Brannavan Gnanalingam

Brannavan Gnanalingam is a practising lawyer who lives in Wellington. He is the author is five novels, including A Briefcase, Two Pies and a Penthouse, and Sodden Downstream, which was shortlisted for the 2018 Ockham New Zealand national book awards. His sixth novel, Sprigs, is due for release in July 2020 through Lawrence and Gibson.

The Sunday Essay
Apr 4, 2021

The Sunday Essay: When the young stand up

There's something magical about teenagers making a stand, and history is almost always on their side.

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Books
Feb 1, 2020

Fearless and perfectly formed: Rose Lu's All Who Live on Islands, reviewed

Brannavan Gnanalingham reads Rose Lu's groundbreaking essay collection – overlooked by the Ockhams judges – and finds it full of elevating yarns.

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Books
Apr 14, 2019

Book of the Week: A brief history of several zombies

Brannavan Gnanalingam reviews the long-awaited and outstanding novel by Marlon James, who won the Man Booker prize two years ago with A Brief History of Seven Killings.

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Books
Oct 10, 2018

Man Booker Prize Fight Week, round 2: Esi Edugyan vs Rachel Kushner

The 2019 Man Booker prize is announced next week. Brannavan Gnanalingam reviews two of the shortlisted novels, Washington Black by Esi Edugyan and The Mars Room by Rachel Kushner.

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Books
May 29, 2018

Finally, the Spinoff reviews ‘Book of the Year’ The New Animals

Pip Adam won the Acorn Prize for best novel of the year at the recent 2018 Ockham New Zealand national book awards. Is her book actually any good? Readable? Likeable?

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Parents
Jan 3, 2018

Summer reissue: I’m not babysitting – a father on gender roles in parenting

After being told I'm incredibly lucky that my husband watches our children when I have to travel for work, this post by Brannavan Gnanalingam was like the first pinot gris after a very long day. I too long for a day when we are all allowed to be incompetent as parents. Bring it on! - Emily Writes, Spinoff Parents editor.

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Books
Nov 21, 2017

‘University English courses look like an exercise in whiteness’: ways to decolonise your reading

Brannavan Gnanalingam writes about the overwhelming whiteness of English literature as taught in New Zealand – and throws down a challenge to the gatekeepers, including the Spinoff.

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Books
Oct 25, 2017

An immigrant’s story: ‘The Naenae Nazi Party was limited to two people, and even they left me alone’

An essay about race, immigration, and KFC by Sri Lankan-born, Hutt Valley-raised novelist Brannavan Gnanalingam.

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Parents
May 9, 2017

I’m not babysitting and mums are getting a raw deal: A dad on gender roles in parenting

After being told I'm so incredibly lucky that my husband watches our children when I have to travel from work, this post by Brannavan Gnanalingam was like the first pinot gris after a very long day. I too long for a day when we are all allowed to be incompetent as parents. Bring it on! - Emily Writes, Spinoff Parents editor.

Read on.

Parents
Nov 10, 2016

The plight of the working dad: the desire for more time

There are benefits to being the working parent, like being able to focus on your career and avoiding much of the messy, back-breaking work of childcare. But as Brannavan Gnanalingam explains, they hardly make up for the overwhelming sense of guilt.

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Books
Nov 8, 2016

Essay: why is New Zealand literature so afraid of race? And how come the Spinoff books section is just as bad?

An essay by Brannavan Gnanalingam about subtle racism in New Zealand literature.

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