, Himal Southasian, The African (Tanzania) and Times of India. Forthcoming in Mint Lounge and Caravan magazine.

Contributor to the lifestyle magazines Wo’Goa, Timeline Goa and Goa Streets. 

Since 2008, have been a regular columnist at Goan Voice UK, Oheraldo Review and Oheraldo Goa.

Editorship & Introductions

Tulsi and Other Stories by Edila Gaitonde, Goa 1556; 2011. Wrote introduction.

Global Goans Convention 2011 brochure. Editor.

Goan Association (U.K) 50^th anniversary brochure. Editor.

Copy-editor at Jaggery South Asian Literary Journal from 2016-2021.

Founder-editor and content developer at Joao Roque Literary Journal.

Project, Documentary, Exhibition & Museum

Between 2011-2014, headed the Oral Histories of British Goans project funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund, UK, which recorded and archived at the British Library, UK, the diasporic voices of East African Goans residing in Britain.

Curated the first ever exhibition of East African Goans at the Nehru Centre London, 2013. 

In July 2013, produced and co-edited the documentary ‘Past lives’ first screened at Cranford Community College Hall, UK. 

'Goan Pioneers of Mombasa' published in the Kenya Museum Society journal issue 44, 2017.

Volunteer at the Battle of Britain Bunker Museum, Uxbridge, London since 2017. 

Literary Festival Presentation

In December, 2014, invited by Goa Arts and Literary Festival (GALF) to present the book A Railway Runs Through.

Read for Spread the Word London at the Bare Lit Festival 27 May 2018.

Invited for Leciester Festival 30 June 2018. Read from the winning story.

Invited to read at the Hillingdon Literary Festival (University of Brunel) 2019. Read from my shortlisted story.

Some publications in which her work is cited:

Sana Aiyar, Indians in Kenya, Harvard University Press; 2015.

Anna Winterbottom, Histories of Medicine and Healing, Springer, 2016.

L. Potter, The Persian Gulf in Modern Times, Springer, 2014.

Christopher Larkosh, Thinking Goa Through English Language Women Writing, presented at Goa Cultures symposium, 2016.

Ferrão, Rodney Benedito, Absent Homes: Literary Makings of Goans and their Worlds (London: Birkbeck College, University of London, 2012).

J. Nazareth, A Passage to Kenya, (USA; 2017).

Ivo de Figueiredo, A Stranger at my Table (Doppelhouse, USA, 2019)

Shirley L. Gonsalves, The Luso-Indian Stethoscope (Goa 1556, 2018)

Lawrence Mgogoni, Miscegenation, Identity and Status in Colonial Africa(Routledge, 2018)

Cielo Festino, Stories from Outside and Inside the Goan Casa Grande' (Postcolonial Text, 2019). Examines the fiction story Mand Goes to Church.

Other pretentious stuff

Holds a Masters’ degree in Business Administration from the Heriott-Watt University, Edinburgh, UK.

In 2011, awarded the Goan Associations UK President’s award for service to the community.

To contact Selma Carvalho write to: lescarvalhos@yahoo.com

To visit the sister website the Joao Roque Literary Review click: https://selma-carvalho.squarespace.com/