BOOKS
Sakina’s Kiss author Vivek Shanbhag: ‘The element of surprise is beyond Artificial Intelligence’
Kannada author Vivek Shanbhag, of Ghachar Ghochar fame, on what interests him in a story, continued collaboration with Srinath Perur and the future of writing in the age of AI.
TRENDS
Republic Day 2024 | The Republic of hope: 5 everyday stories of courage, resilience and valour
Though the pursuit of the extraordinary appeals to all, it’s the difference one makes in their everyday life that matters. If you’re falling short on inspiration this Republic Day, here is a list of books and stories by Indians from diverse walks of life to keep you going.
TRENDS
Republic Day 2024: How this former Indian Air Force officer became a green-community builder
Men are usually not interested in things like health and nutrition in the villages. The women had to be motivated. It’s a wonderful thing to witness a seed grow into a plant, says author of ‘Treevolution’, Wg. Cdr. Sharad Chaturvedi (retd.)
TRENDS
AI & writing Part 2: A failed ChatGPT experiment and a few glad authors
An author prompted artificial intelligence to create a 3,000-word story, the tool rendered an 821-word response. Another found the plot remained the same on multiple attempts.
TRENDS
AI & writing Part 1: Four authors on why human writing is unlikely to be replaced by LLM-based predictive writing
Authors who have sampled Artificial Intelligence tools, ChatGPT-3 to Dall-E, are unanimous on its lack of human connection and imagination and how their end-user will be someone who profits off others’ labour.
TRENDS
Year Ender 2023: 15 must-read books on business, economics and management
Business storytelling might be stylistically and structurally different. But here’s a list of 15 books released this year that defy limitations, covering an array of topics, from cryptocurrency to ‘climate capitalism’ and surveillance, and will appeal to a wider readership.
TRENDS
Book review: Freedom from Portuguese rule to integration with India - Goa's complex history, captured well
Book review: In ‘Goa, 1961’, Valmiki Faleiro wonderfully captures the state’s complex history. A look back at the developments on Goa Liberation Day 2023.
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Rainbow Lit Fest 2023: Winners of the inaugural Rainbow Awards for Literature and Journalism announced
Hyderabad-based poet Hoshang Merchant was recognised for his immense contribution to queer literature as he was conferred with the Lifetime Achievement award.
TRENDS
Gender in 2023: Major wins, protests, and legislative setbacks
Major developments and dramatic events occurred this year that bear accounting. Here’s a list of 10 episodes that made the headlines.
BOOKS
‘One should mistrust what appears self-evident’: Mineke Schipper, author of ‘Hills of Paradise’
In an exclusive interview, Dutch author Mineke Schipper, who was in India for her talk at Delhi's India Habitat Centre’s festival of languages and literature, Samanvay 2023, spoke about her latest book which yet again establishes the relationship between proverbs, the female body and powerlessness.
BOOKS
‘Dom women are not expected to be enterprising or entrepreneurial’: Radhika Iyengar on writing ‘Fire on the Ganges’
In her non-fiction book on Varanasi's corpse-burner Dom community, 'Fire on the Ganges: Life Among the Dead in Banaras', debutante author-journalist Radhika Iyengar demonstrates how caste-heteropatriarchy controls who gets to have a choice in the life they lead.
BOOKS
‘Courting India’ | British Academy Book Prize-winning author Nandini Das ‘wanted to give marginalised voices their due attention’
Courting India is an intriguing non-fiction account of the English entry into the subcontinent, taking cues from the first English ambassador in India, Thomas Roe.
TRENDS
JCB Prize for Literature 2023 Shortlist of 5 eclectic mix announced
The Shortlist features three translations, a debut novel and debut translation. Each shortlisted author will get Rs 1 lakh and an additional Rs 50,000 for the translator if the finalist book happens to be a translated work. The winner will be announced on November 18 and shall take away Rs 25 lakh.
INDIA
Marriage equality verdict disappointing but unsurprising: Rohin Bhatt and Saurav Das
Marriage equality verdict: Judges said there's no unqualified right to marry, and same sex couples cannot claim it as a fundamental right. But this is not the end of the road.
TRENDS
5 literary works by Palestinian authors that capture different points in the Israel Palestine conflict
Books to help readers understand the Palestinians' sense of loss of homeland and the 75-year conflict with Israel.
BOOKS
Manoranjan Byapari: ‘I never set out to become a Dalit writer, it’s a label stamped on my work’
His life journey is no less than a movie in itself, marked by suffering and grit, his lifelong fight against caste and for the marginalised, and his rise to a life of literature. The three-time JCB prize-listed author on how one’s weakness can become their biggest strength.
TRENDS
International Translation Day 2023: 5 short reads that capture diverse human experiences
In 2017, the United Nations General Assembly passed a resolution to observe September 30 as International Translation Day because it happens to be the feast day of the translator of the Bible, St. Jerome, who died in 420 AD.
TRENDS
Arundhati Roy awarded the 45th European Prize for Lifetime Achievement: 5 works by the critically acclaimed author
The 45th Prix Européen de l’Essai award ceremony was held on September 12 in Lausanne, Switzerland. Trained as an architect, Roy, chose to function freewheelingly, producing an array of works across media. Here are five works that reflect the distinctive achievement of Roy as an artist.
BOOKS
Book review | 2023 Booker Prize-Longlisted Martin MacInnes’ In Ascension’s singular achievement is inexhaustibility
MacInnes doesn’t endorse the term ‘climate-change novel’ as his book is increasingly getting referred to as. The novel is difficult to categorise into any genre for multiple reasons.
TRENDS
Five years on, what has changed in India since Section 377 was read down? Three professionals speak out
In 2018, India witnessed a landmark judgment in favour of the LGBTQIA+ community. Half a decade down the line, the queer community on life before and after the judgment, when the Supreme Court read down parts of Section 377 of the IPC.
BOOKS
2023 JCB Prize for Literature longlist: Past favourites, internationally acclaimed authors, and debutants
The longlist for the sixth edition of the Prize features four translations, three debut novels and marks the return of authors Manoranjan Byapari and Perumal Murugan, whose works have been previously longlisted twice for the Prize, and of previously longlisted author Hansda Sowvendra Shekhar as a translator.
LIFESTYLE
70% LGBTQIA+ employees in India, versus 42% globally, face non-inclusive behaviour: Deloitte’s 2023 LGBT+ Inclusion @ Work Survey
Key findings, effectiveness, and India relevance of Deloitte’s 2023 LGBT+ Inclusion @ Work Survey
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International Nonbinary People’s Day | 5 books that put queer, nonbinary experiences centre stage
Nonbinary people don't identify as male or female. Each year, July 14 is celebrated as International Nonbinary People’s Day.
TRENDS
The Unbearable Lightness of Being and 3 more must-read books by Milan Kundera
Czech-born French writer Milan Kundera died on July 11, 2023. He was 94.
