Writing as an Indian or not?

Writing as an Indian or not?

Shamala S. Palaniappan grapples with how her heritage rears its head in her writing and reading.

"Are you Indian?"

Living in Germany, it must have be one of the most common questions I have been affronted with.  My answer has always depended on the situation, the person asking, and my mood for the day.

That is usually followed very quickly by, " I looooove Bollywood." At which point, I put an end to the conversation. Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against the industry, nor the movies, I am simply not a fan, and just simply because I am brown and have a name with 13 syllables, does not make me an instant expert!

I never see myself, which probably always been one of my virtues and problems in the same breadth. I have no sense of my height, colour, girth. I can stand amidst six-foot tall blondes and not know that I am the odd one out.

Interviewing Ram Halady- A Chicago Based Indian Author

What’s the title of your book and its genre? Tell us briefly about it.
Reuben’s Adventures in Uncle Ram’s Farm is the title. Vol-2 followed shortly after the launch of
Vol-1 in July 2011. It is a set of 6 short stories each with illustrations, for children of ages 3-9.

Although I had moved away from India to Chicago over 20 years back, I had good
childhood memories of visiting my uncle's farm. In each of us, there is a child who

Sushant Kumar: Author of Tribal Fusion and Social Evolution

Meet Sushant Kumar who is already an internationally acclaimed historian who began writing at the age of 16. Social evolution has been a topic of debate amongst intellectual elite. A recent interview with Sushant below-

What’s the title of your book and it’s genre? Tell us briefly about it   

   The title of the book is Tribal Fusion and Social Evolution. Its genre is adult non-fiction. This book is written with the point of view to analyze the tribal structure in the Vedic times and its evolution as the caste-society. The fusion of the various tribes to form the complex hierarchical caste-society has also been discussed with references to the literary and the archaeological sources of the contemporary period. Following are some of the links to my book.

Ipsita Banerjee: A Silver of Moon beam

Recently we interviewed Ipsita Banerjee, who prefers to define herself as ‘irreverent, crazy, and tactless’. She is an interesting writer nonetheless and never planned to be a writer. Now she is enjoying every bit of her glory and already into her next writing project. Here is what we talked bout with Ipsita-

Sana Rose: Author in Focus for The Torrent From My Soul

Sana Rose is a 23 year old aspiring author/poet from Kerala, India. Already having published one compilation of poetry, Sana is working on her next poetry collection and also trying her hand with fiction writing. We got hold of her recently and this is what she has to say-

What’s the title of your book and it’s genre? Tell us briefly about it.( you can include links to your site and book sales page )

Rajeev Nanda - Author in Focus for- Conversations

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1. Rajeev Nanda is an IT professional who nurtured his passion for creative writing over many years to eventually publish a part fiction, part philosophy book Conversations in 2009. We bring you some bits from our recent interview with Rajeev-

What’s the title of your book and its genre? Tell us briefly about it.

The title of the book is Conversations.  The genre is short-story/fiction and the sub-category can be classified as social philosophy.  The book is a collection of stories and poems that reflect on the challenges we face in our lives.  The theme of the book is relationships and reflections on life.  I try to capture the dilemmas and various challenges that life throws at us and how I see people cope with them.  The stories have been based on my observation of people around me or strangers I met and talked to during my travels.  The situations are fictional but the dilemmas captured are real.  You can read samples from the chapters and other tidbits on each story and poem on my web-site http://rnanda.com

Author in Focus: Jayanta Ray- Writer of Withered Leaves

What’s the title of your book and it’s genre? Tell us briefly about it. ( you can include links to your site and book sales page ) – 
Withered Leaves by  Jayanta Ray (ISBN: 978-93-81115-34-3); 

Frog Books; Price: Rs 130; US $8; Pages: 130 (http://frogbooks.net/frog-books-leadstart-virgin-leaf-poolani/withered-leaves)

Based on multicultural experience set in a significant point in modern history, the novel starts with a scene in Heidelberg, in the then West Germany. Siddhartha, or Sid, an exchange student from India studying at the university, explores the progress made by the post-WW II German society, often contrasting the conditions back home. With his youthful energy and curiosity, Sid becomes a part of the Schulz family he stays with. Frau Schulz, her introvert husband Kurt, perhaps suffering from a sense of guilt about being part of Hitler’s Wehrmacht during WW II, and their friendly teenaged son bond with Sid in more ways than one, thus providing him with insights into contemporary German mind. The city and the charming Neckar that lazily flows past it come alive as he roams around with Barbara, his new-found friend and exchanges his experience with his ex-girlfriend back home. The Berlin Wall stands as a reminder of the nation divided and a symbol of stifled human aspirations. Sid returns to his homeland — sombre and uncertain — shackled by Emergency. Using a variety of events and characters, the book narrates the time and life in a small town in the erstwhile West Germany in vivid details.