This week’s list is comprised of a chronicle of an Indian woman’s coming of age story who crosses the India-Nepal border for love, a collection of stories included by Frontline in August 2022 in a list of 25 books “that light up the path to understanding post-Independence Indian literature”, and renowned author Anees Salim’s debut work of fiction.

The Woman Who Climbed Trees by Smriti Ravindra

The Adivasi Will Not Dance by Hansda Sownvendra Shekhar

The Vicks Mango Tree by Anees Salim

This week’s picks include a text that encourages readers to challenge the authenticity of dominant historical narratives, an account of the spatial and architectural history of the Red Fort of Delhi, and, as is evident from the title, a thorough and engaging narration of the history of Bengal.

Our History, Their History, Whose History? by Romila Thapar

The Red Fort of Shahjahanabad by Anisha Shekhar Mukherji

Land of Two Rivers: A History of Bengal: from the Mahabharata to Mujib by Nitish Sengupta

This work of translation chronicles the journey of a great river, which is entwined with the lives of the various characters in the book. The book provides vignettes of their dynamic lives that are infused with myths, legends and archaeological anecdotes.

Mahanadi: The Tale of a River by Anita Agnihotri (translated from the Bengali by Nivedita Sen)

This historical novel has landed on our shelves just a couple of days ago, and is a gripping, anecdotal and deeply researched. It portrays Babur as a multifaceted ruler, challenging the typical depiction of an infallible conqueror and a good human being. It has been meticulously sourced from the Persian manuscript of the Baburnama and other primary sources.

Babur The Chessboard King by Aabhas Madahiyar

Welcome to the world of Chhau! Discover this mesmerising traditional dance form, do fun creative writing exercises, and make a colourful mask, at Atta Galatta on 6th April at 3 PM. Author Vibha Batra will be interacting with the children, and will also read aloud from her book, The Chhau Champ. All kids get free popcorn!Vibha Batra is an award-winning and bestselling author, graphic novelist, advertising consultant, poet, lyricist, translator, playwright, script writer, travel writer, columnist, speaker and creative writing mentor. She has published 26 books and over 100 short stories. Her short stories have appeared in The Hindu Young World, the Juggernaut app, the Chicken Soup series, Champak, print magazines, ezines and international anthologies. She has conducted creative writing workshops independently for children and Young Adults at schools and colleges as well as at the British Council Chennai and The Hindu Lit for Life Festival.