Agneyam tells the story of Nangema, a Namboodiri woman forced to leave her native home in Palghat due to poverty. She journeys alone through the perilous paths of Wayanad and creates a life for herself and her family in that wild land. She was a real person, not a figment of Vatsala's imagination. Living in Wayanad, she carved out a life for herself, but as events unfolded, she returned to her native Palghat, stayed with her daughter, and died peacefully. Vatsala knew her intimately and was inspired to write her exhilarating and tragic life story as a novel, "AGNEYAM." Vatsala is one of Kerala's leading women writers. Through her, the real Nangema becomes an artistic marvel - a woman born into luxury but falling into poverty; brave enough to change her life by moving to Wayanad, working as a cook, running a small shop, and eventually owning and cultivating land. An independent and courageous woman, aided by the untamed land. This is their story. But it is also the story of the Kurichia bonded labourers, the original landowners, and their helpless, fearful, and impoverished existence. Vatsala crafts this story in her unique, feminine, compassionate, lyrical language, writing with complete empathy for her protagonist. The result is a significant literary work from a historical, sociological, and literary perspective, always emphasising the woman's point of view. Vatsala has authored many novels and short stories, but this novel stands out for its lyrical language and powerful depiction of an independent woman. The translator, Vasanthi Sankaranarayanan, is a student of literature, cinema, theater, and dance. Her doctoral dissertation focuses on "Malayalam Cinema, Society and Politics of Kerala. " As a native of Kerala with a deep interest in Malayalam literature and women's studies, this is her third translation of a Malayalam novel- her previous works being "Agnisakshi" by late Lalithambika Antarjanam and "Brashtu" by Matampu Kunhukuttan.

The dialects and languages spoken by tribals in India are very large in number. The literary compositions in most of them have survived in oral form though some tribal languages have taken to writing as means of recording literary compositions. Conventionally, they have been perceived as mere anthropological curiosity, or at best a source for oral history. They have rarely been translated into English or an Indian language as a representation of tribal imagination. In order to meet the long felt need for brining out a systematic series of India's tribal literature, sahitya Akademi has established a project of Indian Literature in Tribal Languages and Oral Traditions.

Marathi has an unbroken literary tradition of over eight centuries, divided conveniently into two distinct periods, classical and modern. The Classical period spans six centuries, remarkable for poetry, devotional and heroic. Jnandev, Namdev, Eknath, Tukaram and Ramdas have become household names throughout India. While Virasaiva, Jain, and Muslim poets have enriched the secular and spiritual content, wandering minstrels have sung heroic ballads. New forms of literature have flowered from the nineteenth century under the impact of English education and western thought. The Chiplunkar, Apte, Anil Despande, Phadke, Khandekar, Mardhekar, Rege and Gadgil. Tracing the earliest reference to Maharashtra in a rock inscription of the fourth century, the history concludes with the formation of the state in 1960.

Oral epics in any Indian language are generally associated with certain specific communities, defined by their traditional occupations; and the present oral epic Koti Channaya belongs to the Billava community. This poetic narrative, which records the life and adventures of the two cultural heroes of the Billava community, their yearning for cultivable land, their brave opposition to the established powerful classes, and their tragic end, is sung by the members of the particular communities called Pambada and Parava of coastal Karnataka, during the annual worship of the twin heroes. The oral epic, Koti Chennaya unravels the world of Billava community (traditionally toddy-tappers) of coastal Karnataka recording in the process the life and adventures as also the travails and tribulations of the two cultural heroes of Billava community. Most of the oral epics begin with a 'Creation Myth', which begins with the creation of the entire universe step by step, thus focuses on the legendary first parents/ancestors of the community concerned. Such a myth, besides glorifying the cultural heroes of the epic, gives a privileged position to the community by linking it with the rest of the world and gives it a socio-cultural identity. Koti Channaya also begins with a 'Creation Myth'. A recent study undertaken by UNESCO says that half of the 6,700 languages spoken in the world at present face the danger of extinction before the end of this century.

A comparison of the lives and writing of Devkota and Nirala by Murari Madhusudan Thakur. Sahitya Akademi Award 2021

The Kashmiri short story was born with the progressive movement in Kashmir and its acceptted the standards and values dictated by the movement unquesioningly. Nationalism and the desire for reaching out to people inspired most of the writers to switch over to Kashmiri, even though they had strated writing in Urdu. Dinanath Nadim's Javabi Card (Reply-Card) and Somnath Zutshi's Yell Phol Gash (when there was light) are the first two short stories written in Kashmiri

सारे ऊँट चलने के लिए खड़े थे। पर एक ऊँट बैठा था। खड़ा ही नहीं हो रहा था। उसके पास भीड़ बढ़ती जा रही थी। एक बुजुर्ग ने ऊँट की आँखों को देखा और कहा, "ऊँट को ज़िद चढ़ गई है।"

Tales of Tomorrow is a fascinating, engaging mix of both old and young storytellers, guided by the brief that 'tomorrow' always leaps out of the ubiquitous womb of 'yesterday'. Chosen from among a vast array of short fiction that the ever-burgeoning Indian English has yielded over the past thirty years or more, Tales of Tomorrow endorses as well as interrogates the notion of Indianness, as it is often understood today. Some of these stories overpower us with the urgency of an insiders' view, while others tantalise us with a double vision of an 'insider-outsider', capturing all hues of the hydra- headed Indian reality. The collection reveals a new vibrant face of India, poised delicately on the edge of change and renewal. Drawn from different geographical regions, and representing the literary spirit, folk idiom and local culture of each, these stories authenticate a medley of bold, confident voices that are likely to resonate much longer than we may have imagined.

Adorations of the Ancients offers a complete English translation of all 19 stories from Vaddaradhane in a single volume. These stories represent the earliest prose in 10th-century Halagannada. Initially, they seem to be highly religious, emphasising ethics and morality aligned with the Jain tradition. However, as creative works, they function on multiple levels: realistic, mythical, fantastic, quasi-historical, worldly, monarchical, economic, and socio-cultural. The characters are consistently portrayed within various economic classes and, interestingly, rarely within caste groups. Women characters are depicted as strong and decisive. This translation is based on R.L. Anantharamaiah’s edition of Shivakotyacharya’s Vaddaradhane. It aims to balance the limitations and scope of equivalents and approximations, making the reading experience enjoyable while maintaining scholarly interest.

The Best Stories of Mohapatra Nilamani Sahoo: This book is a translation of Mohapatra Nilamani Sahoo's short stories, written in his inimitable style. The stories, originally written in Odia, were truly representative of Odia culture and traditions; the narrative is unique and deeply emotional and carries the readers with the flow. This volume is a specimen of Mohapatra Nilamani Sahoo's short stories for the wider readership

Introducing Mayil Ganeshan, a lively 12-year-old who finally has the opportunity to express herself fully in her diary. This is a significant step towards achieving her goal of becoming a writer, as she hopes to make up for all the unfinished stories and the aimless novel she had written before. In her diary, Mayil shares a spontaneous, sensitive, honest, intimate, and often humorous account of her life and thoughts as a perceptive young girl going through the ups and downs of adolescence. This coming-of-age book is a must-read, with enough humor, heart, and wisdom to entertain and inspire readers of all ages. Age 10+

Haiku is a very short form of Japanese poetry consisting of 17 syllables arranged in three lines of 5, 7, and 5 syllables respectively. But against all odds, this is a collection of feelings written in three lines. An economical masterpiece that Trades you through realities of life; speaking of love, relationships, paradoxes in life, you name it you have it in here.

नंदिता की कहानी भारत के सबसे प्रसिद्ध फोटोग्राफर, होमाई व्यारवाला के जीवन का जश्न मनाती है। होमाई का साहस और शिल्प कौशल पुस्तक में खूबसूरती से सामने आता है। प्रिया कुरियन के चित्रण होमाई की कार्यशैली को इतनी सटीकता से बनाए रखते हैं कि कभी-कभी ऐसा लगता है मानो होमाई ने ही पुस्तक का चित्रण किया हो। शिल्प और जीवन के बीच निरंतर बदलाव पाठकों को रंगमंच की जीवंतता की याद दिलाता है। किताब हिंदी और अंग्रेजी दोनों भाषाओं में उपलब्ध है।

Raghavendra Patil (b.1951) belongs to the postmodernist group of writers in Kannada. Like his predecessors, U.R. Anantamurthy, Yahvant Chittal, Tejasvi and Shantinath Desai, he arrived at the novel through the short story. The Chariot (Teru), which won him the Sahitya Akademi Award, is his second novel. Though Patil belongs to the postmodern era, he does not share the thematic concerns or techniques of Western postmodernism. He is closer to the nativistic movement, which has already produced major writers like Chandrasekhar Kambar and Kum. Veerabhadrappa. He has also inherited some of the qualities of his famous uncle Anandakanda, such as an interest in local history and closeness to rural life. The story that Patil tells in The Chariot spans more than a hundred and fifty years, beginning with the years when the Peshva extended his rule to North Karnataka and ending with the years after the Emergency, and it relates to the Belagavi region, with its epicentre in an imagined but fully realised village named Dharamanatti. The novel offers two images of Teru, which in Kannada means both the chariot and the festival associated with it. The first is centred on an atrocious human sacrifice made in the name of religion by an autocratic ruler, and the second, distanced in time by a century and a half, mirrors the change from the feudal order to a democratic one, where religious superstition and feudal practices have been replaced by scepticism and the politics of power. The novel is remarkable for its innovative technique, which handles myth and reality with equal success.

It is raining and there is not much one can do outdoors. Come and listen to Aajis story about the Kolis, the original inhabitants of Bombay, their favourite fish Bombay Duck and the citys magnificent docks.Written by Fleur D’Souza and Illustrated by Kripa.

It was evening. The three village lads had just witnessed the miracle of their life, a movie courtesy of a touring enterprise, when, on their homeward journey, another strange experience engulfed them in the form of a flash flood, pushing them up to two entangled trees. Dawn breaks and the three friends are joined by an unusual, awful, gentle companion who becomes their new friend. Amazing and amusing, The Fourth Friend is a beautiful gift from one of India's best-loved storytellers.

A book by Jagdish Joshi and translated by Kanchan Wanchoo Sharma.

Tanqidi aur Taqaabuli Mutaalena is the first of its kind in Urdu Language where tasawwuf and bhakti have been dealt with simultaneously, and that too in the real perspective of both trends. It reveals, in nutshell, that there may be apparent similsarities among tasawwuf , mysticism or surrealism and bhakti but they all have different concepts or no concept of God. Therefore, they are not one and the same indeed. However, all the three spritual courses emphasize on benevolence and doing good to humanity and rendering service Tanqidi aur Taqaabuli Mutaalena is the first of its kind in the Urdu language where tasawwuf and bhakti have been dealt with simultaneously, and that too in the real perspective of both trends. It reveals, in a nutshell, that there may be apparent similarities among tasawwuf, mysticism or surrealism, and bhakti, but they all have different concepts or no concept of God. Therefore, they are not the same, indeed. However, all three spiritual courses emphasise benevolence doing good to humanity and rendering service to the creatures of God. An attempt has also been made to find out the similarities and differences between the oneness of God (Tauheed) and Vedic monotheism on one hand and wahdatulwujud (unit of existence) and wahdatushshuhud (unity of divine manifestation) on the other, to the creatures of God. An attempt has also been made to find out similarities and differences between the oneness of God (Tauheed) and Vedic monotheism on one hand and wahadatulwujud (unit of existence) and wahdatushshuhud (unity of divine manifestation) on the other.

What would happen if the beetles were in charge?Or if fish ruled the world? This fantastical poem offers a powerful glimpse into world where nature comes first.A beauty story written by Suniti Namjoshi and illustrated by krishna bala shenoi

A literary digest of South Indian Languages.