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.

This week, we bring you a beguiling tapestry of art and intrigue at a Mughal atelier, a coming-of-age story about an orphaned Indian girl, and an account of a sixty-six-year-old poet’s final show in New Delhi, and the associated bacchanalia.

Mansur by Vikramajit Ram

Until Then by Sarayu Srivatsa

The Book of Chocolate Saints by Jeet Thayil

As part of this week’s list, we present a wellness companion that speaks for itself, a collection of biographical entries on femininity and being a woman filmmaker in India, and a coveted collector’s edition on the special touch sparking at the fingertips of a many-shaded cricketer.

Slow Is Beautiful – The Ultimate Art Journal for Mindful Living Through Nature by Ahlawat Gunjan

F Rated by Nandita Dutta

The Dhoni Touch by Bharat Sundaresan

This collection “weaves the nitty-gritty of everyday, small-town lives into stories - all set-in northern Kerala - that are steeped in folklore, nature, factional politics, and the intricacies of human relationships”.

Diary of a Malayali Madman by N. Prabhakaran (Translated from the Malayalam by Jayasree Kalathil)

While there are innumerable translations of the Ramayana, Arshia Sattar’s version is one of the few that is masterful in its storytelling while remaining faithful to the original. This translation is perfect for anyone looking to be whisked away into the world of mythology.

Valmiki’s Ramayana Translated and with an Introduction by Arshia Sattar.

Meet Amit Ranjan! An erudite poet and author, he has authored three books – The Knot of Juggernaut (Poetry, 2022), and Find Me Leonard Cohen, I’m Almost Thirty (Poetry, 2018); John Lang: Wanderer of Hindoostan, Slanderer in Hindoostani, Lawyer for the Ranee (Non-fiction, 2021). His upcoming books in 2024 are a biography of the 17th century Sufi prince Dara Shikoh; a poetry collection Monolithic Muse; and a collection of short stories. Join us at Atta Galatta on 30th March at 6.30 PM for an intimate and casual conversation with him!

Among the picks of this week, we have a wistful family reconnecting over silences and unspoken revelations, a lifelike bildungsroman about a young boy named Yuri Fonseca, and a series of sharp, poignant short stories by a prodigious 16-year-old.

Undertow by Jahnavi Barua

The Education of Yuri by Jerry Pinto

This Is How It Took Place by Rudrakshi Bhattacharjee

This week’s picks include a guide to the art of thriving in India's ever-shifting PR landscape, an examination of the intricate cultural universe of India and the voices of creative dissent, and a collection of essays breaking new ground in Partition research, looking into areas such as art, literature, migration and notions of 'foreignness' and 'belonging'.

The Pursuit of Reputation: Unlocking the Power of Public Relations by Amith Prabhu and Sujit Patil

Another India: Events, Memories, People by Chandan Gowda

Partition: The Long Shadow edited by Urvashi Butalia

This novel by K.R. Meera has garnered many laurels, including the 2013 Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award and the 2015 Sahitya Akademi Award, and has been touted as one of the best literary works ever produced in Malayalam. It narrates the story of a family of executioners, whose lineage goes back to the 4th Century BC and culminates in India’s first female executioner, who struggles with her inheritance.

Hangwoman: Everyone Loves A Good Hanging by K. R. Meera (translated from the Malayalam novel Aarachar by J. Devika

Sharmistha Mohanty’s most recent work of prose was released in December 2023, and is a page-turner, rife with emotion and evocation. She will be formally launching this book at Atta Galatta on 30th March at 6.30 PM.

Book One by Sharmistha Mohanty

We all have family heirlooms - recipes, objects, clothing and even anecdotes. The passion with which these collectibles were procured and the emotions behind each of these remnants of the past gets dulled with the passage of time. Polish these memories with a structured story around your heirloom. Join Aparna Jaishankar on 31 March, Sunday at 5.30 PM and create a memory scape of your family heirloom. This will be a practical workshop on using Storytelling techniques for creating a narrative. Please bring anything that you would like storified

This week’s picks include a touching story about a sweeper in pre-independence India from an “untouchable” caste, a vivid portrayal of life in the Santhal Village of Jharkhand, and Shinie Antony’s newest February release, a retelling of the story of Lilith.

Untouchable by Mulk Raj Anandt

Mysterious Ailment of Rupi Baskey by Hansda Sowvendra Shekhar

Eden Abandoned: The Story of Lilith by Shinie Antony

For this week, we bring you some of the best works from our film section, including a freewheeling conversation between one of the best lyricists of our time and a documentary film director, an examination of various character profiles in Satyajit Ray’s cinema, and a deep dive into one of Indian cinema’s prodigiously talented actors.

Talking Life: Javed Akthar in Conversation with Nasreen Munni Kabir

Satyajit Ray’s Heroes & Heroines by Amitava Nag

Guru Dutt: An Unfinished Story by Yasser Usman

The third section of Thiruvalluvar’s Tirukkural - the Kamattu-p-pal – is the most intimate and most heavily censored. Meena Kandasamy is only the second woman to have ever translated it. With sections titled 'The Pleasure of Sex', 'Renouncing Shame', 'The Delights of Sulking', she has rendered a fresh, vital, and breath-taking translation that conveys powerful messages about female sensuality, agency, and desire.

Tirukkural The Book of Desire by Tiruvalluvar (Translated by Meena Kandasamy)

AG’s staff pick for this week is an enthralling work of fiction by Janice Pariat retelling the myth of Poseidon and his youthful male devotee Pelops. Pariat’s first novel is an elegant exploration of art, sexuality, emotional memory, and how love and loss are intertwined with each other.

Seahorse: A Novel by Janice Pariat

Join us at 7 PM on 16th March, Saturday, at Atta Galatta, to launch Aparna Sanyal’s newest book, “Instruments of Torture”, a collection of stories that hold up a mirror to the darkest recesses of the human subconscious. These stories are each named after a medieval torture device, and the true meaning – and impact – of every title bubbles up to the surface as the connection between the various instruments and their psychological counterparts are laid bare: whether it is an anguished man being drugged with hormones to ‘cure’ his dwarfism or a forbidden love affair that takes root in a place of worship. She will be in conversation with poet, writer and storyteller, Bharath Divakar, to discuss this spine-chilling book.

This week’s list includes renowned Indian graphic artist Appupen’s most recent title, a collection of short stories that present a unique way of looking at India’s northeast and its people against a larger historical canvas, and a warm-hearted feel-good novel shortlisted for the Best in Fiction AG-BLF Book Prize 2023.

Dream Machine: AI and the Real World by Appupen and Lauren Daudet

Minor Disturbances at Grand Life Apartments by Hema Sukumar

Boats On Land by Janice Pariat

This week’s picks span across the subjects of gastronomy and Indian culinary science, changing environmental landscapes and their effect on marginalised people, and animal facts that range from obscure to bizarre to endearing

Marginlands: Indian Landscapes on the Brink by Arati Kumar-Rao

Masala Lab: The Science of Indian Cooking by Krish Ashok

Every Creature Has a Story: What Science Reveals about Animal Behaviour by Janaki Leni

This collection of Shahidul Zahir’s six most powerful works of fiction “takes you beyond the rules of language and storytelling, into a place that is at once achingly familiar and terrifying”. Translated expertly by V. Ramaswamy, it blends magical realism and socio-political realities expertly.

Why There Are No Noyontara Flowers in Agargaon Colony: Stories by Shahidul Zahir (Translated from the Bengali by V. Ramaswamy)

Mohua Chinappa’s newest poetry book is a heartfelt exploration of love, respect, and resilience in the face of adversity. This collection debuted on 6th February, and the author will be formally launching it at Atta Galatta, Indiranagar, on 8th March at 7 PM.

If Only It Were Spring Everyday by Mohua Chinappa

This week’s list includes a collection of science fiction short-stories, a love story unravelling in the backdrop of Partition, and a novel whose story places an Indian student at the centre of Turkish-Kurdish ethnic violence.

Stolen Hours and Other Curiosities by Manjula Padmanabhan

The Book of Everlasting Things by Aanchal Malhotra

Zin by Haritha Savithri

This week’s picks include a beautiful memoir by a collector of rare and fine books ( a review that expounds on its beauty), a contemporary coming-home story about the author’s love for Goa, and a simple but comprehensive primer on public policy for engaged, civic-minded citizens.

The Book Beautiful by Pradeep Sebastian

Becoming Goan by Michelle Mendonca Bambawale

We, The Citizens by Khyati Pathak, Anupam Manur and Pranay Kotasthane

This haunting story offers spectacular insight into the caste and class dynamics of a fictitious village in Tamil Nadu, told through the lives of a young inter-caste couple whose “innocent young love is pitted against chilling savagery”.

Pyre by Perumal Murugan (translated from the Tamil by Aniruddhan Vasudevan)

The author, who goes by the penname Shikhandin, has published this new, evocative novella about loss, hope, dreaming, regrowth and resurgence. The opening words to the blurb read “And what is lying on the floor is only a woman. Nothing of any importance. Nothing extraordinary. Nothing”. We were hooked.

The Woman on the Red Oxide Floor