Once upon a pre-digital time, I was a keen photographer. But now—nothing stays the same, does it?—now, I hardly take photos at all. I have a smartphone with a state-of-the-art camera, but in my hands, the phone is—let's not mince words—the phone is less than smart. Tools are only as good as the workers who wield them and—let's face it—I am a nincompoop when it comes to anything digital. Consequently, I shy away from taking photos with my phone. And so, when Petra took my pict

Review of Rendezvous With Dreams: A Poetic Exploration of Life, Loss, and Resilience By Pradeep Biswal Published by Shalandi Books, 2025 ISBN: 978-81-98329-75-2 Price: 300 INR Language: English, pp. 180   Rendezvous with Dreams  is the anthology of the bilingual poet, editor, and translator Pradeep Biswal. He has published nine poetry collections in Odia, and this is the third volume of his English poems. He is editor of kabitalive.com and curator of Toshali Literature Festi

I was very young back then, probably in class fifth or sixth. Anyway, the age does not matter. What is really striking is how those words affected my mind. While travelling by auto, I suddenly overheard a lady speaking to someone—"Teaching is the best job for a housewife. They get all kinds of vacations; weekends are off and timings will perfectly match with the school timings of their children." I was a bit surprised. If she is a teacher, then how can she be a housewife? How

It was a sunny summer morning, and I was looking forward to a full day of appointments. Many of my clients were well on their way to obtaining gainful employment. We completed applications, talked about what it takes to land and win a successful interview and how to be successful on the job. Throughout my career I have placed over 300 people with disabilities and challenges in jobs they enjoy. This has helped them to live meaningful lives of service and self-reliance. I didn'

In a world so loud; T walk alone A shadow in crowds; barely known Laughter echoes, but it’s not mine Just borrowed joy; a scripted line.   Once brilliant a spark in the night Now losing pieces; dimming light. Expectations weigh like chain unseen A prisoner to dream that might have been   So let me run where silence sings Where mountains rise and freedom clings The stars will listen; they always do I’ll tell them secrets of moon   I’m sharing with my friends - breeze and the s

Partial Ledger you leave the lights on for a walk, thinking heat could be preserved, like loyalty maybe it’s only a partial ledger the last building on your block is Schopenhauer, withdrawn to its own gloom winter evenings mutter its own health bulletin, and coughs up dry static in a radio somewhere now, the day is rubbished early in the borough vat; it waits there, to be lifted next morning, still unclaimed you reach the start of the block the lottery seller in his stall is

Fiction helps us understand the intersections between literature, identity, and the human condition. It reflects on the inner lives of people navigating differences and shapes our understanding of humanity and belonging, giving a new perspective on self-identity. Literary narratives explore fracture as a path towards redefining oneself by reflecting on moments of uncertainty that reveal the fragility as well as resilience of the human spirit. Kenzaburō Ōe's novel, A Personal

Published by Penprints, January 2025 ISBN: 978-81-981564-9-5 Price: 380 INR Language: English, pp. 68   From being a General Manager at the most reputed bank in India to being an acclaimed writer, Gopikrishnan Kottoor's work has been featured in many international and national journals. A Land in the Sun  is a collection of 58 poems. This collection reflects and focuses on fleeting human experiences which feel both mundane and universal. Kottoor is known for his earlier works

The train smelled of metal and the last trace of night rain. Meera watched the landscape pass in broad, unreliable strokes. Even the green felt uncertain, as if every shade had woken up with its own mood. The cabin held a kind of heaviness she couldn't name. Sometimes the world understood things before you did. Colours had always been a struggle for Meera. Her first memory of colour wasn't a colour at all. It was her mother sounding out letters at the dining table. R – E – D.

Frustration’s spark ignites within, A sudden blaze that rages, unconfined. Why did calmness flee, and anger take its place? A puzzle I face, with a troubled, searching gaze.   I was a lake, serene and still, Reflecting life’s beauty, without a chill. But now, I’m a tempest, turbulent and wide, A stormy sea, where emotions fiercely reside.   Frustration’s irony cuts deep and true, I loathe myself for loathing others anew. A paradox of pain, a cycle to break, I yearn to reclaim

Kintsugi , the Japanese art of repairing broken pottery with lacquer mixed with powdered gold, deliberately highlights cracks rather than concealing them. The object's history—its breaking, healing, and reuse—becomes honoured as art itself.   " Oonchi nazar sarraf ki " is a phrase common to Indian culture. The metaphor has made its way from the Bhakti and Sufi traditions to conversations and muhawras  (idioms) used at dinner tables in every Indian home.It speaks of the golds

"Who am I?" The question appears quite simple, but it is as ancient as human existence itself. It lingers beneath our daily routines, shaping our choices, forming our relationships, and influencing our understanding of the world. Identity is both the blueprint of our soul and the social DNA through which others recognise us. It constructs, deconstructs and reconstructs in response to experiences, geographies, cultures, traumas, and triumphs. And at the core of this evolving l

Review of Language, Literature, Culture and Cinema: Essays in Honour of Professor Harish Narang   Edited by Madhumita Chakraborty, Anuradha Ghosh, Mukesh Ranjan Published by Aakar Books, Delhi, 2024 ISBN: 978-93-50028-91-9 (Hardcover) Price: 1,695 INR Language: English, pp. 479 The book Language, Literature, Culture and Cinema is a kaleidoscope of a wide array of critical essays offering diverse perspectives on language, marginality, diaspora, comparative literature and cine