Ashwin Sanghi’s Razor Sharp: As Fast as a Bullet Train
Yash Pawaskar reviews Razor Sharp: A Kutta Kadam Thriller by Ashwin Sanghi (published by HarperCollins India, 2024) Some books are often punctuated with philosophically charged sentences that force you to pause your reading journey, look out of the window, and contemplate the meaning of life. If you are in the mood for such a soulful […]
Greeting the Wolves: An Enquiry into O.V. Vijayan’s The Legends of Khasak
Pooja Singh reviews The Legends of Khasak by O.V. Vijayan (published by Penguin Modern Classics, 2008). Malayalam literature’s vision to bring the narratives of the marginalized into the centre reflects its leanings towards communist ideals and provocative voices to advocate for social justice. Writers like Thakazhi Sivasankara Pillai, Vaikom Muhammad Basheer, O.V. Vijayan, and Thoppil […]
Exploring Science Fiction in Tamil: Sujatha’s Invaluable Contributions to the Genre
When the West was experiencing a new wave in science fiction in the 1960s and ‘70s, Tamil literature saw the rise of a new, promising writer. Many did not (and still do not) know him by his original name, but he became quite popular with the masses in a few years with his spellbinding short […]
Our Bones in Your Throat by Megha Rao: A YA Book That Needed a Better Editor
Prakruti Maniar reviews Our Bones in Your Throat by Megha Rao (published by Simon & Schuster India, 2024). Our Bones in Your Throat is Megha Rao’s debut novel, a magical realism story about a girl’s quest for revenge and how faith, determination, words and poetry can have the power to bring justice. The plot follows […]
A Summary of Our Second Book Club Meeting: Mahavidyalaya/ Blue is Like Blue by Vinod Kumar Shukla
From July onwards, the Purple Pencil Project started a new wing in its community initiatives: a book club. More specifically, for the time being, a club dedicated to reading Vinod Kumar Shukla’s fiction chronologically from July to January. So far, we’ve read his first novel, Naukar Ki Kameez, and gathered to discuss his first collection […]
ZardoZi by Debasmita Dasgupta Review: Traditional Embroidery and Finding Your Inner Voice
Neha Kirpal reviews ZardoZi: Stitched with Love by Debasmita Dasgupta (published by Harper Children’s, 2024). ZardoZi: Stitched with Love by London-based award-winning graphic novelist, film producer and screenwriter Debasmita Dasgupta and edited by writer and independent children’s bookmaker Rajat Mittal is a heart-warming new picture book about a ten-year-old boy called Zi who loves embroidery. One […]
Understanding Indian Social Movements: 20 Essential Movies to Watch
Cinema has always been a mirror reflecting the society it represents. And the influence of cinema on society and vice versa is perhaps more fleshed out in India. From the complexities of caste discrimination to the nuances of LGBTQ+ rights, filmmakers have, time and time again, challenged norms and sparked conversations. Today, we look at […]
Interspersing Feminism and Mystery in Ambai’s The Death of a Sarus Crane
Amritesh Mukherjee reviews The Death of a Sarus Crane: Sudha Gupta’s Adventures in Detection by Ambai, translated from Tamil by Gita Subramanian (published by Speaking Tiger, 2024). A gripe I’ve had with many Indian sleuths I’ve encountered over the years has been the derivative nature of their stories and surroundings. Granted, I need to read […]
Chipko Movement: How Grassroots Activism Changed Environmental Laws
In 1973, the quiet hills of Uttarakhand’s Chamoli district were the site of one of the largest grassroots environmental protests. Local communities sparked a nonviolent resistance to protect their forests, threatened by rampant deforestation, endangering the livelihoods of local communities who relied on forests for essentials like timber, firewood, and water. Led by Chandi Prasad […]
An Inclusive Goa in this Coming-Of-Age Tale: Boy, Unloved by Damodar Mauzo, trans. by Jerry Pinto Review
Akankshya Abismruta reviews Boy, Unloved by Damodar Mauzo, translated by Jerry Pinto (published by Speaking Tiger, 2024). Imagine being a boy rendered useless at home. When you engage with the outside world, you hear repeatedly, “You have great potential; you can do anything you set your heart to.” Despite having the financial resources, you do […]
