Essays

The Many Forms of the Malayalam Script

Two glimpses of an older Malayalam script A few months ago, I visited the Hill Palace Museum in Kochi. Amid the various artefacts from pre-modern

admin August 4, 2026

How I went from being scared of Hindi to owning it

India is woven from many threads of customs, culture, languages and dialects—a noisy tapestry of unity in diversity. Growing up between Malayalam at home and

admin March 1, 2026

opinion piece on literature festivals in India

Essays

5 Ways Literature Festivals in India Can Transform Audience Experiences

A personal essays about how literature festivals in India could change with the times.

Prakruti Maniar November 16, 2024

Khilega To Dekhenge/ Once It Flowers by Vinod Kumar Shukla

Essays

Khilega To Dekhenge/ Once It Flowers by Vinod Kumar Shukla: A Summary of Our Third Book Club Meeting

The Purple Pencil Project started its first book club in July, aimed at reading through the books of one Indian author chronologically. This aim is

Amritesh Mukherjee October 9, 2024

Essays

7 Revolutionary Student Movements in India That Changed the Course of History

History is complex. Quite complex. And yet, all too often, our perception of our past is shaped more by the contemporary fashions of the day

Amritesh Mukherjee October 4, 2024

Exploring Science Fiction in Tamil: Sujatha

Essays

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

Akshaya V September 21, 2024

Essays

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

Amritesh Mukherjee September 16, 2024

Essays

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

Amritesh Mukherjee September 7, 2024

Essays

The Relevance and Benefits of Reading in the 21st Century

Prakruti Maniar writes about the personal and societal benefits of reading and its impact on cognitive development, time management, and well-being amidst a plethora of

Prakruti Maniar September 7, 2024

Essays

Language Politics in India: Regional Protests and Their National Implications

India is home to one of the most linguistically diverse populations in the world. According to the 2011 Census, the country recognises 22 scheduled languages.

Amritesh Mukherjee September 4, 2024

Category: Essays

The Many Forms of the Malayalam Script

How I went from being scared of Hindi to owning it

5 Ways Literature Festivals in India Can Transform Audience Experiences

Khilega To Dekhenge/ Once It Flowers by Vinod Kumar Shukla: A Summary of Our Third Book Club Meeting

7 Revolutionary Student Movements in India That Changed the Course of History

Exploring Science Fiction in Tamil: Sujatha’s Invaluable Contributions to the Genre

A Summary of Our Second Book Club Meeting: Mahavidyalaya/ Blue is Like Blue by Vinod Kumar Shukla

Chipko Movement: How Grassroots Activism Changed Environmental Laws

The Relevance and Benefits of Reading in the 21st Century

Language Politics in India: Regional Protests and Their National Implications

Supported by Saurabh Garg

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