born 1977 in London, and raised in Kenya with Indian roots, is a writer and cultural researcher. Her fiction has been nominated for several international literary awards, including the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize and the International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award, and she regularly writes essays for various publications, including »The Guardian« and »Die Zeit«. Her latest book »Locked In and Out« is an essay exploring questions of memory culture and belonging in Germany. Basil is co-founder and board member of the NGO WIR MACHEN DAS and serves on the advisory board of the European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights. She has curated literary and cultural projects for institutions such as the Goethe-Institut, Literarisches Colloquium Berlin as well as the ilb. She conceptualized Europe’s Kitchen during Germany’s 2020 EU Council Presidency and has curated the Objects Talk Back series at the Humboldt Forum since 2021. From 2021 to 2023, she was International Writer in Residence for Mindscapes (Wellcome Trust), and in 2024 held a residency with Canopy, exploring links between climate and health. A new book based on her global research is in development. In 2025/26 she is a fellow of The Centre for Advanced Study inherit. heritage in transformation Käte Hamburger Kolleg based at the Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin. Basil has lived in Berlin since 2002.
Last Update: 2025