Zahirra Dayal Author

Zahirra Dayal was born in Zimbabwe and now lives in London, where she works as a university lecturer. Her writing explores belonging, racial dynamics, and the unspoken tensions of family life.

The Whispering Jacarandas grew from a short story inspired by her grandmother, who migrated from Gujarat to Southern Africa, and was developed into a novel through a Jericho Writers Self-Edit bursary. Zahirra’s work has appeared in The Mechanics’ Institute Review and Teeserae, with a poem forthcoming in Third Space. She has been longlisted for the Deborah Rogers Prize and the SI Leeds Literary Prize and shortlisted for the Owned Voices Award, receiving mentorship from acclaimed writers including Yvonne Singh.