A little corner for the writing milestones closest to my heart.
These are pieces that found a home in journals, magazines, anthologies, and creative platforms that value honest, thoughtful storytelling. Each publication is a small part of my journey as a writer, and a reminder of the stories I’ve been fortunate enough to share beyond my own pages.
I am Hafsa Rizvi, a Sri Lankan writer and author drawn to the interior landscapes of memory, silence, belonging, and emotional inheritance. I am the author of Chrysalis: An Anthology of Inspired Verse, my debut poetry collection, and my work spans poetry, short fiction, creative nonfiction, and reflective prose.
My writing explores the subtle ways personal histories intersect with family, culture, place, and identity. I am particularly interested in what remains unsaid, in the memories we inherit, the stories we carry, and the quiet negotiations individuals make between expectation and autonomy.
I write with an emphasis on atmosphere, psychological depth, and emotional precision. Whether through a poem, a short story, or a piece of creative nonfiction, I am drawn to narratives that feel lived rather than performed, allowing meaning to unfold deliberately rather than through spectacle.
My writing is rooted in restraint. I value clarity over excess, resonance over shock, and structure that mirrors emotional architecture. Many of my pieces return to themes of home, memory, loss, tradition, transformation, and the small moments through which people make sense of themselves and one another.
Beyond writing, I see storytelling as both creative practice and cultural preservation. Stories can carry the textures of place, voice, memory, and identity across generations, preserving what might otherwise quietly disappear.
My work continues to evolve across genres and forms, but its centre remains constant: to uncover the quiet forces that shape human experience and to give form to what might otherwise remain unspoken.
Folklore Review – Summer Solstice Issue 03- “The Mango Tree Whispers” – Nonfiction
My nonfiction piece The Mango Tree Whispers is now live in Folklore Review, a literary journal that celebrates tradition, memory, and storytelling. I’m grateful to be part of their beautifully curated Summer Solstice Issue.
The Ceylon Literary and Arts Festival – 2025 Edition - “Whispers from the Jungle” – Short Story
I wrote this story as the winner of the Future Writers Programme 2025. Set near Sri Lanka’s Sinharaja Forest, it follows Amara, a scientist torn between development and preservation. As an eco-resort threatens her childhood village, she must navigate science, memory, and tradition. A story about protecting what we love by listening to the past.
My Grandfather’s Watch | Non Fiction Writer - Spellbinder Summer 2025
Click here to purchase the book on Amazon or Subscribe to Spellbinder to get the PDF.
“My Grandfather’s Watch” is a nonfiction reflection on family, memory, and legacy. Through the story of an heirloom watch, the piece explores the quiet yet powerful ways our ancestors shape us, the passage of time, and the connections that endure across generations.
Note: Currently, you need to be a subscriber to read this on Spellbinder, or you can purchase it via Amazon.
The Last Avurudu at Home | The Jam Fruit Tree - Anthology of Best Short Stories 2025
“The Last Avurudu at Home” is a shortstory discusses about a young woman studies in London while her family celebrates Avurudu back in Sri Lanka. As she remembers her final new year at home, she faces the pull between tradition, distance, and the changing meaning of belonging.
The Day Amma Didn't Come | Perera Hussein Publishing House | Milk Rice - Edition 03