“As we began losing the generation that had survived Partition, we realised that they had important stories to tell, and it was vital to reclaim [our] heritage. There was a new urgency to the task, and the community responded in multiple ways,” says Menka Shivdasani in her ‘Introduction.’ (FEATURE)

Mohan Gehani reminisces, “In the refugee camps, people were crammed like animals in a big hall with 10x10 feet partitions made of jute cloth with no privacy. They had to go out to relieve themselves; there was no drainage system, so they brought in pigs to clean the area. This was the life that the community was leading.” (FEATURE)

Indian Children’s Detective Fiction: Genre Literacy through hOle books by Anagha Gopal

Feeling at home in a genre can build a reader’s confidence, and such familiarity can come with “repeated engagement” with a genre. Finally, genre literacy through continued encounters with a genre can build a sense of belonging, as the reader may come to realize that they belong to a “community of readers” engaging with that genre. (LITERARY SECTION)

When Sudam Sobs for Durga: Partition, Patriarchy and Alternative Masculinities in Jyotirmoyee Devi’s “The Crossing” Sneha Sahoo

Jyotirmoyee Devi’s “The Crossing” not only documents the gendered vulnerabilities and traumatic experiences of women during the Bengal Partition but also critically interrogates the hegemonic constructions of masculinity that underpinned such violence. (LITERARY SECTION)

And then? by Godabarish Mohapatra and translated from Odia by Suchishraba Sarangi is a love story set in the colonial era, which demonstrates the impact of climatic and socio-political conditions on ordinary lives. The vivid imagery highlights an unforeseen, spine-chilling narrative of love and lovers. (FICTION)

Camellia Sinensis is a symbolic tale by Sayan Sarkar that captures the essence of friendship – bonding over tea, an intimate ritual every evening that suddenly turns tragic due to forces beyond human control. (FICTION)

Anantha Sundaram’s poems balance the past and its quiet persistence in the present. Through vivid images, the poet blurs borders to reveal life as an amalgam. (POETRY)

Sanjukta Dasgupta’s poems interrogate beliefs handed down through generations. Their questioning is directed not at belief itself, but at those who have cemented it and demanded obedience. (POETRY)

Black Magic of Women from the Mountains: Poetry from Himachal Pradesh by Kamayani Vashisht and Shelly Bhoil, reviewed by Namrata Pathania (in the pic) explores Black Magic as a metaphor for the subversive power inherent in women from Mountains, through powerful poems compiled in the book. With sharp focus and deep insight, Namrata Pathania brings out the “feminist archive of mountain life” and highlights how women are reclaiming their voices, honour, and women-centric spiritual practices. Equally interesting are the other reviewed books including A Poet’s Promise (a poetry collection) by Rositta Joseph, reviewed by Rupalee Burke. (BOOK REVIEWS)

‘Cracks in the Wall’ by Neera Kashyap, reviewed by Ashmita Nayak, is a quietly compelling collection that explores the subtle emotional and social fractures shaping ordinary lives. Ashmita Nayak approaches the book with careful critical sensitivity, highlighting its restrained prose, psychological depth, and thematic focus on quiet endurance rather than dramatic resolution. Equally interesting are the other  books including a psychological thriller The Liar Among us by Bishhal Paull, reviewed by Sunaina Jain. (BOOK REVIEWS)