Tag: fiction

The Perfect Life by Khushboo Shah

I sat in the graveyard, merging effortlessly in the background. When you have crossed your seventies, and you have mastered the art of sitting quietly without taking much interest in your surroundings, letting the hours slip away, it is easier to overlook you. In my case, I was worried the occasional visitor to the graveyard might think I was one of the inhabitants, taking a stroll to free their legs, cramped from lying in the grave for too long!

The Mathematics of Happiness

This is not about teaching her how to walk. This is about cheering her to run in life’s race. Failure isn’t an option, neither for me nor for her, because her accomplishments ultimately become my progress report. Consequently, just like the vast majority of the Singaporean parent population, I interfere unapologetically in my child’s education. 

A Story of the Green Gold Craving

Pulau Pulau was a matchmaking initiative created for writers by writers to find a writing partner. The aim of the project was finding a writing partner to co-write something together that goes beyond what either could create on their own. It was organised by the archipelago collective, a transnational community of writers and artists. From across the world approx. 80+ writers have participated from 30+ different countries whose are generally writes in 50+ different languages. 

My Life, My Text by Charu Nivedita: Episode 13

In Delhi, there lived a critic- his name was Venkat Swaminathan. I was in touch with him from the time I first moved to Delhi in 1978 until 1982. In 1979, he sublet a room in his house to me. Generally, I don’t ask anyone the usual ‘Indian’ questions, such as, where they work, if they are married, how many kids they have, or whether they own or rent their house.

Brussels, Naked: Episode 01

‘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.

My Life, My Text : Episode 12

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.

” Fiction mirrors the truths, emotions, and complexities of the world we inhabit.” Rohan Monteiro

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.

Blood Test

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.

Madonna in a Fur Coat

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.

Maybe Tomorrow by Penny Parkes

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.