Daura by Anukrti Upadhyay: A folktale comes alive
The cover itself draws you in. A maroon background, a sand-yellow illustration of a tree (a kalpavriksh, perhaps), and the beautiful typeface, designed by The Typecraft Initiative add to the mystic element that the blurb promises the reader. Daura, author Anukrti Upadhyay’s debut work of English (released together with Bhaunri, about which, in another post), is […]
The Queen’s Last Salute by Moupia Basu
I began reading this novel sceptically, I admit. It seemed to be just another retelling of Jhansi Ki Rani, the warrior queen who splintered the barrier of gender to fight for her kingdom. But I was pleasantly surprised when Moupia Basu‘s Chandraki swept in like a storm cloud and stole the show. The title of […]
The Outcasts: A Thousand Dreams of Redemption by Lidija Stankovikj
To put it simply, The Outcasts by Lidija Stankovikj is one of the most intricate books in recent times. Stankovikj’s writing is almost dreamlike, the narrative fluid yet fluctuating and infused with vivid imagery. Her contemporary, abstract take on India, the land of dichotomies is as refreshing as it is eye-opening. A story of loss, acceptance, […]
In Conversation With Balaji Venkataramanan
Riding on his fame from Flat Truck Bullies (FTB), Balaji Venkataramanan’s Pops! is a refreshing read for children and adults alike. We at Purple Pencil Project loved the story of Pops! (published by Duckbill), told with refreshing authenticity and just the right amount of innocence. So of course, we decided to sit down with him (virtually) […]
Online Courses for Bibliophiles and Wordsmiths
Always wanted to write? Study the classics? Understand culture? But don’t want to return to college? We feel you. The subjects in the humanities hold our endless fascination and it sucks that liberal studies, and curated curricula are still a faraway dream in India. Which is why these online courses in literature and writing are the […]
Shashi Tharoor’s Riot: A Novel – Much Agitprop About Nothing
My current opinion of Shashi Tharoor, that of him being more of a dilettante than a dignitary, is, of course, solely a lament of his once-astute gifts of polemic and storytelling, which were found in spades in his single notable work of metaphysical fiction-cum-roman a clef, The Great Indian Novel. The topical resonance of that […]
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, […]
Temporary People by Deepak Unnikrishnan
Deepak Unnikrishnan’s Temporary People is like a journal with a different pressed flower on every page, each distinctly fragrant and unique, yet still cohesive with the theme of the novel. Divided into three parts (or books) titled Limbs, Tongue, Flesh, and Veed, Temporary People is an anthology of distended stories, of different people all of […]
Gopalla Gramam by Ki. Rajanarayanan
Rich in traditions, natural beauty, and purity, life in the villages of India is rustic and fulfilling. Ki. Rajanarayanan’s Gopalla Gramam transports the reader to the serenity of life in his village, complete with a beautifully vivid description of the surrounding greenery and the people that make up the village. Ki. Rajanarayanan is a pioneer […]
Ruskin Bond’s Rusty Goes To London
Any Indian bibliophile, who has spent his or her childhood and youth in the company of, say, Oliver Twist being led by the artful Dodger to Fagin’s lair or been held in the thrall of Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson on their trail to discover the truth hidden in the fog of yet another mystery, […]
