Teenage angst dominates the debut novel of Crouch End author, filmmaker and poet, Nikesh Shukla. Coconut Unlimited is set in Harrow in the ‘90s and concerns the adventures of three desperate to be cool, hip hop obsessed Asian boys in an all-white private school, who decide to form a band. It explores them getting together with girls, avoiding being sucked into criminal behaviour and pursuing the rock and roll dream while battling with parents.

The book tells a story that any teenager whose ever sought fame and fortune can identify with but Nikesh tells it with unrelenting humour, sharp observation and the unique voice and rhythm of a poet.

Like his characters, Nikesh has spent “a lifetime in the London Borough of Harrow”. I ask if the book is in any way autobiographical?

“The environment and characters certainly bear resemblance to where I grew up and who I grew up around,” says the 30-year-old author.

“I grew up near enough to Harrow, and until I was allowed to venture into London, it was my social epicentre. The sights, sounds and familiarity of it all, that I describe in the book, is one that I very vividly remember from my school days.”

Nikesh has previously had success with a collaborative film project titled The Great Identity Swindle, which won the International Asian First Films Festival award last year. He is now developing a sitcom pilot for Channel 4 and working on his second novel.

Audiences can hear Nikesh read from Coconut Unlimited at Gayton Library as part of the first DSC South Asian Literature Festival.

Nikesh is happy to be supporting the event: "The festival showcases the sheer diversity in the Asian literary diaspora and the different stories in different constructs we tell."

Other speakers taking part at the festival include academics, TV personalities, writers and people from the political world. They include prize-winning novelist Romesh Gunesekera; two great political dynasties, Fatima Bhutto (niece of Benazir) and Nayantara Sahgal; historian Michael Wood; acclaimed writer and musician Amit Chaudhuri; Pakistan’s rising-star author Moniza Alvi and well-known broadcasters Mihir Bose and George Alagiah; and comedian Hardeep Singh Kohli.

Barnet writer Bhavit Mehta and Jon Slack have organised the festival in the hope of making it an annual event.

Bhavit adds: ”We’re amazed to see how the South Asian Literature Festival has developed from an idea into reality over the past year. From interaction with publishers, authors and our industry colleagues, we’re certain that the project has come at the right time and to the right city. It is to the surprise of many that an event of this scale dedicated to South Asian writing hasn’t yet been attempted.

“We hope the festival, though highly ambitious, will prove to be exciting, creative and inspiring, and we are proud to be a part of it.”

Nikesh will be reading from Coconut Unlimited at Gayton Library, Harrow Garden House, St John’s Road, Harrow on Sunday, October 24 at 7pm. The festival runs until October 31. Details: www.dscsouthasianlitfest.com