Against this backdrop, veteran BBC journalist Divya Arya, seeded a creative rendering of the story of Kashmir, for the younger generation. The idea was old school but perfect: pen pals exchanging notes. One is in Delhi, and the other in Kashmir.
Torn Apart by UK based Swapna Haddow is a simple, heart-rending story of what happened in 1947. Experiencing the fresh scars of partition, our protagonists, a rich Muslim boy Ibrahim and Amar, a poor Hindu street kid, are united by fate and circumstances.
Decked up with beautiful rich Manipuri art, these stories of myths and legends are unique and quirky. For children, it transports them to far away lands, with myriad Gods and twists and turns from mountains to oceans. For the adults, it is pure joy, to rediscover the reason why a cat always buries its poop, and mother hen looks after sister duck’s eggs.
If there are genres in ghost stories, they are all in here. Along with some strange settings, from Mumbai local trains to park benches to even a graveyard in USA. All in all, these are eleven dark and twisted stories, with a contemporary India thread running through.
Satyajit Ray in 100 Anecdotes is a delightful collector’s item, both for children and adults. It demystifies this genius through anecdotes, some little known secrets and some well known ones, which are already in the public realm. It’s an easy, memorable read. You really don’t need to worry which page you are on, as each page is a story in itself.