Novels by youngsters are tackling social issues, says veteran writer

1 day, 8 hours ago

Bookshelf | New Books on the Shelves

Published : Mar 26, 2025 12:00 IST - 2 MINS READ 100 Indian Stories: A Feast of Remarkable Short Fiction from the 19th, 20th, and 21st Centuries Edited by A. J. Thomas Aleph Book Company Rs.1,499 Described as “the biggest and most ambitious collection of Indian short fiction”, the anthology offers stories from every major Indian language, region, generation, and …

India Sufi Indian

2 days, 7 hours ago

The Hindu On Books newsletter: Jnanpith honour for Vinod Kumar Shukla, Pico Iyer’s stillness, Amitav Ghosh’s essays and more

The Hindu

Welcome to this edition of The Hindu on Books Newsletter. The stories are about “smaller-than-life people”, who make do with little in life, but “joy is not entirely absent.” In reviews, we read Pico Iyer’s new book, Amitav Ghosh’s book of essays, the graphic makeover of C.S. “Balance constant movement by practising stillness.” Amitav Ghosh’s Wild Fictions: Essays is a …

India Bengaluru Kolkata English Books Life Graphic

3 days, 12 hours ago

Cultures of play: A new book looks at how children play in the city

Hindustan Times

MUMBAI: “When I was a child, we would play in the spaces in corridors, foyers and between buildings,” said architect Anuj Daga, speaking of his neighbourhood in Goregaon East. “But gradually, buildings started opting for boundary walls, splintering the space available for play, and restricting the space, the kind of play that is possible, and the kind of kids that …

Children Mumbai Book Spaces Spies Daga Play Space

4 days, 7 hours ago

Girls Who Stray: Anisha Lalvani’s Debut Novel Redefines Indian Women’s Fiction with a Dark, Coming-of-Age Thriller

The Hindu

Published : Mar 23, 2025 12:13 IST - 4 MINS READ Anisha Lalvani’s debut novel marks a bold new direction in Indian women’s writing. Girls Who Stray By Anisha Lalvani Bloomsbury India Pages: 296 Price: Rs.699 What sets this novel apart is its unapologetic amorality, raw candour, and the protagonist’s brutal self-awareness—qualities rarely found in contemporary Indian women’s fiction. The …

India Women Delhi Indian City Indian Women Novel

1 week, 2 days ago

Author Vidya Varadarajan on a mission to kindle a love for reading in children

The Hindu

Bengaluru-based children’s author Vidya Varadarajan is on a mission to reignite a joy for reading in young minds. Somehow, books just didn’t appeal to her; but I also understood that many books didn’t reflect the world she lived in.” Vidya observed that while previous generations saw books as a window to another world, today’s children — growing up with social …

India Children Writing Reading Young Readers Books Vidya

2 weeks ago

META 2025: Stage of social expression

The Hindu

A father beseeching the system to return his son, a mixologist hiding his Dalit identity to serve a casteist society, and a village struggling to find ways to survive the eccentric diktats of its ruler — these are some of the works to be staged at the ongoing META-2025. Told through “real and surreal moments”, where a police officer seeks …

Theatre Work Play State Meta Rajan Kannan

2 weeks, 6 days ago

review of Sonia Faleiro’s How I Write — Writers on their Craft

The Hindu

How do you do it? As Elaine Castillo puts it, one result is that readers “end up going to writers of colour to learn the specific — and go to white writers to feel the universal.” An exception is Letters to a Writer of Colour, an edifying essay collection edited by Deepa Anappara and Taymour Soomro, in which writers reflect …

Writers South Asian Write Writer Tells Faleiro Sonia Faleiro

3 weeks ago

‘Karnataka has historically been a multilingual, plural, multicultural society’: author Srikar Raghavan

The Hindu

Rama Bhima Soma, a game with no winners or losers, becomes an interesting metaphor for democracy in Srikar Raghavan’s book by the same name, which attempts to unpack the social, political and cultural histories of modern Karnataka in an original way. Additionally, it also helped him look at writers, activists and politicians through this “web of interconnections where you are …

History Karnataka Tamil Kannada Bangalore Project Book

3 weeks, 2 days ago

The Hindu On Books newsletter: Women’s Prize for Fiction longlist, Banu Mushtaq’s Booker nomination and more

The Hindu

Welcome to this edition of The Hindu on Books Newsletter. On the 30th anniversary of the Women’s Prize for Fiction, 16 books have been picked on the longlist announced on March 4 which includes Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s comeback novel, Dream Count, Elizabeth Strout’s Tell Me Everything, which brings together characters from her Lucy Barton and Olive Kitteridge books, Miranda July’s …

India Kerala South India Books Prize Cuba Hindu

3 weeks, 4 days ago

Writer hails women’s contribution to Kannada literature and life

The Hindu

Pointing to traditional discrimination against women in all spheres of human life, writer Kum. We need to recognise women’s contribution not just to the development of literature but also to the development of human beings,” he said. He was speaking at a women’s poetry recitation session on the Virupaksha Temple premises in the World Heritage Site of Hampi in Vijayanagara …

Women Kannada Literature Veerabhadrappa

3 weeks, 6 days ago

sudipta datta on two books by malli gandhi and Krishnopriyo Bhattacharya that shine a light on marginalised tribal communities and their predicaments

The Hindu

The Anthropological Survey of India and Tribal Research Institutes recently announced that after a three-year study, they had managed to categorise 268 denotified, semi-nomadic, and nomadic tribes across the country, recommending the inclusion of 179 of these communities on Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and Other Backward Classes lists. Malli Gandhi, in his new book, Tribes of South India, lays down …

India South India West Bengal Tribal Communities Tribal Gandhi Bhattacharya

1 month ago

Students to present papers on their favourite work of literature

The Hindu

As many as 22 students of Sahyadri Commerce and Management College in Shivamogga will present papers on their favourite works of literature as part of the students’ seminar in the college on Tuesday. The programme titled “Nanna Mechchina Pustaka”, is an opportunity for undergraduate students to present their papers about their favourite books. The students have chosen works of litterateurs …

Students

1 month ago

Book Review | Analysing Kuvempu’s Critique of Karnataka’s Feudal Society

The Hindu

Published : Feb 23, 2025 15:51 IST - 7 MINS READ K.V. Bride in the Hills By Kuvempu, translated by Vanamala Viswanatha India Penguin Modern Classics Pages: 816 Price: Rs.799 Born to Vokkaliga parents during the early years of the last century in a tiny village in the Malnad region of Karnataka, Kuvempu was sent as a young boy to …

Karnataka Dalit Kannada Novel Reader Malnad Kuvempu

1 month ago

Only religion of humanity can counter communalism, says writer Prabhakara

The Hindu

Expressing concern over rise of communalism in Karnataka’s coastal region, senior writer Prabhakar Shishila said on Friday that a religion of humanity alone can counter communalism effectively. Delivering his presidential address at the 27th Dakshina Kannada District Sahitya Sammelana at Mangalore University’s Mangala auditorium, Mr. Shishila said religion has come to the forefront in the region since 1990 and the …

Kannada State Writer Prabhakara Counter Communalism

1 month ago

Literature as a witness to trauma and healing

Deccan Chronicle

Hyderabad: Can literature serve as both a witness to trauma and a tool for resilience and justice? In the valedictory address, legal scholar Prof. Kalpana Kannabiran examined the intersections of literature, law and justice, arguing that constitutional principles and legal narratives serve as shared cultural resources. The three-day conference featured lectures, paper presentations and discussions on how South Asian literature …

Literature Trauma Hyderabad South Asian Prof Bits Pilani

1 month, 1 week ago

The Hindu On Books newsletter: 100 Indian short stories, Women’s Prize for Non-Fiction longlist, Srikar Raghavan’s Karnataka and more

The Hindu

Welcome to this edition of The Hindu on Books Newsletter. In reviews we read Srikar Raghavan’s book on the making of modern Karnataka, 100 Indian stories, edited by A.J. Books of the week Srikar Raghavan’s book, Rama, Bhima, Soma is a travelogue through the social, cultural, literary, political, intellectual movements and accidents that made modern Karnataka. Part of the enchantment …

India Karnataka Prize Indian Hindu Book Klein

1 month, 2 weeks ago

Kalyana Karnataka Literary Festival at Gulbarga University starting Monday

The Hindu

Kalyana Karnataka Literary Festival, a two-day event with simultaneous seminars and deliberative sessions on the multiple aspects of literature, will be organised at the Gulbarga University starting Monday. Pote said that senior Kannada writer and literary critic Baraguru Ramachandrappa will inaugurate the event. The valedictory event will be held on Tuesday where senior social activist Siddanagouda Patil will be the …

Event Kalyana

1 month, 2 weeks ago

Literary events helped in promoting Kannada and culture, says U. T. Khader

The Hindu

Legislative Assembly Speaker U.T. Khader said on Wednesday, February 12, that literary conferences helped in promoting Kannada and culture. He was addressing a gathering at Mangalore University after releasing the invitation for the 27th Dakshina Kannada District Kannada Sahitya Sammelana which will be held at the university’s Mangala auditorium for two days from February 21. Dhananjaya Kumble, the conference committee’s …

Kannada Conference Khader Literary Events

1 month, 2 weeks ago

New books on the shelves

The Hindu

Published : Feb 12, 2025 12:00 IST - 2 MINS READ Mudritha Jissa Jose, translated by Jayasree Kalathil Harper Perennial Rs.599 Set in contemporary Kerala, this story, which begins with a missing-person complaint, opens windows into the lives of women who want to live life on their own terms. ___ The Phantom’s Howl: Classic Tales of Ghosts and Hauntings from …

India

1 month, 2 weeks ago

Bijal Vachharajani: rewilding imagination for young readers with her new anthology Go Wild: Stories, Essays and Comics that Celebrate the Earth

The Hindu

Bijal Vachharajani is on a mission to make children fall in love with “the planet we call home” because she believes that “to love it is to protect it”. A voracious reader herself, Vachharajani thinks of books as “a wonderful way to be introduced to the wonders of the natural world, and lure you into the outdoors, be it a …

Essay Vachharajani

1 month, 3 weeks ago

Rajur blames government and Kannadigas for the plight of Kannada

The Hindu

Chairman of Dr. M.M. Kalburgi National Trust Prof. Veeranna Rajur has said that Kannada had not attained supremacy because of the lack of political will of successive governments and lack of pride among Kannadigas in their language. Delivering the valedictory address during the concluding ceremony of 17th Dharwad Zilla Kannada Sahitya Sammelana in Dharwad on February 4, Prof. Rajur said …

Literature Kannada Vachana Literature Vachana Rajur

1 month, 3 weeks ago

Odisha youth buys study materials for poor children with proceeds from paddy sales

Deccan Chronicle

Phulbani : In the heart of Kandhamal district, a remarkable story of selflessness and dedication has emerged. Rajesh Kumar Bagarti, a tribal youth from the remote village of Gatamaha in Ghumusuara Udayagiri block, has given a new meaning to sacrifice. With the money earned from selling his recently harvested paddy, Rajesh has bought books for underprivileged students in his village. …

Education Village His Village Materials Rajesh

1 month, 3 weeks ago

Kolkata college makes hay as book fair shines literary sun on city

The Hindu

The New Alipore College in Kolkata is making hay as the literary sun shines over the city because of the ongoing book fair, getting distinguished participants from the event to the campus so that its students get connected to cultures beyond their home. On Tuesday afternoon, the college’s departments of Bengali, Philosophy, History and Sanskrit organised a special lecture and …

Kolkata Students Poetry Cultural College Poet Cultural Competence

1 month, 3 weeks ago

Jeyarani’s ‘Sennilam’: Tamil Short Stories Challenge Caste Violence Through Revolutionary Fiction

The Hindu

Published : Feb 03, 2025 16:49 IST - 5 MINS READ What happens when the man you had a friendly conversation with wants to kill you over caste? Whatever your answers are, Jeyarani’s collection of short stories, tackling dilemmas such as these, is a refreshing read. Jeyarani’s work peaked when she wrote Manjal, a play based on the lives and …

Chennai Caste Writer Journalist Revolutionary Fiction Sennilam Jaathiyatravalin Kural

1 month, 3 weeks ago

The case for The Quillers’ Club

Hindustan Times

Growing up in Srinagar, Kashmir, Ambreen Rasool always wanted to read children’s books which had characters she could identify with. Beautifully illustrated by Kubra Shah, the book was recently brought out by The Quillers’ Club, a publishing house that Rasool herself has established to produce books especially for Kashmiri children. Publisher and author Ambreen Rasool 84pp, ₹699; The Quillers’ Club; …

Books Club Shah Rasool Kashmiri Children Quillers

1 month, 3 weeks ago

Book exchange initiative highlight at Vishwa Marathi Sammelan

Hindustan Times

Pune: In a bid to promote the reading culture and facilitate the joy of sharing books, this year’s Vishwa Marathi Sammelan will introduce a special book exchange initiative. The objective is to allow readers to share books they have read and, in return, receive new books, fostering literary exchange and strengthening the Marathi reading community. In a bid to promote …

Books Book Marathi Literary Exchange Vishwa Marathi Sammelan Initiative Readers

1 month, 3 weeks ago

New books on the shelves

The Hindu

Published : Jan 29, 2025 12:00 IST - 2 MINS READ The Owl, the River, the Valley Arupa Patangia Kalita, translated by Mitra Phukan Penguin India Rs.399 This collection of stories about contemporary women in Assam tackles issues such as migration, surrogacy, colonial legacy, employment and autonomy, history and memory. ___ The Indian Constitution: Conversations with Power Gautam Bhatia HarperCollins …

1 month, 3 weeks ago

Akruti Books reopens in Basavanagudi with focus on progressive literature and cultural conversations

The Hindu

Akruti Books has been a haven for the city’s book lovers, offering a curated collection of new and second-hand treasures in regional language and English. “With the new store we are trying to put up books that are progressive in nature, anti-caste oriented and books that are mostly published by independent publishers who do not have a large distribution network. …

Books Book Kabir

1 month, 3 weeks ago

Literary debate on diasporic literature

The Hindu

The Sahitya Akademi and the Department of English, St. Joseph’s College, Devagiri, on Monday organised a literary debate on ‘New trends in diasporic literature’. Ramanunni, writer, while delivering the opening remarks, said that diasporic literature had enriched the inclusive nature of the Malayalam language. Manohar Thomas, writer and actor, elaborated on the role of social media platforms in providing a …

Writer Diasporic Literature

2 months ago

Interview with Srikar Raghavan: Exploring Cultural Investigations into Modern Karnataka in Rama Bhima Soma

The Hindu

Published : Jan 27, 2025 18:35 IST - 8 MINS READ Rama Bhima Soma: Cultural Investigations into Modern Karnataka by Srikar Raghavan is a work of astounding audacity as it delves into the complicated cultural world of modern Karnataka, using a non-fiction method that defies simple categorisation. Through a close reading of the Kannada literature and immersive interviews, his approach …

Karnataka Social World Cultural Interview Gandhi Kannada

2 months ago

What makes Chennai’s children read?

The Hindu

For parents who want their children to start reading more and for children wanting to delve into a different range of genres, where does one start? “I have conducted sessions everywhere from parks, to learning spaces to even birthday parties since an increasing number of parents want children to be engaged in a more meaningful way,” she says. Chennai’s many …

Children Reading Books Chennai Book Session Read

2 months, 1 week ago

Constitution a tool for the suppressed to find their voice, says writer Banu Mushtaq

The Hindu

Writer Banu Mushtaq said on Saturday that the Indian Constitution was the only hope and means for the suppressed and the oppressed communities to raise their voice and fight for their rights in the country in the present times. She was speaking during the inauguration of a two-day national symposium as part of the Bahuroopi National Theatre Festival organized by …

Mushtaq

2 months, 1 week ago

Nirmala Lakshman on a journey of discovery while working on The Tamils— A Portrait of a Community - The Hindu

The Hindu

When I was asked to work on my latest book, The Tamils: A Portrait Of A Community, I was overwhelmed at the thought of delving into such an expansive and complex subject. My publisher David Davidar at Aleph Book Company however suggested that I use chronology as a structure and this made my journey easier. People like distinguished epigraphist and …

Tamil Book Read

2 months, 1 week ago

Book exploring rich culture and history of Tamils released

The Hindu

A host of eminent scholars, journalists, academics, artists and the who’s who of Chennai came together for launch of the book, The Tamils: A Portrait of a Community, written by Nirmala Lakshman, Chairperson, The Hindu Group Publishing Private Limited. Speaking about how the book came to fruition, Ms. Lakshman said that she wanted to convey her personal insights and learnings …

David Lakshman Tamils Tamil Culture Book Written

2 months, 1 week ago

New books on the shelves

The Hindu

Published : Jan 15, 2025 12:00 IST - 2 MINS READ Scarlet Sands Udayan Mukherjee Picador Rs.450 The second instalment in the Neville Wadia Mystery series is set in Goa. ___ Letters from the Ginza Shihodo Stationery Shop Kenji Ueda, translated by Emily Balistrieri Manilla Press Rs.399 The stationery shop at the throbbing heart of this novel is a magical …

Books

2 months, 1 week ago

The Hindu On Books newsletter: Nirmala Lakshman’s ‘The Tamils’; David Walliams at The Hindu’s Lit for Life, 2025 and more

The Hindu

Welcome to this edition of The Hindu on Books Newsletter. Over two days writers including Abraham Verghese, Shashi Tharoor, Nirmala Lakshman, Venki Ramakrishnan, Jenny Erpenbeck, David Walliams, Francesc Miralles, Peter Frankopan, Romulus Whitaker, Janaki Lenin, Anirudh Kanisetti, Manu S. Pillai, Mukund Padmanabhan, Ira Mukhoty, Aruna Roy, Hussain S. Zaidi, Salil Tripathi will exchange ideas and talk about their books spread …

Travel English Books Tamil Hindu Book Tharoor

2 months, 2 weeks ago

A Bookmark For Inclusive Stories

Deccan Chronicle

No two people are alike. “The comic book became a great way to reach out to the neurotypicals as it plants curiosity and in a light-hearted manner, creates an environment to start conversations about neurodiversity,” she explains. As explained by Harvard Health Publishing, “Neuro-diversity describes the idea that people experience and interact with the world around them in many different …

World States Neurodiversity Way Book Mohan Different

2 months, 2 weeks ago

Bengaluru in 80 stories: Interview with the creators of the book ‘BANGALOREAN’

The Hindu

Bengaluru of today, in some ways, is a city of contrasts, where ancient temples stand in the shadow of gleaming tech parks. To tell the story, or rather, the multiple stories of the city and its people, Kaveri Sinhji, a social anthropologist and Tania Singh Khosla, a designer, have spearheaded a book, BANGALOREAN. The name BANGALOREAN came after everything was …

Bengaluru City Book Tania Kaveri Project Bangalorean

2 months, 2 weeks ago

The Hindu Lit for Life | Turn real-life events into stories at Vibha Batra’s creative writing workshop

The Hindu

Reality is often stranger than fiction, and more often than not, fiction is inspired by everyday things that happen around us. How do we take these events and weave them into stories?” asks Chennai-based author Vibha Batra. At her workshop, From Fact to Fiction, Vibha aims to help young adults write vibrant stories that are derived from real life events. …

Vibha

2 months, 2 weeks ago

INTERVIEW | Through Paintings, I Tell Stories of Those Who Are Being Erased from the Dominant Narrative: Labani Jangi

The Hindu

Published : Jan 09, 2025 19:46 IST - 9 MINS READ Labani Jangi was born in Dhubulia, a village about 40 km away from Plassey, in the district of Nadia in West Bengal. I chose the name after the sea—Aanokh Somuddur—which, when translated, means ‘from toes to head, I am a sea.’ I want to be a sea. Here, I …

Art India West Bengal Work Painting Bengali Resistance

2 months, 2 weeks ago

Chennai Book Fair: A journey through legacy, politics, and cinema

New Indian Express

CHENNAI: If you grew up in Chennai, chances are the Chennai Book Fair was one of your earliest glimpses into a world brimming with stories. For me, it was my granddad who used to take me, and I’d excitedly grab whatever caught my eye — often a book that seemed cool at the time, like a shiny new Tintin comic. …

Chennai Kavitha Book Fair Legacy Politics Company Started

2 months, 2 weeks ago

Dakshina Kannada and Udupi See Lowest Communal Incidents in 14 Years

Deccan Chronicle

Mangaluru: The coastal districts of Dakshina Kannada and Udupi, often marred by communal tensions, have reported a significant decline in such incidents, recording the lowest numbers in 14 years. A report by Suresh Bhat B., an activist with the People’s Union for Civil Liberties in Mangaluru, reveals that only 50 communal incidents were recorded in 2024, a sharp drop from …

Cases Incidents Hindu Muslim Communal Dakshina Kannada 2 Cases

2 months, 3 weeks ago

‘My hope for 2025 is that children’s books will be taken seriously’

The Hindu

We have not done a good job of linking literacy and literature, said Shailaja Menon, author, at The Hindu Lit For Life-Tales and Talks event held here on Sunday. At a panel discussion on ‘Children’s Books: An Indian Story’ at the British Council Library, she said: “We grew up hearing stories. They are no longer immersed in a culture of …

Children Books

2 months, 3 weeks ago

Best books of 2024

Deccan Chronicle

Columnists and book critics of the Asian Age and Deccan Chronicle give their verdict on the titles that left an impression or otherwise made an impact. Parsa Venkateshwar Rao Jr is a senior journalist and columnist SHREYA SEN-HANDLEY I put William Dalrymple’s The Golden Road on my Christmas wishlist this year, and sure enough, Santa delivered! Shreya Sen-Handley is an …

India Books Gaza Book James Rushdie Read

2 months, 3 weeks ago

The year in books: Hits and misses of 2024

Live Mint

In a recent post on the social media platform X, a leading Indian publisher bemoaned the dwindling fortunes of English-language fiction in the country. Saharu Nusaiba Kannanari’s Chronicle of an Hour and a Half is set in Vaiga, a rural outpost on India’s Western Ghats, where literal and metaphorical storms destroy the moral fabric of society. Speaking Tiger also brought …

India Identity English Books Life Indian Muslim

2 months, 3 weeks ago

A writer true to his word

China Daily

Cover for the Chinese version of his book, At Dusk. Zhi An says: "What impressed me most about the novel is that, although progress has significantly improved material living conditions, it has not brought the expected increase in happiness." Using the psychological term "a hole with a lid", Hwang compared the mistakes that one made in life to holes, which …

Hwang Rok

3 months ago

Best fiction books of 2024 | From Booker-shortlisted James to debut novel Martyr! and Dalit historical ‘Sanatan’

The Hindu

Fiction is a reflection of life. Here are 10 works of fiction, across genres, that have made a dent in the literary world this year: ‘James’ by Percival Everett A retelling in the most modern sense, Everett breathes new life into the 140-year-old Mark Twain classic in this Booker-shortlisted novel. ‘Animals: Eight Studies for Experts’ by Eva Menasse Like most …

India Fiction Life Political James Sanatan Everett

3 months ago

Best of 2024: Frontline’s Top 12 Stories on Books and Culture

The Hindu

Published : Dec 24, 2024 16:30 IST - 1 MIN READ In his essay in Frontline’s 40th anniversary special, the artist and curator Shuddhabrata Dasgupta writes: “In any society, the health of culture depends on the willingness of practitioners to set their own terms for their existence and activity.” Indeed, it would not be an overstatement to say that the …

Frontline

3 months ago

‘You’re just writing about the human condition and people will take what they will’

The Hindu

With the ocean waves and dogs for company, people gathered near the Karl Schmidt Memorial in Edward Elliot’s Beach silently read on the seashore as part of the Tales and Talks event on Saturday. Speaking about the event, founder of Bessy Reads Kruthika Kumar, said, “We had been wanting to hold an author interaction for the longest time and didn’t …

Read Human Condition

Novels by youngsters are tackling social issues, says veteran writer

Discover Related