For over three years now, I have been looking for and reading Indian women writers across genres as part of my research for a new anthology, which is now out as 'Unbound'. Here's the cover and (below) some links to interviewswhere I try and explain the processes, choices and motivations that drove me as I put together this manuscript.
From a piece about the book in the Bangalore Mirror:
"It was also important to challenge the way 'Indian' women are represented in popular culture. Motherhood is a minefield. Food is life itself. It is very boring to think of women and food only in one framework: woman preparing food at home. It is also an inaccurate portrait. I wanted to present a more authentic collage through the extracts I chose"
From an interview with Verve magazine:
8. Which are some contemporary female writers you admire?
“Oh, many, many, many! You will note that about half of the writers included in the book are indeed contemporary writers. I have, however, left out very ‘new’ writers – those who’ve started getting published only in the last 8 to ten years. This was a conscious decision because, sometimes, you are blown away by a new book but within a year, the new voice is already fading from your consciousness. Substance has to be balanced against style. A work may or may not have lasting value, but it is difficult to judge that in the short term. In my (limited) experience, it takes a distance of at least 10 years for me to be able to judge a piece of writing in isolation, to look at it against its own light, not against the light of all the other writing that surrounds it.”
From a piece about the book in the Bangalore Mirror:
"It was also important to challenge the way 'Indian' women are represented in popular culture. Motherhood is a minefield. Food is life itself. It is very boring to think of women and food only in one framework: woman preparing food at home. It is also an inaccurate portrait. I wanted to present a more authentic collage through the extracts I chose"
From an interview with Verve magazine:
8. Which are some contemporary female writers you admire?
“Oh, many, many, many! You will note that about half of the writers included in the book are indeed contemporary writers. I have, however, left out very ‘new’ writers – those who’ve started getting published only in the last 8 to ten years. This was a conscious decision because, sometimes, you are blown away by a new book but within a year, the new voice is already fading from your consciousness. Substance has to be balanced against style. A work may or may not have lasting value, but it is difficult to judge that in the short term. In my (limited) experience, it takes a distance of at least 10 years for me to be able to judge a piece of writing in isolation, to look at it against its own light, not against the light of all the other writing that surrounds it.”