Need to bring out the othering of north-east India: Dr. Moushumi Kandali

interview with Dr. Moushumi Kandali, author from north-east India

Purple Pencil Project spoke to the author of Black Magic Women, Dr. Moushumi Kandali about how she brought the collection together, perceptions of north-east India, her interest in art, the books that inspired her, and more. Excerpts. How did The Black Magic Women originate? Was it something you read, heard, or saw, that made you […]

Don’t miss this campus novel based in Banaras Hindu University

feature image for a review of banaras talkies, a book set on the campus of the banaras hindu university

The Hindi version of Banaras Talkies, a campus novel based in Banaras Hindu University came out in 2015, based in the author’s alma mater. The book, he says, is ‘as fictional as you think and as factual as you can understand’.  Given that it is his first book chances are high that his experiences find […]

Aashit Chatterjee on reading, cinema in the era of digital platforms, and more

bollywood actor aashit chatterjee about reading and films on the digital platform

The Bollywood filmmaker spoke to us as part of the Bundelkhand Literature Festival 2022, about reading, the rise of digital platforms and the changing nature of cinema, his favourite fim adaptations of books, and much more. Excerpts. How is it like to participate in the Bundelkhand Literature Festival? In a time where reading loses its […]

What has the history of trade got to do with Kerala Food? Find out

feature image for the book review of Eating With History, a book about Kerala Food, filled with historical details and recipes

Art curator, educator, and writer Tanya Abraham, knows Kerala and Kerala food closely. Born and raised in Fort Kochi to parents from two different Christian communities, the differences in traditions and religious influences based on history always fascinated her. Eating with History: Ancient Trade-Influenced Cuisines of Kerala is one part recipe books and one part […]

On Reading Novels

feature image for the essay that makes a case for reading novels

As someone who reads a lot and makes it obvious to the world that she reads a lot, I often get asked by friends for book recommendations. A lot of the time, these are people who read only occasionally, and when I ask them what kind of books they would like to be recommended, the […]

A Biryani Food Book by Andaleeb Wajid you can’t miss

books about food in india

A moment in this food book, More Than Just Biryani: When Tahera asks her mother Ruqayya to make gajar ka halwa for her daughter Zubi’s birthday, Ruqayya insists that Zubi observe and learn. The reluctant nine-year-old finds herself gradually getting drawn into the process as the various ingredients come together in the kadhai. Fascinated by […]

Ponniyin Selvan: History Come Alive

the phenomenon that Ponniyin Selvan is

What’s the greatest Tamil language novel? Don’t be surprised if the most common answer to this question is: Ponniyin Selvan. A cult classic in its own right, this novel by Kalki Krishnamurthy was first serialised in the 1950s in the popular magazine Kalki. In the four years of its publication, it not only contributed to […]

The Best Book Subscriptions for a Bibliophile

book subscriptions for a bibliophile

The last chain bookstore near my house closed down years ago. Every evening, I would walk to the store, sit on their comfortable couches, and read an entire book while the salespeople glared at me. In their defence, I was a broke school kid who rarely bought anything, so I understand their ire. However, times […]

Booker Prize shortlisted rip-roaring epic satire set in Sri Lanka

featured image for book prize shortlist by shehan karunatilaka

Published in the subcontinent as Chats with the Dead, Shehan Karunatilaka’s brilliant and damning novel about Sri Lanka of the late 1980s was revised for the western crowd and published as The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida. The latter now finds itself in this year’s Booker Prize Shortlist, and deservedly so. What happened to Maali […]

We of the Forsaken World… A debut Indian writing in English you must read

featured for a debut Indian writing in English by Kiran Bhat

The internet is slow to reach among the rubber trees of my mother’s native land. One is forced into communication with fallen barks, orange-coloured dragonflies and the two-tailed drongo in the violet light of evening. In sharp contrast, in the bustling city of Bangalore where home is, the sparrows have disappeared from neighbourhood skies. Although […]