Over 15 years, hundreds of my short stories, essays, features and articles have appeared in newspapers, magazines, and literary journals.
SHORT FICTION
Dream Home – Flash fiction – “the thing with buying a dream home is that after you’re done, there is no dream left.” – Arts Illustrated Short Story Contest Winner, August 2019
Wasted Lives – A day in the life of Ishwar Prasad, a professor teaching at a college with students whose intelligence, according to him, leaves a lot to be desired. Is there a surprise in store for him? – Spark, April 2018
The Sweetest Sound – My re-imagining of the last moments of the composer Vidwan Mysore Vasudevachar (1865-1961) who asked his grandson Vidwan S Krishnamurthy (1922-2015) to play the tamboori/tanpura for him. – Spark, Dec 2016
Home and Dry – The first monsoon shower is perhaps the most eagerly anticipated natural event of the year. It brings with it joy, excitement, the soaring of spirits and the plummeting of temperatures. It is just the right occasion for some familial love and bonding – Spark, June 2016
Fuddy-Duddies – Small town policemen are hopelessly behind the times, according to the protagonist in this darkly funny story. – Distant Echoes Anthology, Feb 2015
“The Appraisal” – Why does Ningavva go to Shekhar-Daaktar even though she isn’t sick? Reading Hour, Jan 2015
Blink – Reality and imagination merge in this disturbing story – Out of Print, Dec 2014
Homecoming – This is home, or is it? – Papercuts, Desi Writers Lounge, Nov 2014
“A Killer on a Coconut Tree”– A humorous story of an escaped murderer who takes refuge in a coconut tree, changing several lives while he’s at it – New Asian Writing Anthology 2014, Nov 2014.
The Awakening – One morning, Venkatesh decides to wear his wife’s salwar-kurta. Will the sight of his wife holding out their child in appeal, persuade him to change his mind? – Just Before Monday, DNA, July 2014 [Winner of the DNA-Out of Print contest]
Interlude – written is in the form of emails to a husband by a woman who has left home briefly in order to find herself again – Earthen Lamp Journal, July 2014
At the Wedding – A woman at the crossroads of life comes face to face with her past – will it help her decide? – Open Road Review, May 2014 [In the final shortlist for the short story prize.]
The Connoisseur – Women’s Web, Jan 2014
Kanchenjunga – The magnificent sight of the Kanchenjunga gives a woman a new purpose. – Winner, Tagore O’Henry Short Story Contest, Oct 2013
Duet – She’d just been singing in her own bathroom – she hadn’t done anything wrong, had she? – Helter Skelter Anthology of New Writing, Sept 2013
The Star – A mother who’s obsessed that her child should be a star – eFiction India, Aug 2013 – Read it here.
“Hardly a walk in the park” – An elderly woman muses about her life in this dark, funny story – Pageturners’ Across the Ages anthology
“It’s A Small World!” – A woman who loves knitting is in for a huge surprise. – published in the short story anthology “Two is Company” – Jan 2011 – Unisun Publications
“All that Glitters…” A young boy works in a sweet shop, and is obsessed by a sweet he cannot afford – Sept 18, 2011 – Sunday Herald Short Story Contest Honourable Mention
“The Guide” – A couple gets lost in the forests – and gets unexpected help from someone. – May 3, 2009 – Sunday Herald Short Story Contest Third Prize Winner
“Letting Go” – Joyful!
For Children:
Wrote the words for a graphic novel on the educationist Gijubhai Badheka, for Azim Premji Foundation, Bangalore, India (To be published)
The great jungle debate – Written for Pratham Books’ Retell, Remix and Rejoice.
Varsha’s Trip to Mysore – a personalized book for an underprivileged child, created through Storybook Me, May 2013
Noisy, Scary Monsters – Deccan Herald Student Edition, June 22, 2012
“The Scary Eerie Screech” – Open Sesame, Deccan Herald, Aug 12, 2011
“Amma’s Birthday Gift” – Open Sesame, Deccan Herald, Mar 5, 2010
“Sweetmeat Sankranti” – Open Sesame, Deccan Herald, Jan 8, 2010
COLUMN ON KIDLIT (GOBBLEDYBOOK)
Since 2019, I’ve been writing a fortnightly column called GobbledyBook, on children’s books and literature in Sunday Herald, the Sunday pages of Deccan Herald, one of India’s leading dailies.
An Exercise in Empathy – 26th Nov 2022 – The last column, farewell, and a summary of all the reading-related things I believe in and subscribe to.
The Trick is to Read What You Like – 12th Nov 2022 – Peer pressure related to books!
To Be Aware of How Words Can Hurt – 22nd Oct 2022 – A list of books on stammering in time for Intl Stuttering Awareness Day
YA Books that are Just Right – 9th Oct 2022 – A list of good YA books I’d read recently
A World Still Unexplored – 25th Sep 2022 – The importance of translating books between languages
Is Your Child into Fanfiction – 11th Sep 2022 – All about the joys and pitfalls of writing fanfiction
Both Painting and Poetry – 28th Aug 2022 – An ode to illustrators in Q and A format
That’s Not What I Expected – 7th Aug 2022 – A list of new releases that deal with common topics in unexpected ways
Are You Choosing for Your Child? – 23rd Jul 2022 – Why choosing books for your child can turn out to be a flop!
The Pull of the Dark – 10th Jul 2022 – A list of dystopian novels and why they’re so popular among teens
Monsoon Reads for Your Child – 26th Jun 2022 – Some latest book releases
The Art of Reaching Every Child – 4th Jun 2022 – In praise of Children’s Book Trust
A Sound Decision or Not? – 22nd May 2022 – The joy of audiobooks
The Kabuliwala Still Bears Gifts – 8th May 2022 – Tagore for children
Why Your Kid Should Read Shakespeare – 23rd Apr 2022 – All about Shakespeare in time for his birthday
Give them the ‘Big Book’ Confidence – 9th Apr 2022 – A intro to, and a list of chapter books,
For the Record, Lists are Good to Do – 19th Mar 2022 – The advantages of keeping a record of books that you’ve read
A Birdsong in Every Word – 6th Mar 2022 – A list of books on nature
Stem the Rivers of Hate – 19th Feb 2022 – A list of books by and about Muslims
You’re Never Too Old … – 5th Feb 2022 – Why children’s books are great for adults (with a focus on Young Adult books)
Trust the Serendipity – 22nd Jan 2022 – You’ll never know what book your child will like, and what they’ll learn from it
It All Begins With Wonder – 8th Jan 2022 – A list of books dealing with philosophical concepts
The Quiet Power of Picture Books – 18th Dec 2021 – A list of of beautiful picture books
Catching the Child’s Eye – 4th Dec 2021 – Ways to arrange books on shelves
Celebrating Love and Identity – 20th Nov 2021 – A list of books on LGBTQ+ identities
How to Read to Children – 6th Nov 2021 – Techniques to weave in while reading aloud to children
And the Moral of the Story is – 23rd Oct 2021 – About not shoving morals into children’s faces
Is there a Better Way to Enjoy History? – 9th Oct 2021 – A list of books on historical fiction
Welcome Hues of Change – 25th Sep 2021 – Amar Chitra Katha moving with the times when it comes to depicting skin colour (a follow up from this column)
Aunt Agatha to the Rescue – 11th Sep 2021 – A list of books by Agatha Christie that children can begin with
Stories of Grit and Resolve – 28th Aug 2021 – A list of books on sports
Bundling Up India’s Essence – 14th Aug 2021 – A list of books on India in time for Independence Day
The Trouble with Gendered Reading – 31st July 2021 – “Girl books” and “boy books” – should they be categorized like this?
Words to Bring Alive Worlds – 17th July 2021 – A list of non-fiction books
A Starter List of Graphic Novels – 3rd July 2021 – An intro to, and a list of graphic novels
Brave Struggles of Survival – 19th Jun 2021 – A list of books of refugee stories
A Book Recommending a Person – 5th Jun 2021 – Bonding with others over a shared love of books or an author
Do You Want to Meet Your Favourite Author? – 22nd May 2021 – The feeling that you “know” your favourite author + a tribute to Subhadra Sen Gupta
Words to Shine a Light With – 8th May 2021- A list of books that deal with darker topics
An Enduring of the Unfair – 24th Apr 2021 – Calling out colourism in children’s books. Also see the follow up.
Why Not Have a More Bookish Summer? – 10th Apr 2021 – Summer literary activities for children
A Gift From the Soviets – 27th Mar 2021 – A nostalgic column about Soviet children’s books from the 80s and 90s
Rethink these old favourites – 13th Mar 2021 – Problematic issues and representations in old classics
Want a Scientific Mindset? Start Young! – 27th Feb 2021 – A list of STEM books for children
A Deep Love Like No Other – 13th Feb 2021 – A list of book-loving characters from the world of fiction (in time for V-Day)
The Comfort of the Familiar – 30th Jan 2021 – The advantages of re-reading books
Gifting Some Portable Magic – 16th Jan 2021 – Organizations that work to make books accessible to underserved children – Pratham and Parag
Begin the Year with the Funnies – 2nd Jan 2021 – A list of funny and silly picture books
Little Nooks of Imagination – 19th Dec 2020 – Independent bookstores and libraries based in Bengaluru
Every Book Adds Up – 5th Dec 2020 – A list of books on mathematics
Because Dragons Can be Beaten – 21st Nov 2020 – How reading fantasy can prepare children to deal with the realities of life
Good Enough to Eat! – 7th Nov 2020 – A list of books on food
A Warm Blanket of a Read – 24th Oct 2020 – Reading in your mother tongue
Is There a Right Age to Read a Book? – 11th Oct 2020 – The answer is – there is no right answer. This explores why
The Undeniable Power of One – 26th Sep 2020 – A list of books about people who have singlehandedly changed their world (in time for Gandhi Jayanti)
The Man With the Magic Fingers – 12th Sep 2020 – A list of books by Roald Dahl in time for his birthday
Don’t Throw That Blyton Away, Yet – 29th Aug 2020 – Dealing with racism, sexism and xenophobia in the much beloved Enid Blyton books
Truths Told in Tales – 8th Aug 2020 – A list of books about partition and the freedom movement
A Wrist Full of Rain – 25th July 2020 – Books about the monsoon
Learning to Read Between the Lines – 11th July 2020 – Stereotypes about people with disabilities
How To Get Your Child to Read – 28th Jun 2020 – Tips on getting children interested in books and reading
‘The Young Are Not Afraid of Telling the Truth‘ – 13th Jun 2020 – About The Diary of Anne Frank
School Stories for Unusual Times – 30th May 2020 – A list of books with school stories
Spark Conversations on Empathy – 16th May 2020 – A list of books about people who are different
Running Out of Books to Read? – 2nd May 2020 – Pandemic-related – tips to find more books to read when bookstores and libraries are closed
For Some Dog-Eared Comfort – 18th Apr 2020 – Why comfort-reading is so important especially during tough times
Stay at Home, Read for Free – 4th Apr 2020 – Pandemic-related – A list of books available online to read for free
Rhymes for a Reason – 21st Mar 2020 – A list of books on poetry for children
Nudge the Boys to Read About Girls – 7th Mar 2020 – About why boys should read more books about girls (in time for Intl Womens Day)
Which is Your Favourite Whodunnit? – 22nd Feb 2020 – A list of mystery books for children
Je t’adore in So Many Ways – 8th Feb 2020 – A list of books about love in all forms (V-Day)
The ‘not-for-exam’ Books! – 25th Jan 2020 – List about books on the Indian constitution, written during the CAA-NRC protests
Want to Know Your Child’s Dearest Wish? – 12th Jan 2020 – Your child’s innermost feelings come out sometimes through the books they read
Want Your Brats to be Better Citizens? – 28th Dec 2019 – A list of books about being better citizens
Why Your Child Must Read Indian Authors Too – 14th Dec 2019 – The first instalment – the pleasure of reading Indian authors
CULTURE, LIFESTYLE, AND PARENTING
Going Silent – The Duckbill Blog, Mar 2018
Facts in Fiction – The Duckbill Blog, 2017
My Journey as a Person who Stammers – Huffington Post, 2017
Don’t Cross a Writer – The Duckbill Blog, 2017
A profile on Anupma Sud, humanitarian – India Currents, Apr 2017
The Should Issue – India Currents, Dec 2016
Yes, he wrote ‘The BFG’ and ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’. Now meet the other Roald Dahl – Scroll.in, Aug 2016
Bangalore – Spark Magazine, Dec 2015
Here comes the God of all things – DH Living, Aug 23, 2014
Overcoming June Jitters – DH Living, May 2014
What to do this summer – DH living, Apr 2014
Healthy Competition – an oxymoron? – Complete Wellbeing, February 2013
How to track payments – Women’s Web, Jan 20, 2013
How Indian Women can benefit from Free Online Courses – Women’s Web, Dec 30, 2013
It’s virtually anytime meet-up in the gizmo world – DH Living, Deccan Herald, Nov 30, 2013
Time Saving Cooking Tips – Women’s Web, Oct 16, 2013
Reviving good old fun – DH Living, May 18, 2013
How to write a cover letter for a job – Women’s Web, May 7, 2013
There are humans next door, you know – DH Living, Deccan Herald, April 27, 2013
An easy ride at your fingertips – City and Neighbourhood, The Hindu, Mar 21, 2013
Praise the effort – Deccan Herald Living, Mar 9, 2013
More active than their grandchildren – City and Neighbourhood, The Hindu, Mar 7, 2013
A myriad books in multiple languages – City and Neighbourhood, The Hindu, Feb 28, 2013
They invite you to join their family – City and Neighbourhood, The Hindu, Feb 14, 2013
“A Flight of Adventure” – Right in the Middle, Deccan Herald, Nov 25, 2006
SCIENCE
Communication while living together, insect style May 2015
Seismic Intensity Map of South India for Estimated Future Earthquakes March 2015
SERIIUS – Leading the world into a solar-energy based future, March 2015
TRAVEL
The House of Redwoods – BLink – Hindu Business Line – Dec 9, 2017
Bench Love – Cafe Dissensus Everyday – Jun 2017
In the Shades of Lalbagh – BLink – Hindu Business Line – April 15, 2017
A Labour of Lava – National Geographic Traveller India, Nov 2016
Greenwich: The Home of Time – Mint Lounge, Feb 7, 2015
Kukkarahalli Lake | A secret muse – Mint Lounge, Sep 27, 2014
Landour, Uttarakhand: Writer on the Hill – Mint Lounge, Aug 2, 2014
Mussoorie: Debris of an Odyssey – Mint Lounge, Jul 5, 2014
A Walk Along Thames – Sunday Herald, Jun 30, 2013
BOOK REVIEWS
Sky-Clad: The Extraordinary Life and Times of Akka Mahadevi by Mukunda Rao – Women’s Web, May 2018
Memories Cached by Cameron Su – Kitaab, Mar 2018
Eve Out of her Ruins by Ananda Devi – Kitaab, Sept 2017
Hangwoman by KR Meera (Book Review) – Women’s Web, Aug 28, 2014
Everything you wanted to know about Freelance Journalism (book review) – Women’s Web, Apr 2014
Book review of The Bad Touch by Payal Shah Karwa – Women’s Web, Feb 4, 2013
FOR CHILDREN
Fold it Up – Young World, The Hindu, January 15, 2013
Happy Tree-spotting! – Open Sesame, Deccan Herald, March 16, 2012
“Are there reasons behind rhymes?” – Open Sesame, Deccan Herald, Sept 18, 2011
Getting Confidential – August issue – Brainwave, 2015
The Water Cycle and Rainstick – July issue, Brainwave, 2015
Aliens – June Issue, Brainwave, 2015
The History of the Atom – May Issue, Brainwave, 2015