A Book A Day - A Literary Podcast from India

In this episode, I take you to the 20th-century Calcutta, where we explore the queer literature of Krishnagopal Mullick amidst the hustle and bustle of the Bengali city. The book, Entering the Maze: Queer Fiction of Krishnagopal Mullick, contains two short stories apart from the novella with the same title. Let's find out more about the book.

In this episode, I narrate some short and wonderful stories from Anvita Abbi's book Voices from the Lost Horizon. In this book Abbi traces down and chronicles the stories and songs of Bo language of the Andaman islands, which has since gone extinct. Visit kalampedia.org to know more about the book. Keep sharing your thoughts and ideas.

Alappuzha Thakazhi Sivasankara Pillai, popularly known as Thakazhi after his place of birth, was an Indian novelist and short story writer of Malayalam literature. In this episode, I narrate one of his short stories. The story is called The Flood and it's about a dog who is stuck at a hut during the floods. Let me know how you found the story.

In this episode I narrate a short story from Sindhi literature. Written by Lekhraj Tulsiani, the story recounts a tale of a poor woman in the court room. Let me know how you like the story.

In this episode I narrate a short story called 'The Whirlwind' written by Sant Singh Sekhon. Sant Singh Sekhon (1908–1997) was a Punjabi playwright and fiction writer. He is part of the generation of Indian authors who mark the transition of India into an independent nation, scarred by the tragedies of partition.

In the final chapter our discussion on Pankaj Mishra's book Temptations of the West, I share his visit to the Bollywood. Let me know what you think of the book.

It's early 2000s. Pankaj Mishra is travelling in Afghanistan and exploring its socio-political challenges. Let's find out what happens there with the help of his book Temptations of the West. Don't forget to share your feedback on [email protected] and I will be happy to respond.

In his book, 'Temptations of the West,' Pankaj Mishra travels through different parts of India, Pakistan and Afghanistan, and shares his experiences along with his succinct analysis on the social and political dynamics of these countries. I narrate a few passages from the book in today's episode.

Original called Dekh Kabira Roya (See, Kabir Cried), this short story (now titled Free for All) was published by Saadat Hasan Manto soon after he migrated to Pakistan after the partition. Manto uses the famous 15th century Sufi poet Bhagat Kabir as a protagonist to presciently satirise the emerging trends of intolerance, orthodoxy and cultural chauvinism in the newly-independent st

I narrate another short story by Saadat Hasan Manto in this episode. The story is called The Dutiful Daughter and it highlights the violence faced by women during the India-Pakistan partition riots.