After decades away from Belgium, Tervuren quickly became more than a new home for Belgian-Indian writer Shake Malhotra. She found a sense of balance, belonging and the calm she had been searching for. And Tervuren provides the vivid setting for the first short story in her new book.
The forest paths, the slower rhythm and the welcoming atmosphere of the community now form the backdrop to Malhotra’s debut novel, Queerstar Martinis, which was released on Amazon on 5 November. “Ending the book in Tervuren felt natural,” she said. “It’s the place where my life finally feels in harmony.”
Malhotra already speaks English, French and Hindi. But outside of Belgium since her 18th birthday, she says that learning Dutch is now one of her priorities. “Dutch isn’t difficult, I understand Dutch,” she noted, “but life was busy with work and writing. Now that I’m settled, I want to learn it properly. If you choose to live here, the language matters,” she says.
If you choose to live here, the language matters…
Malhotra’s time in Tervuren, she says, has strengthened her desire to integrate further and connect more deeply with local life. “Here, I was too Indian to be Belgian, in India I wasn’t Indian enough,” she said. “It took years to understand that I actually belong everywhere — that my mix of cultures is a strength, not a limitation.”
Her powerful novel, Queerstar Martinis, is about love, identity and the courage to be yourself whereever you are. It’s a book for anyone who has ever felt invisible in their own life, chosen safety over truth or struggled to feel at home in their own skin.
With its unforgettable characters, emotional honesty and prose that shifts from lyrical to sharply direct, the novel captures the texture of queer life and the emotional cost of hiding parts of yourself to satisfy cultural or family expectations.
The book features four short stories, each set in diverse locations, reflecting my experiences. “The cities woven into the stories include Brussels, Delhi, Dublin, and London where I lived. And New York but I never lived there,” she told Tervuren+.
Born in Brussels to Indian parents, she lived in Belgium until 18 before spending a formative year in Delhi. Her own family reflects that layered identity so common in Tervuren with its 116 nationalities and 45% non-Belgians felt natural.
Tervuren has been good to us
Malhotra is raising twins who were adopted in the UK but hail from Sri Lanka. Each twin navigates multiple cultures. “They carry so much — adoption, two mums, growing up Belgian with Sri Lankan roots — but the community here has been incredibly positive. Tervuren has been good to us.”
With her novel, Malhotra hopes readers who feel caught between worlds will recognise themselves. “I wrote it so people feel less alone,” she said. “Belonging can be found in many places — sometimes even exactly where you are.”
With the novel’s unforgettable characters, devastating emotional honesty, and prose that moves like poetry one moment, and hits like a punch the next, this novel captures the texture of multicultural, diverse Tervuren.
Queerstar Martinis was published in English on 5 November 2025 and is available in Kindle (€9.00) and paperback (€15.80) editions. The book can be ordered directly from Amazon.