Hidden Kingdom

Self-taught botanical illustrator Nirupa Rao teams up with Suniti Rao to bring us gorgeous watercolour illustrations of plants of the Western Ghats, paired with rhyme. Balancing the educational and the aesthetic, ‘Hidden Kingdom’ is a stunning book for children and adults alike.

Name Place Animal Thing 

‘Name Place Animal Thing’ tells the moving coming-of-age story of a young Khasi woman living in the politically charged city of Shillong. It’s an elegant debut by Daribha Lyndem, and a precise study of the boundaries between childhood and adulthood. It’s published by Zubaan, a feminist indie press.

Drawing From The City

‘Drawing from the City’ by Tejubehan is a beautiful illustrated book that comes to us from Tara Books, an indie publisher that spotlights the diversity of Indian folk and tribal artwork. This book has been printed with the risograph, an eco-friendly printing system. Tejubehan is a migrant worker-turned-artist, who illustrates here the story of her discovery of art and its importance in her life.

The Blaft Anthology of Tamil Pulp Fiction Vol. 1

Edited by Rakesh Khanna and published by Chennai-based Blaft, this anthology features translated short stories of mystery, romance, noir, and science fiction that were originally published in Tamil pulp magazines, along with illustrations and short interviews with some of the authors! It features everything from murder to robots.

Hatred In The Belly

‘Hatred In The Belly’ is a collection of speeches and essays, delivered by writers, students, and activists (called the Ambedkar Age Collective), that reflect and examine decades of Ambedkarite thinking, and resistances to the appropriation of Ambedkar’s writing. It comes to us from The Shared Mirror, an indie publisher that works to promote Dalit Bahujan voices.

Bird Business

‘Bird Business’ comes to us from the Bombay Natural History Society, the pan-India wildlife research organization. In its pages, science, art, and humour come together to give us a peek into the daily lives of birds around us. Illustrator and author Rohan Chakravarty is well-known for his illustrations as @green_humour! 

The Family Table 

Aysha Tanya’s ‘The Family Table,’ published by Qitaab, is a collection of recipes from the rich and varied cuisine of the Mappila community of Kerala. Retrieved from the archives of the Arinhal Karuvantevalappil family, this cookbook provides a wide-ranging set of recipes across vegetarian, non-vegetarian, sweet, and savoury dishes. 

405

‘405’ by Murali Govindan and Krithika Manohar, and illustrated by Vishnu M Nair, is a graphic narrative about a man as he wanders the city of Bangalore. Initially conceived as a short film, this comic is quiet and moving—and completely silent, as it contains no words! It is published by Kokaachi, a Kochi-based publisher who produce a variety of graphic comics and narratives.