Sukrita Paul Kumar

Malashri Lal

Interpreting Homes in South Asian Literature

Vishal Bhardwaj

All of us know Vishal Bhardwaj as a film-maker whose films have consistently pushed the envelope and as a composer who has churned out some of the biggest chart-toppers in recent years. Here's presenting him in a new avatar: a poet. Over the course of these twenty-five ghazals and an equal number of nazms, Vishal comes across as a poet with a distinctive voice and a style all his own. Whether it is a romantic ode pulsating with an intense passion or yearning, or a bitter, ironic comment on the state of the nation, a gentle sense of wonder, an undeniable rhythm and a subtle intrigue pull one into the poems in Nude, both in the original Hindustani alongside their English translation by Sukrita Paul Kumar. Unusual imagery, an evocative style and an idiom that is contemporary, yet reminiscent of the old-world charm of the Hindi and Urdu poetic traditions, each poem is wrapped in mystique. The Internet and Mirza Ghalib on the roads of Mumbai happily coexist in these poems, offering an insight into how contradictions can be reconciled simply and ingeniously.

Nude: Poems

Jogindar Pāl

Sunil Trivedi

Kathā (Society)

Translation of an Urdu novel; includes critical appraisals of some of the author's works.

Sleepwalkers

Radha Chakravarty

Chandana Dutta

Mahasweta Devi occupies a singular position in the history of modern Indian literature and world literature. This book engages with Devi's works as a writer-activist who critically explored subaltern subjectivities, the limits of history and the harsh social realities of post-independence India. The volume showcases Devi's oeuvre and versatility through samples of her writing - in translation from the original Bengali--including Jhansir Rani, Hajar Churashir Ma, and Bayen among others. It also looks at the use of language, symbolism, mythic elements and heteroglossia in Devi's exploration of heterogeneous themes such as exploitation, violence, women's subjectivities, depredation of the environment and failures of the nation state. The book analyses translations and adaptations of her work, debates surrounding her activism and politics and critical reception to give readers an overview of the writer's life, influences, achievements and legacy. It highlights the multiple concerns in her writings and argues that the aesthetic aspects of Mahasweta Devi's work form an essential part of her politics. Part of the 'Writer in Context' series, this book will be useful for scholars and researchers of Indian literature, Bengali literature, English literature, postcolonial studies, cultural studies, global south studies and translation studies.

Writer, Activist, Visionary

Mahasweta Devi

A Scrutiny of Modernity in Hindi and Urdu Short Fiction

The New Story

Prem Kumari Srivastava

Hina Nandrajog

This book offers a comprehensive understanding of the Amrita Pritam's work by situating it in the context of not just Punjabi literature but Indian literature, while showcasing their continued relevance in contemporary times.

The Writer Provocateur

Amrita Pritam

Rekha Sethi

This book engages with the life and works of the distinctive Hindi writer Krishna Sobti, known for making bold choices of themes in her writing. Also known for her extraordinary use of the Hindi language, she emerges as an embodiment of a counter archive. While presenting the author in the context of her times, this volume offers critical perspectives to define her position in the canon of modern Indian literature. Alongside important critical essays on her, the inclusion of excerpts from the translations of some major works by the author, such as Zindaginama, Mitro Marjani and Ai Ladki, greatly facilitate an understanding of her worldview and the contexts in which she wrote. Also included in this book are some of her reflections on the creative process that help in unfolding the complexities of her characters and her specific approach to the language of fiction. Writing in the times of significant political and cultural churnings, her fiction includes themes such as the Partition of the country and its aftermath, women and their sexuality, desire and violence, history and memory. Her writing subverted the dominant narratives of the times and de-historicised history. Her own essays and other critical writings demonstrate the way Krishna Sobti’s characters are abundantly polyphonic and seeped in social realities. They encapsulate the cultural milieu of their times and serve as a site of resistance to the dominant archive of power. Her interactions with her fellow Hindi writers such as Nirmal Verma and Krishan Baldev Vaid, as also her letters, her memoirs and the reminiscences of others, further enrich this volume and establish her unique voice. Part of the ‘Writer in Context’ Series, this book will be useful for scholars and researchers of Indian literature, English literature, postcolonial studies, cultural studies, gender studies, translation studies and Partition studies.

A Counter Archive

Krishna Sobti

Modern Hindi and Urdu Short Stories

Breakthrough

Sukrita Paul Kumar

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