reading habit
Kashmir In Literature
The topic of Kashmir tends to be contentious—a truth that hasn’t changed since 1947. And yet, the region finds its way into a plethora of fiction and nonfiction books that provide insight into the troubles faced by the people living there. On this first anniversary of the abrogation of Article 370, we picked old and new favourites to remind us of its importance in our daily conversations.
If you’re looking for a starting point, here are some of our recommendations.
The Mystic And The Lyric by Neerja Mattoo: When we think of Kashmir today, all that comes to mind is the strife and war. But Kashmir is more than that. And that’s precisely why you need to read Neerja Mattoo’s book where she explores the lives of four female Kashmiri poets—Lal Ded, Habba Khatun, Rupa Bhavani and Arnimal—and examines why their poetry was so important given the socio-economic and religious conditions of their time. Each section is followed by a selection of the poet’s work, helping us appreciate their poetry more due to a deeper understanding of their lives.
—Nirbhay Kanoria, TCR Co-Founder
The Country Without A Post Office by Agha Shahid Ali: Each poem within this collection paints a heartbreakingly stark and poignant picture of Kashmir. Agha Shahid Ali’s book talks about the effects of the Kashmir insurgency in the 1990s that led to a complete shutdown of the postal services in the valley. You can’t help feel the poet’s pain as he writes about a home, people and a land that appear lost to him forever—making it one of the most profound literary works to emerge during this period.
—Oishani Mitra, TCR Editor
Future Tense by Nitasha Kaul: Future Tense interconnects the stories of three people—Fayaz, Shireen and Imran—whose lives have been touched by the violence around them. The book digs deep into our psyche and shows us how the common people have been embroiled in the ongoing Kashmir conflict for a long time.
—Prasanna Sawant, TCR Writer
If you’re looking for more books to read on Kashmir, take a look at this list.
Books Releasing This Week
- The Silent Wife: When a killer, who stalks and murders women, resurfaces years later, it is up to Agent Will Trent and forensic pathologist Sara Linton to stop him. But is this the original killer, or a copycat? Read Karin Slaughter’s book to find out. (August 05, 2020)
- Feathertide: Perfect for fans of Erin Morgenstern’s The Night Circus, Beth Cartwright’s magical realism book is the story of Marea, whose search for her estranged father leads her to a magical city full of mermaids and mysteries. This enchanting tale is sure to blow the rainy-day blues away. (August 10, 2020)
- No Filter: In this book, author Sarah Frier goes behind the scenes of Instagram to show us how this social media marvel changed the global economy and started the ‘influencer’ business model that has launched thousands of careers. (August 10, 2020)
- Rules For Perfect Murders: In this novel by Peter Swanson, an FBI agent and a bookshop owner race against time to prevent murders that bear a strong resemblance to crimes from classic novels. We’re hooked already! (August 10, 2020)
- The Citizenship Debate: This insightful book by Amit Malviya and Salman Khurshid shows us both sides of the Citizenship Amendment Act, its history and its politics, in order to help us make better sense of the ongoing debate on the subject. (August 10, 2020)
Some of the other books we’re looking forward to this week include Chaturanga, Boons And Curses and Shadow State.
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