London, England (SBWIRE) -- 06/03/2010 -- From award-winning British filmmaker, screenwriter and author Shamim Sarif come two very different love stories: one an epic drama, the other a contemporary romance loosely based on Sarif’s real-life love match.

"An impressive debut. Sarif's story brings together the descriptive power of the novelist with the screenwriter's mastery of dialogue." — The Times, London

Winner of the Pendleton May First Novel Award & the Betty Trask Award, The World Unseen ($16.95; Paperback; ISBN 978-0956031600; September) by Shamim Sarif, brings to life 1950s South Africa, where apartheid is just becoming institutionalized. Free-spirited, café-owning Amina has broken all the rules of her own conventional Indian community. When she meets Miriam, a traditional young wife and mother, their unexpected attraction pushes Miriam to question the rules that bind her, and their new love struggles to survive.

“A brilliantly executed, romantic, sexy, and heart-warming page-turner, I Can't Think Straight is a novel that all readers and critics, regardless of sexuality, would agree is the work of an amazingly talented writer. The only thing to not like about the book is that it had to end.” — Cherrygrrl.com

I Can’t Think Straight ($14.95; Paperback; ISBN 978-0956031617; September) by Shamim Sarif moves between enclaves of Middle Eastern high society in Jordan and London’s West End to explore the clashes between East and West, love and marriage, conventions and individuality. While preparing for her wedding, Tala, a Palestinian Christian, meets Leyla, a spirited but shy British Indian Muslim, and an explosive love affair begins.

Shamim Sarif is the co-founder of Enlightenment Productions and the award-winning writer/director of films The World Unseen and I Can’t Think Straight, just released on DVD in the U.S. She lives in London with her wife and business partner Hanan Kattan and their two boys, and is hard at work on the television adaptation of I Can’t Think Straight and the U.S. release of the books.

Enlightenment Press is an arm of Enlightenment Productions, a multi-media entertainment company formed in partnership between Hanan Kattan and Shamim Sarif. Based in London and Los Angeles, the company produces, distributes and sells extraordinary independent feature films, books, and music that push boundaries and challenge perception.

Contact Details
Hanan Kattan
Enlightenment Productions
77 Cheyne Court, Royal Hospital Road, London SW3 5TT UK
Tel: +44 (0)207 824 8755
Tel: +44 (0) 20 7998 4167
Email: Hanan@enlightenment-films.com
Email: info@enlightenment-films.com
Company Registration: 07034360
Website: http://www.enlightenment-films.com