Nonfiction alumna Padya Paramita ’22 has sold her debut novel, Appetite, to Dial Press. The book, represented by Ashley Lopez at Waxman Literary Agency, examines the complex friendship between a 23-year-old Bangladeshi immigrant and a famous white wrestler, exploring the dynamics of parasocial relationships, the blurred lines between public and private, the loneliness of young professional life, and the authentic connection shared by chosen family.
“The book came about after I read the novel Yellowface by RF Kuang and was intrigued by both how race creates power dynamics in friendship as well as the publishing industry,” Paramita said. Paramita wrote the novel over two months during the summer of 2023, soon after graduating from the program, even though her focus was on nonfiction.
“During my time at the School of the Arts, I concentrated in nonfiction and had written an essay about how race and income created a discrepancy in a friendship I'd had. I'd also written lots about food, identity, and wrestling. All of these are themes and topics my upcoming novel centers around. Talking through these experiences in my life with my SOA professors, particularly Associate Professors Wendy S. Walters and Leslie Jamison, and Assistant Professor Anelise Chen, had a huge impact in shaping the way I wrote the book and told this story.”
Padya Paramita is a writer, editor, and pop culture enthusiast. She was born and raised in Dhaka, Bangladesh. She’s currently based in New Haven, CT where she’s an Adjunct English Professor at the University of New Haven. She received her BA from Wellesley College. Her work has been published in them., Teen Vogue, Dogwood Literary Journal, Southampton Review, Autostraddle, and more. She’s the editor of Dream Glow Magazine, a literary journal inspired by the work of BTS. She’s also the founder of We Have Food at Home, a weekly digital literary magazine about food and Doughnt Stop Me Now, her food photography and cooking instagram.
