Nationalism and the Imagination by Gayatri C. Spivak
Over the last few years, there has been a resurgence of nationalist sentiment around the world, especially in India. Fostering a national identity in a country as diverse as ours is no mean task. Nationalism is also ever-evolving and can affect other aspects of life like citizenship. To add to the complexity, national identity often […]
Nineteen Ninety by Sachin Kundalkar
Sachin Kundalkar’s latest Marathi book of essays, titled Nineteen Ninety, evokes nostalgia for the decade that shaped the course of his life. As someone who grew up in the ’90s, it’s easy to recognise the markers of that decade as highlighted in Sachin Kundalkar’s book: the ubiquitous Walkman that symbolised personal space before the advent […]
My Story by Kamala Das
As a student of literature or as a feminist, it is hard to escape the influence of Kamala Das aka Madhavikutty aka Kamala Surayya. A pioneer among Indian poets who wrote in English, her extensive literary oeuvre also encompassed short stories, novels, essays, and a memoir. She wrote unabashedly about taboo topics of the time, […]
Night of Happiness by Tabish Khair
Author Tabish Khair’s Night of Happiness is a difficult tale to slot. It has elements of a thriller, and a paranormal tale, and also makes reference to real-life incidents like the Gujarat pogrom. The title of the book refers to the festival Shab-e-Barat, an occasion when certain Muslim communities visit the grave of their ancestors […]
