On one side there are hyper-nationalistic sentiments imposed by state machineries, and on the other, there are militant organisations who label anyone questioning their agenda. They propel the reader into finding out how people’s lives eventually turn out to be, as the author notes she’s interested in underlining what they “become”—their journey. Then, Dayalan and Seelan, who decide to join …
When I look at a literary shortlist, I want to read all the books on it. The books are set in different countries and times — River East, River West in China, Enter Ghost in Israel-Palestine, Brotherless Night in Sri Lanka, Restless Dolly Maunder in nineteenth-century Australia, The Wren, The Wren and Soldier Sailor in Ireland. I head for my …
Sign up to our free IndyArts newsletter for all the latest entertainment news and reviews Sign up to our free IndyArts newsletter Sign up to our free IndyArts newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. The shortlist is as follows: • Anne Enright, The Wren, The Wren • VV Ganeshananthan, …
Sri Lankan-American author V.V. Brotherless Nightfollows the fortunes of young Sashikala Kulenthiren, a Sri Lankan Tamil teenager in the early 1980s, as the country plunges into ever-escalating violence and blatant apartheid-like policies. You will not even be able to see yourself in the gathering crowd of those who would kill you.” This multiple-allegiances theme also leads to some darkly funny …
The opening line of V.V. Ganeshananthan “I recently sent a letter to a terrorist I used to know.” In a way, the line speaks to the specific challenges of documenting the Sri Lankan civil war. Discussing their motivation doesn’t justify it, it just tries to understand it and to think about how someone might have arrived at that point.” Ganeshananthan …
