Shirani Rajapakse’s Offerings to the Blue God takes its reader along the least taken paths in the Isla’s life. The stories are characterised by a dynamic writing and presentation style, a unique voice that Rajapakshe’s stories often carry, and an unparalleled level of integrity that shines through in each story.
‘Brussels, Naked’ is an experimental novel in the form of twelve interconnected novellas, each named after municipalities or neighbourhoods in Brussels, and each with a different narrator. It covers a period of fifteen years and is built around three main arcs: the life of Iris, Brussels itself as a protagonist and the EU crises, captured in the stories of ordinary people.
I was forty years old then. I had requested a transfer from Delhi to Chennai. Delhi, being the capital, it was easy to ask to be transferred to another city from there. Initially, I didn’t want to relocate to Chennai, but due to some unavoidable circumstances, I had to make the move.
Subhobroto Mazumder’s The Affairs of Baxiganj weaves a captivating tapestry of suspense, crime intrigue, and simmering dread…delivering a ‘classic murder mystery cum thriller’ that lingers long after the final page.
India’s Indigenous Immigrants by Subir – a Sensitive Resource on Assam’s Darker Epoch of History.
Rohan Monteiro’s Shadows Rising brings to life an unlikely hero-irreverent, witty and foul-mouthed-who seems to not have a care in the world. Until someone crosses a line. it is an exciting, fresh and unique take on timeless Indian myths told from the POV of a protagonist who might just be a lot more involved in the epics than he cares to admit.
Charles Baxter’s latest novel, “Blood Test,” is a captivating blend of speculative comedy and profound social commentary. The story revolves around Brock Hobson, a divorced Midwestern dad who works as an insurance salesman and Sunday-school teacher. His life is marked by predictability until he undergoes a predictive blood test that claims to foretell his actions.
But nowadays we are more aware of racism and other forms of bigotry, which fed all kinds of oppression and subjugation of peoples in the past.
This is a very great liberation for the suffering, struggling person, who always thinks that he is alone. This is why art is important.
Turkish Author Sabahattin Ali’s “Madonna in a Fur Coat”, originally published in 1943, tells the story of Raif Efendi, a young Turkish man who journeys to 1920s Berlin to learn a trade and ends up finding himself through a chance encounter with an artist named Maria Puder. The novel, initially overlooked by critics as just another love story, has since become a celebrated work in Turkish literature, lauded for its poignant exploration of love, longing, and the complexities of the human soul.
It is a romanced attempt by a twenty-first-century Western European to read into the mind of a 16th-century Indian monarch
For readers seeking a lighthearted romance novel, Maybe Tomorrow by Penny Parkes might seem like the perfect choice. However, this novel offers something far more profound—a compelling exploration of societal challenges, single motherhood, and the power of female friendships. Unlike traditional romantic fiction, Maybe Tomorrow takes a deeper dive into themes of hardship, resilience, and personal growth.
The Asian Group of Literature is pleased to announce the launch of The Aisan Prize for Poetry’s inaugural edition. The Asian Prize for Poetry is a non-monitory award that aims to create a global platform of appreciation for the outstanding work of poetry by writers around the world.
“Gia Finds a Love” is a fourth story in the book, ‘The Adventures of Ruby Pi and the Aviation Girls’ written by Tom Durwood. The book boasts of nine amazing long stories that look beyond the history, but sheds light on the working mechanism of jet fighters, and evolution of aviation and manned flights along with personal struggles of the heroines of the book.
Besides the nominations by the affiliated bookclubs of The Asian Group, the Prize is now open for submissions by the publishers. The submissions will be accepted till 15th February 2025.
The Asian Group plans to launch the translations of the books selected for the super shortlist in the year 2025 itself, while the rest of the books made to the shortlist will come to Sihala in early 2026.
V. V. Ganeshananthan’s win in The Asian Prize for Fiction highlights her remarkable talent and connects her work to a vast global audience. This achievement not only celebrates her literary artistry but also unifies three different literary landscapes. Her work has garnered significant recognition, as evidenced by winning three esteemed prizes: the 2024 Carol Shields Prize for Fiction, the 2024 Women’s Prize for Fiction, and The Asian Prize for Fiction in 2023. This commendation speaks to the impact of her writing on readers around the world.
The highlight of November was the eagerly awaited announcement of the Super Shortlist for The Asian Prize of Fiction, delivered by The Asian Committee on November 13, 2024. Out of six outstanding works of seamlessly woven prose that delve into unexplored themes and relevant social issues, three authors made it to the final list: Indian author Arefa Tehsin, Nepali-Indian author Smriti Ravindra, and American fiction writer V.V. Ganeshananthan.
Bodhini Samaratunga is an accomplished emerging writer from Sri Lanka who is now based in Sweden. Her writing is firmly centred on social change, powered by her extensive experience as a medical professional working with marginalised populations. Bodhini is a strong advocate for purposeful writing, asserting that it transcends mere leisure.
There’s a different writing style, engaging and free flowing, though not introspective at all. Vihaan leaves no trail of his secretive affairs but he didn’t mean that…he’s in the shadow of someone other, unsure of himself, desperate for love, and finding it with Sheela, an older woman from the Khatri house. So treacherous that it cannot be rendered beautifully.
The Asian Review 