‘The Dance of the Masks’: A man lives in isolation, oblivious of the pandemic. Then he goes out

A short story by VH Nishad, translated from the Malayalam by Fathima EV.

VH Nishad

· Yesterday · 05:30 pm

Is the pandemic ensuring that the future of speculative fiction lies in today’s reality?

Recent and current books suggest present-day reality has already provided what fiction had speculated.

Tashan Mehta

· Sep 28, 2020 · 08:30 am

The pandemic has brought people out on their bicycles. Are there books waiting to be written?

The author of a cycling memoir sees a hundred stories blooming from the increased use of bicycles during the pandemic.

Dominic Franks

· Sep 27, 2020 · 08:30 am

Lockdown musings: Ritu Menon reflects on the past and broods over the future of her publishing life

The founder of Women Unlimited has been writing a journal through the pandemic. Here are some excerpts.

Ritu Menon

· Sep 25, 2020 · 08:30 am

The classroom and the ear: How the pandemic forced a writer to come out about his hearing disorder

Moving from the classroom to online teaching left writer Deepak Unnikrishnan with no option but to talk about his problem.

Deepak Unnikrishnan

· Sep 24, 2020 · 05:30 pm

Art sans borders: How the pandemic has brought the two Punjabs closer through literature

Digital spaces are bridging the border divide between east Punjab and west Punjab.

Jasdeep Singh

· Sep 23, 2020 · 08:30 am

Why the pandemic and life in lockdown feels like a never-ending Haruki Murakami novel

A publicist for a publishing company finds her existence uncannily similar to those of characters in the Japanese novelist’s books.

Arunima Mazumdar

· Sep 21, 2020 · 05:30 pm

Reading in 2020: How the pandemic and the world around us is affecting our choice of books

Strangely, considering how difficult the times are, many still want to read about the here and now.

Probal Dasgupta

· Sep 20, 2020 · 08:30 am

The legibility of loneliness: Why the lockdown has been a gift to this designer of book covers

Ahlawat Gunjan explains why solitude is the ideal ingredient for this creative work.

Ahlawat Gunjan

· Sep 19, 2020 · 05:30 pm

Why the pandemic will lead to a drop in publishing of research: W(riting)FH does not work

Fieldwork is impossible, and the home is not the best place for researching and writing.

Souradeep Roy

· Sep 18, 2020 · 08:30 am

The determination and resilience of the Lahore Literary Festival in the face of the pandemic

Considering itself essential to reading and writing in Pakistan, the festival has taken on a digital life.

Razi Ahmed

· Sep 17, 2020 · 05:30 pm

A publishing diary written during the pandemic: Ritu Menon’s literary memories and encounters

An excerpt from the lockdown jottings from a stalwart of feminist publishing in India.

Ritu Menon

· Sep 16, 2020 · 08:30 am