Devika Ponnambalam is a British writer and filmmaker born in Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei. She moved to the UK at the age of eight and grew up in London. Devika’s passion for storytelling began in her teenage years when she discovered the films of Chinese ‘Fifth Generation’ directors. She pursued a BA (Hons) in Film and Video at West Surrey College of Art and Design, and her first short film, Azaadi, was distributed by Cinenova upon graduation. She further honed her craft at the National Film and Television School, graduating in 1998 with the award-winning short film Father’s Day. Devika has received film commissions from the Arts Council of England, Film Four, and the British Film Institute, and has directed for mainstream TV in both the UK and Malaysia.
In 2003, Devika enrolled in the MA in Creative Writing program at the University of East Anglia, where she began writing her debut novel. I Am Not Your Eve was published in March 2022 by Bluemoose Books and has been shortlisted for three major literary awards, including the Walter Scott Prize for Historical Fiction in 2023. Devika is currently working on her second novel and developing a feature film project as a director.
