‘The obduracy of women’: Why J Devika translated the works of K Saraswathi Amma from Malayalam

The second of a new series by translators on the writings of authors they have translated to English.

J Devika

· Jun 16, 2019 · 08:30 am

‘He pirated his own book’: Arvind Krishna Mehrotra on Arun Kolatkar’s bilingual poetry (and life)

‘Arun Kolatkar was a secret writer. He had a suspi­cion of contracts.’

Arvind Krishna Mehrotra

· Jun 15, 2019 · 08:30 am

How Erasmus Darwin’s poetry foretold his grandson Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution

‘The Temple of Nature’ is a prophetic work, depicting a Big Bang billions of years ago, and organic life arising from a primordial soup.

Ed Simon, Aeon

· Jun 04, 2019 · 05:30 pm

‘Things are not what they seem’: How Haruki Murakami blurs the lines of reality in his novels

Some readers have grown weary of the tropes in the bestselling author’s books but few writers can do what he does.

Shireen Quadri

· May 21, 2019 · 05:30 pm

How the legendary Begum Akhtar influenced the life and poetry of Agha Shahid Ali

The Kashmiri-American poet was instrumental in popularising ghazals in the West. One figure who brought him closer to the form was the singer Begum Akhtar.

Manan Kapoor, Sahapedia

· May 12, 2019 · 05:30 pm

Reading Gorakh Pandey, the people’s poet who rebelled against his feudal roots

The fourth in a series on Hindi writers who were famous in their day but have slipped out of public attention now.

Saudamini Deo

· May 12, 2019 · 07:30 am

Understanding Manto (and the Partition) on his 107th birth anniversary through Ayesha Jalal’s book

Ayesha Jalal’s ‘The Pity of Partition’ locates Manto as a symbol of the split in, and resultant confusion of, identities after 1947.

Shruti Sonal

· May 11, 2019 · 05:30 pm

Before ‘One Hundred Years of Solitude’, the town of Macondo came to life in Márquez’s short stories

The Colombian writer’s novellas and short stories, some of which offer glimpses of the fictional town of Macondo, are often underpinned by violence.

Radhika Oberoi

· May 11, 2019 · 12:30 pm

Beyond ‘Rebecca’: Daphne du Maurier’s recently discovered poems reveal a writer of great versatility

The English author’s literary reputation has been overshadowed by her most popular novel but the world is finally recognising her wide-ranging talent.

Laura Varnam, The Conversation

· May 07, 2019 · 05:30 pm

Don’t believe the stereotype. Research shows that teenagers actually love Shakespeare

From the inspiration for poetry to the challenge of his language, this is what hundreds of teenagers had to say about the playwright.

Cathy Baldwin, The Conversation

· May 06, 2019 · 05:30 pm

Why India’s policymakers should read Premchand this election season

A careful study of the author’s stories about farmers would help minimise the distance between elected representatives, policy influencers and the rural poor.

Swasti Pachauri

· May 01, 2019 · 05:30 pm

Dineshnandini: The writer who lost more from love and life than she gained from literature

The third in a series on Hindi writers who were famous in their day but have slipped out of public attention now.

Saudamini Deo

· Apr 28, 2019 · 08:30 am