Gurpreet Kaur Bhatti

Bhatti speaking at the International Conference on Free Expression and Conscience, London, 23 July 2017.

Gurpreet Kaur Bhatti (born in Watford in 1968 or 1969^[1]) is a British Sikh writer who has written extensively for stage, screen and radio.^[2] Her play Behzti (Dishonour) was cancelled by the Birmingham Rep after protests against the play by Sikhs turned violent and alleged death threats forced Bhatti to go into hiding.^[3]

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Life

Bhatti's first play, Behsharam (Shameless), received criticism from the Sikh community when it opened in 2001.

In 2005, Behzti won the Susan Smith Blackburn Prize for the best English language play written by a woman.^[4]

In 2010, her follow-up to Behzti titled Behud (Beyond Belief)^[5] was co-produced by Soho Theatre and Coventry Belgrade and was shortlisted for the John Whiting Award.

In 2014, Khandan (Family) opened to sell-out audiences at the Birmingham Rep and the Royal Court Theatre.^{[citation needed]}

In June 2014, her first anthology of plays, Plays One (ISBN 9781783191307), was published by Oberon Books.

She is now^[when?] working on a stage commission for the National Theatre. Bhatti also regularly writes for The Archers,^[6] the Radio 4 drama serial.

Awards

2003 Nominated for the Race in the Media Award by the Commission for Racial Equality in the radio music/entertainment category for North East South West.^[7]
Asian Women of Achievement awards, nominated twice^[8]
2005 Susan Smith Blackburn Prize, a US-based award of $10,000 made annually to the best English language play by a woman, for Behzti.^[4]
2010 Behud (Beyond Belief) nominated for the John Whiting Award

Works

Plays

Behsharam (Shameless). Oberon Books. 1 April 2002. ISBN 978-1-84002-249-0. Soho Theatre, London 2001
Behzti (Dishonour). Oberon Books. 1 September 2005. ISBN 978-1-84002-522-4. The Door, Birmingham Rep, Birmingham, UK 2005
Come to Where I'm From, "Come to Where I'm From – Watford". 19 December 2010., Listen to the Podcast at Painesplough
Behud (Beyond Belief). Oberon Books. April 2010. ISBN 978-1-84943-096-8. Soho Theatre, London 2010
Londonee, "World Premiere at Rich Mix Theatre". 25 May 2012. Archived from the original on 30 July 2012. Mukul and Ghetto Tigers and Lifeguard Productions
Two Old Ladies, Leicester Haymarket 2000^{[citation needed]}
Fourteen (2014),^[9] "Premier at Watford Palace Theatre". 21 May 2014. Archived from the original on 28 May 2014. Watford Palace Theatre commissioned 'Fourteen' after Gurpreet Kaur Bhatti wrote a short play for 'Come To Where I'm From' in 2010, co-produced by Watford Palace Theatre and Paines Plough
Khandan (Family) (2014),^[10] Bhatti, Gurpreet Kaur (22 May 2014). Premiere at the Birmingham Repertory Theatre. ISBN 978-1-78319-093-5. A Royal Court Theatre and Birmingham Repertory Theatre Co-production
"A Kind of People" (2019). Premiered at the Royal Court Theatre London.

Radio, films, teleplays

Heart of Darkness (Feb 2013), Stone, BBC Radio 4
The Archers (2012),^[6] BBC Radio 4
Everywhere and Nowhere, feature film, 2011
Dead Meat, half-hour film produced by Channel 4 as part of the Dogma TV season
Stitched Up, Commissioned Series for BBC1
Honour, single Film for BBC2
The Cleaner, hour-long film for BBC1
Lipstick and Nails, police drama for Great Meadow Productions
Pound Shop Boys, originally commissioned by October Films/Film Council/Scottish Screen and developed through PAL
Airport 2000, Leicester Haymarket / Riverside Studios
An Enemy of the People, 2010, hour-long episode for BBC World Service
Fourteen Units a Week, 2010, From Fact to Fiction, BBC Radio 4
Mera Des (My Country), BBC Radio 3
My Lithuanian Lady, BBC World Service
Westway, over thirty episodes – 1999-2001 – of the BBC World Service Radio Drama Series
Eastenders, BBC 1, nine episodes – 2001-04