The Queen of Jasmine Country by Sharanya Manivannan
If there was one way to describe the frailty and beauty of the Queen of Jasmine Country, it would be to compare it to its thematic namesake, the jasmine flower that blooms momentarily but leaves a precious fragrance, even in its wake. Sharanya Manivvanan beautifully weaves a tale of adolescent woes, longing for love and […]
Poetry Review: The Unmistakable Presence of Absent Humans by K. Srilata
In the first paragraph of the Preface to the poetry book The Unmistakable Presence of Absent Humans, Srilata quite beautifully encapsulates what this collection of poems is about. “…I found that one particular idea surfaced repeatedly – the idea of absent presences, absences that are, quite unmistakably, presences.” It contains within itself a multitude of […]
Poetry meets Music in new Folk Album ‘Rang’
Pranita Nair Pandurangi (also one of our reviewers), is a writer, a teacher, a Hindustani Classical Musician (involved in folk traditions), but above all, a fantastic storyteller. She released her debut album ‘Rang’ recently, which is inspired by folk poetry across six Indian languages. In an email interview, she draws those connections, and shares more […]
After Yesterday and other stories
Written by Appadurai Muttulingam, Translated from Tamil by Padma Narayanan. Appadurai Muttulingam’s After Yesterday and Other Stories reminded me of another anthology of short stories in Tamil I read recently – In a Forest, a Deer by Ambai, translated by Lakshmi Holmstrom, where the author’s note states – “One writes because the act of writing […]
Parliamental by Meghnad
When was the last time you watched the proceedings of the Parliament on the Lok Sabha or Rajya Sabha TV? “Who watches TV, right?” And who watches political news from where they actually happen! Rarely does footage from these Parliament proceedings go viral on the internet or trend on Twitter (though TV debates around it […]
Cobalt Blue by Sachin Kundalkar
It’s common to hear stories of sisters falling in love with the same man or brothers in love with the same woman. Romance and tragedy have both used this twist in sometimes subtle, sometimes dramatic and (mostly film), downright over-the-top ways. In tone, Cobalt Blue thankfully falls in the first category, and the story explores […]
Scribbles August 2019
New Releases Title: Raavan Enemy of Aryavarta by Amish Tripathi Description: The third book in the Ram Chandra series, Raavan depicts the life and times of the infamous King of Lanka, his unmatched reputation as an erudite, his appetite for violence and his hunger to be the greatest of the greats. Publication: Westland Publications (1 […]
In conversation with Volga: Telugu literature, translations & more
An interview with Telugu writer Volga, about her novels, translations and more.
