Reading Aloud

Along the fault lines between the seen and unseen What could be that belongs to two different sides of a spectrum, two divides of a gulf and plays a crucial role in shaping the very identity of both. Gender, sexuality, language, region divide, religion, class and caste are perhaps some of these divides that has […]

A search and many questions I was surrounded by women in the café today. Each table independent of the other. Groups of 2 and 3. A couple of them by themselves. Conversations flowing all around me. Three friends discussing a trip, two women engaged in what looked like some meeting, with the laptop opened between […]

Between “Once upon a time” and “the end!” Recently I was asked the question- What do you think is a ‘story’ and why do children love  stories?  That got me thinking about the fascinating world of ‘stories’. A world free of any laws, rules,  restrictions, do’s and don’ts. A world where everyone has a voice, […]

Stories have their own journey. They embody freedom. They embody the vision of us that perhaps we fail to visualise. Stories are a part of us, they are our history, culture, language, our beliefs, practices and rituals, our community, our individual and collective self. They are our past, our present. With all its incidents and […]

Zami: A New Spelling of my Name Audre Lorde The story of ‘Zami’ began with her childhood. The author’s childhood. Began in her childhood. Like all stories, the memories of her childhood came from the collective memories of herself, her mother and her sisters. Of the many women she knew. The many women who knew […]

“Every citizen of a nation is responsibleforthe acts perpetrated in the name of that nation.” Francis Jeanson Being the other, creating the other, perpetuating the other. Eroding dignity, respect. Stripping one out of the self-image, shredding it into pieces, mercilessly laying it bare in all its nakedness and vulnerability. Black Skin White Masks is perhaps […]

Another news of a bookstore downsizing. One of the few remaining bookstores, Books Kinokuniya has always been a favourite place for many different reasons for many years now. The excitement when this huge space was opened is still palpable! At the first visit, it seemed never ending. I had become ‘Bastian Balthazar Bux’ and was […]

Search for the lighter skin The other day I was at the local pharmacy shop, looking for a moisturiser. The easily available tubes or small jars of cream meant for your face and were used on hands as well. I saw rows and rows of brightly packaged small boxes, jars and bottles. There were creams, […]

Not Wanting to See Selective seeing and Selective hearing- Selecting living A bus ride to work. A ‘labour’ sits in the seat vacated. The ‘lady’ in the adjacent seat gets up and leaves. The lingering smell of her perfume wafting past as she takes up a seat at the back. The adjacent seat is occupied […]

Rethinking ‘purpose’ Setting up classrooms before the onset of the term is one of the most interesting, creative and as well as daunting task for any preschool teacher. Their ingenuity, creativity, fun element, ideas of child development, pedagogy and level of interaction with the kids are up for completely authentic analysis. The inquisitive eyes that […]

To create, tell, love and imagine stories…together Stories are a portal to that explosive world of imagination! Not just children, but adults love a good story too. The posts on the social media, the catching up over coffee and cocktails, the dinner parties and the playdates for children, are but a chance taken. For stories. […]