Saraid de Silva is a Sri Lankan Pākehā writer and arts worker based in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland. She was the co-creator and co-host of Radio New Zealand’s podcast and video series Conversations with My Immigrant Parents, and has worked as a storyliner, scriptwriter, and script editor on New Zealand television shows, including Shortland Street.
Her first novel, Amma, was released in New Zealand and Australia by Hachette New Zealand in March 2024 and in the UK by Weatherglass Books in April 2024. It is already a number-one bestseller on the Aotearoa New Zealand fiction charts.
She will be the first writer of Sinhalese descent to take up residency at Randell Cottage, and intends to work on her second novel during her residency.
Watch an interview with Saraid
Further reading