Hi everyone,
It’s been a while since I wrote an update. Wanted to share what I’ve been upto! At the end of this newsletter, you will find a list of magazines to submit to :)
Writing
As of now, I’m trying to finish two short stories by the end of September. Setting deadlines for myself works. One is horror, and another is literary fiction. I find this the most exciting phase, when a story is taking shape. It’s when you need to fix the problems, and get past the dead ends. What do you enjoy about writing?
Publications
Short Story- The Job in the Gulf
My speculative short story with a naagin as the narrator has been published in ‘Hakara’. On another note, I’m nostalgic of my time at Kolam Writers’ Workshop in March this year. I was selected to work on my speculative fiction. Though I didn’t work on this particular story, I got to workshop two other stories there, and meet so many wonderful people!
Essay- Taste of Home as a Migrant
My food essay finds its way to this wonderful anthology ‘Memories on a Plate’ by Nivaala x The Alipore Post.
About the Book:
200+ pages of illustrated storytelling around food, memory and home
Self-published edition of 1000 copies
90+ contributors from Indian kitchens worldwide
A meal for every book, donated towards Khaana Chahiye
Events
I read my poem ‘The Exploitative Art of Collecting Shells’ at the APWT x New York Writers’ Workshop online event on climate change poetry. Here’s a glimpse:
You can watch the full session here. Hope my poem convinces you to stop collecting shells!
Recommendations-Books
I read a lot for work, so I rarely find time to read for pleasure, but I managed to make space for some reading and I ended up reading two brilliant books.
Open Water
If you are a fan of love stories, immigrant fiction, second-person narration, and poetic prose, then do pick this up.
Spontaneous
I bought this after watching the film. It’s much better than the film, for it gives more space to the characters. A YA voice and trope (spontaneous combustion in a school) you won’t easily get over.
Work
Work has been creative and fulfilling, here are some exciting updates-
The Bound Publishing Course
The course has sold out! I’m excited to see this unfold, and teach our eclectic cohort. The next few months will be focused on this. It is one of the only courses on book, magazine, and digital publishing in India now.
Books and Beyond- Season 5
Spoke to Tejaswini Apte-Rahm about her book ‘The Secret of More’. It has been longlisted for the JCB prize! Have you read it yet? Listen to our conversation here.
Mentoring
My poetry mentee Mehak Goyal’s debut full-length poetry collection ‘Failure to Make Round Rotis’ has been published by Juggernaut, and I can’t stop talking about it!
Magazine
Top 8 entries of Bound’s food essay contest is finally live on Bound’s magazine. It was tough selecting them from a whole range of interesting essays. Grab some food and beverages and read!
You will also find excerpts from some very interesting books in the magazine like Tanuj Solanki’s Manjhi’s Mayhem and Bikram Sharma’s The Colony of Shadows which have been longlisted for the JCB prize!
Recommendations-Films
LadyBird
You must have already watched Barbie by now, but have you seen Greta Gerwig’s brilliant LadyBird starring Saoirse Ronan. Watch it now, if you haven’t yet. It’s one of the most realistic explorations of mother-daughter relationships I’ve ever seen.
Btw, If you’re a writer, and you’re looking to submit your work to magazines, here’s a list of magazines which PAY authors and have NO SUBMISSION FEES. What have you been up to? Please write to me! Would love to hear from you :)