Fly on the Wall Press Acquires Haunting Debut Novel Set in Post-Independence Zimbabwe
- Isabelle Kenyon
- Oct 21, 2025
- 2 min read
Zahirra Dayal's The Whispering Jacarandas Explores Identity, Trauma, and Sisterhood in Southern Africa's Indian Diaspora
Fly on the Wall Press is proud to announce the acquisition of The Whispering Jacarandas, a powerful debut novel by Zahirra Dayal that illuminates a rarely told chapter of African history through the intimate story of two sisters navigating childhood trauma and fractured identity.
Set in newly independent Zimbabwe, the novel follows sisters Zaynah and Amira as they grow up within a close-knit Indian community. When a single night of violence shatters their childhood, an unspoken rift forms between them, and their paths diverge dramatically. Against a backdrop of political upheaval and racial tensions, the sisters must confront their trauma and the complex bonds that tie them together.
"I was inspired to tell the little-known story of Passenger Indians, like my grandparents, who migrated from Gujarat to Southern Rhodesia," said Dayal. "I wanted to explore the racial hierarchies that were the legacy of colonialism. It was also important for me to write a story for outsiders, the ones who don't fit in, those who stand on the margins, so I centred the voices of two sisters who experience layers of othering in both their family and the wider society."
Dayal was born in Zimbabwe and now lives in London, where she works as a university lecturer. Her work has appeared in The Mechanics' Institute Review and Tesserae. She has been longlisted for the Deborah Rogers Prize and the SI Leeds Literary Prize, and shortlisted for the Owned Voices Award.
Lyrical and devastating, The Whispering Jacarandas has been compared to Brit Bennett's The Vanishing Half for its nuanced exploration of family, identity, and the ways silence shapes our lives.
The Whispering Jacarandas will be published by Fly on the Wall Press on 28 August 2026 (300 pp, ISBN: 9781915789624).
For review copies, interview requests, or more information, please contact: isabelle@flyonthewallpress.co.uk
I was introduced to this platform during a pub conversation where someone was laughing about how they “almost covered their weekend expenses” playing online. That was enough for me to try Vegasplus. The site itself felt stable and quick, even when switching between different sections. I started with roulette and a few slot spins without any expectations. The early rounds went badly and I was ready to stop after losing streaks. Then I hit a short sequence of wins that completely balanced things out. I didn’t expect the mood of the evening to change that much, but it ended up being oddly satisfying.
Nice post.
This sounds like a powerful and meaningful acquisition. It’s always exciting to see publishers like Fly on the Wall Press bringing unique and thought-provoking stories to a wider audience. A debut novel set in post-independence Zimbabwe offers such a rich and important perspective. I appreciate how this post highlights new voices in literature. In creative fields, whether publishing or working with a military patch maker originality and attention to detail really make a lasting impact.
Hey, I found this after a friend here in the UK mentioned it during a chat about platforms that run well on older devices. I later checked privecasino-gb.com myself. What I liked was how smoothly it works even with multiple tabs open. I tried it on my laptop, and it didn’t slow down. It’s not complicated, just something that works steadily without needing to adjust anything.
Great interview, but if I'm being honest felt more like 'why I'm still a Calvinist' than 'Christian'. I respect that Kristen's faith tradition is important to her, and she can obviously share to the level she feels comfortable with and no more, but this was a very intellectual conversation. hydrafacial newcastle 'd have appreciated hearing more about Kristen's personal faith in Jesus Himself and why that is not shaken despite the attacks she's endured.