Status Check: Young Adult literature in India
As far as the world literature in English is concerned, young adult fiction has existed for a long time, in the form of science fiction novels and fantasy worlds like the Lord of the Ring series by JR Tolkien, A Wrinkle in Time and several others. But it was JK Rowling’s Harry Potter series that […]
Scribbles: Literary News by Purple Pencil Project Pt. 4
A roundup of the latest from the literary world.
In conversation with: Tishani Doshi
Tishani Doshi’s Small Days and Nights is the latest addition to her much-admired oeuvre of poetry, dance and fiction. In this book, she spins the tale of two sisters – Grace, a woman in her mid-30s who leaves behind a husband, a house and a life in the America to return to her roots and […]
Gun Island by Amitav Ghosh
“Contemporary Indian literature seems to be too focused on the human world, and seems to have forgotten the world outside it,” said Amitav Ghosh, at the book launch of Gun Island in Mumbai. His latest is a cli-fi (climate fiction) as they call it. Yet, at the end of this rather well-plotted saga, which tries […]
Magical Women edited by Sukanya Venkataraghavan
Stories oftentimes find their essence in the women who weave them, shaped and moulded by their experiences of love, loss, betrayal, triumph and hope. Magical Women, edited and compiled by Sukanya Venkataraghavan is one such anthology, a perfect blend of fantasy, romance and reality of what being a woman entails. The collection includes 14 beautiful […]
Verse visit: Contemporary poets tackle new themes
It is the undisputed truth that words can change the tides of destiny, they can fan the raging fires of rebellion or restore peace to lands strife with war. The persuasive power of a stellar piece of literature extends to poetry as well. The contemporary issues of the modern world also require poets who are […]
Scribbles: Literary News by Purple Pencil Project Pt. 3
We at Purple Pencil Project keep you updated about the latest happenings in the literary world, both national and international, and aim to bring out literary news of the week in this compilation called Scribbles. India An Indian political book in the prestigious Orwell Prize shortlist. Alpa Shah’s Nightmarch: Among India’s Revolutionary Guerrillas was shortlisted for […]
Ripples Across Time: The Life of Girish Karnad
Girish Karnad was one of India’s most celebrated playwrights. Unapologetically outspoken, he often drew the ire of fundamentalists — making him one of the most controversial writers in Indian history. His sad demise marks the end of a significant chapter of Indian theatre and cinema. Life and Times Born in Matheran in 1938, he moved […]
Scribbles: Literary News by Purple Pencil Project Pt. 2
We at Purple Pencil Project keep you updated about the latest happenings in the literary world, both national and international, and aim to bring out literary news of the week in this compilation called Scribbles. India Veteran Playwright Girish Karnad passes away The Indian art and cultural sphere was dealt an unfathomable blow with the […]
Daitya Diaries by Aditya K V
It’s the oldest trick in the book; taking mythology, using the central themes and characters and transporting them to real life, to different times, to different battles. Mythological fiction, re-tellings, and adaptations play a special role in literature at large, and over the last few years in the Indian literary canon. Daitya Diaries (written twice […]
