About us
A space for anyone in Brussels who feels connected to South Asia, its languages, cities, stories, art forms, and the everything that make the culture so rich and layered.
This group began as an Urdu reading circle, and after our first gathering it became clear that many of us were longing for something bigger: a place to celebrate the many expressions of South Asian culture together.
Whether your roots are in Karachi or Kathmandu, Colombo or Delhi, Dhaka or anywhere in between, you’re welcome here.
We hope to meet to read and discuss literature, discover each other’s hometowns, share music, learn calligraphy, try our hand at different crafts, and create moments that remind us of home, or introduce us to someone else’s.
As we grow, we hope to host gatherings led by members of the community: poetry lovers, dancers, calligraphers, cooks, musicians, artists; anyone who wants to bring a piece of their culture to the table!
If you’re looking to connect with kind, curious South Asians and explore the cultural threads that tie us together, come join us.
Bring your stories, your art, your languages, and your warmth - the club is what we make it together!
A bit about myself: I’m Roha, an innovation consultant with a background in computer science, design thinking, and Science & Technology Studies. Outside of work, I’ve always been drawn to the ways culture, language, and storytelling help us build community and belonging.
I previously founded an Urdu literature circle in London, which grew into a cross-cultural community of readers, poets, and curious minds. After moving to Brussels, I felt the same longing many of us share: for familiarity, for shared references, for spaces that feel like home. This club is my small way of creating that space here: a place where South Asians (and anyone who feels connected to the region) can come together through literature, art, music, language, and the everyday stories that make up our lives. You can find my LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/roha-ali-khan/
Upcoming events
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Urdu Nasiri Nazam
WeDecolonize Library, Boulevard de la Plaine 5, 1050 Ixelles, Brussels, Belgium, brussels, BEBuilding on all the love we received through our reading circles, we’ve decided to expand this koshish into a collective: Dera. The word Dera means a gathering, camp, or pavilion, a space for coming together.
Dera aims to create a safe and inclusive space for anyone interested in South Asian culture. Through films, music, literature, and food, we hope to build a community that feels like a home away from home.Our next session is on Sunday, 31st May, and focuses on the Urdu Nasri Nazam (prose poem). We’ll share a brief history of the form, read works by brilliant Urdu poets, and also spend some time playing with words together to create poems of our own, just for fun.
Time: 5:15 PM to 7:30 PM
Venue: WeDecolonize LibraryAlso, please follow insta page for updates for future events 🌸🌺
https://www.instagram.com/deraxbe1 attendee
Past events
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