Hansda Sowvendra Shekhar - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Articles & Essays by Hansda Sowvendra Shekhar

The Indian Express, Aug 17, 2024

What independence could I talk about? I was born in a free country in the 1980s. My country, my m... more What independence could I talk about? I was born in a free country in the 1980s. My country, my motherland, my India, gained her independence in 1947, over three decades before I came into this world. By the time I was born, Independence had translated into freedom—our Constitution had shaped our rights and entitlements; our circumstances of birth had chalked out our obligations. Even before I could figure out what freedom might feel like, liberalisation taught my generation to dream new dreams. “All that freedom has given us”, published in print in The Indian Express, dated 17-August-2024, may be read online here: https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/hansda-sowvendra-shekhar-writes-all-that-freedom-has-given-us-9518285/lite/

Fountain Ink , Mar 19, 2024

It's just a box, steel, plastic, or even a banana leaf, but it is also the remembrance of a thous... more It's just a box, steel, plastic, or even a banana leaf, but it is also the remembrance of a thousand meals on the go, with a diversity of companions, all lost to the past. “Memories of Tiffin time”, an essay by Hansda Sowvendra Shekhar, published on 19-March-2024 in Fountain Ink: https://fountainink.in/essay/memories-of-tiffin-time

The Indian Express, Jun 18, 2023

The Caravan, Jan 1, 2023

The World of Bibhutibhushan: Efforts to memorialise Bibhutibhushan Bandyopadhyay’s legacy in Ghat... more The World of Bibhutibhushan: Efforts to memorialise Bibhutibhushan Bandyopadhyay’s legacy in Ghatsila — published in print in The Caravan, January 2023 — URL: https://caravanmagazine.in/books/ghatsila-efforts-memoralise-legacy

Indian Christmas: Essays, Memories, Hymns, 2022

“My Memories of Christmas” — essay — published in the anthology, INDIAN CHRISTMAS: ESSAYS, MEMORI... more “My Memories of Christmas” — essay — published in the anthology, INDIAN CHRISTMAS: ESSAYS, MEMORIES, HYMNS, edited and with introductions by Jerry Pinto and Madhulika Liddle — December 2022 — ISBN 978-93-5447-352-4 — Speaking Tiger Books LLP, New Delhi 110049

OPEN, Aug 16, 2022

Our Rights in Ol Chiki: my article on the Santhali translation by Sripati Tudu of the Constitutio... more Our Rights in Ol Chiki: my article on the Santhali translation by Sripati Tudu of the Constitution of India; published in print in OPEN, issue dated 16-22 August 2022, Volume 14 Issue 33; URL: https://openthemagazine.com/cover-stories/our-rights-in-ol-chiki/

Fifty Two, Jul 9, 2022

An unusual sight pops up along the highways veining southern Jharkhand: paired statues of horses.... more An unusual sight pops up along the highways veining southern Jharkhand: paired statues of horses. Soon after moving to the Seraikela region, the author set out to find their origin story. It turns out there are more than one.
“Horses” by Hansda Sowvendra Shekhar; first published online on Saturday, 09 July 2022 in Fifty Two; URL: https://fiftytwo.in/story/horses/

The Hindu Literary Review, Mar 21, 2021

The Indian Express, May 16, 2020

I write about my workstation in this short piece for The Indian Express Online, first published o... more I write about my workstation in this short piece for The Indian Express Online, first published on Saturday, 16-May-2020: https://tinyurl.com/yc48aakw

The Hindu Literary Review, Mar 15, 2020

I have written a profile of scholar-poet-publisher, Yogesh Maitreya, and the independent, anti-ca... more I have written a profile of scholar-poet-publisher, Yogesh Maitreya, and the independent, anti-caste publication house that he founded, Panther's Paw Publications. First published in print as the lead article in The Hindu Literary Review on Sunday, 15-March-2020. To read online: https://www.thehindu.com/books/the-publishing-house-thats-become-a-movement/article31058534.ece

Reader's Digest India, Jan 2020

The Indian Quarterly, Apr 2018

"Black", an essay by me, first published in print in The Indian Quarterly, April-June 2018, Volum... more "Black", an essay by me, first published in print in The Indian Quarterly, April-June 2018, Volume 6, Issue 3, Theme: Black & White. From the Letter from the Editor of this issue: "Hansda Sowvendra Shekhar examines the presence and absence of black in the sky." Link to the online edition: http://indianquarterly.com/black/

The Hindu Sunday Magazine, Jan 14, 2018

The Indian Express, Dec 31, 2017

Hindustan Times, Dec 24, 2017

The Indian Express, Aug 17, 2024

Fountain Ink , Mar 19, 2024

The Indian Express, Jun 18, 2023

The Caravan, Jan 1, 2023

Indian Christmas: Essays, Memories, Hymns, 2022

OPEN, Aug 16, 2022

Fifty Two, Jul 9, 2022

The Hindu Literary Review, Mar 21, 2021

The Indian Express, May 16, 2020

The Hindu Literary Review, Mar 15, 2020

Reader's Digest India, Jan 2020

The Indian Quarterly, Apr 2018

The Hindu Sunday Magazine, Jan 14, 2018

The Indian Express, Dec 31, 2017

Hindustan Times, Dec 24, 2017

Scroll, Jun 9, 2024

My review of Karen Jennings’s novel, “Crooked Seeds”, first published online in Scroll on Sunday,... more My review of Karen Jennings’s novel, “Crooked Seeds”, first published online in Scroll on Sunday, 09-June-2024: https://tinyurl.com/ycyn9wj5

The Hindu, Sep 11, 2022

An exhaustive military history of the tribal uprising against the British and its aftermath—my re... more An exhaustive military history of the tribal uprising against the British and its aftermath—my review of the book, “Hul! Hul!: The Suppression of the Santal Rebellion in Bengal, 1855”; first published in print in The Hindu Literary Review on Sunday, 11-September-2022; URL: https://tinyurl.com/yxxf449h

The Hindu Sunday Magazine, May 15, 2022

National Herald, Mar 28, 2022

The Hindu Literary Review, Dec 12, 2021

An unsentimental look at poverty, hunger, death, displacement, the human will to live, the desire... more An unsentimental look at poverty, hunger, death, displacement, the human will to live, the desire for company, and the meaninglessness of existence. My review, published in print in The Hindu Literary Review on Sunday, 12-December-2021. https://www.thehindu.com/books/a-home-called-prison-hansda-sowvendra-shekhar-reviews-manoranjan-byaparis-imaan/article37922121.ece

The Third Eye, Oct 5, 2021

Reading about Santal houses in Gauri Bharat’s book, “In Forest, Field and Factory: Adivasi Habita... more Reading about Santal houses in Gauri Bharat’s book, “In Forest, Field and Factory: Adivasi Habitations through Twentieth-Century India”, pulled me out of a stupor that came from being a mere complacent inheritor of a rich heritage. What I read in this book was not only unexpected, it humbled me. My review, first published online on Tuesday, 5 October 2021 in The Third Eye: https://thethirdeyeportal.in/structure/the-adivasi-in-the-city/

National Herald On Sunday, Sep 19, 2021

Reading Kavitha Rao’s book, “Lady Doctors: The Untold Stories of India’s First Women in Medicine”... more Reading Kavitha Rao’s book, “Lady Doctors: The Untold Stories of India’s First Women in Medicine”, reminded me that matters for women doctors have not really changed, be it the 1800s or the 2020s. This is an important book that needs to be read widely. My review, published in National Herald On Sunday, dated September 19, 2021. URL: https://www.nationalheraldindia.com/book-extract/book-review-has-anything-really-changed-for-our-lady-doctors

The Indian Express, Jun 20, 2021

National Herald On Sunday, Jan 31, 2021

'Victory Colony, 1950' is a story of hope and I could feel the love and care Bhaswati Ghosh has i... more 'Victory Colony, 1950' is a story of hope and I could feel the love and care Bhaswati Ghosh has invested in writing this novel.
My review, published in National Herald On Sunday, edition dated January 31, 2021.

National Herald On Sunday, Dec 6, 2020

I found Nisha Susan’s stories to be marked by two features: the usage of casual, everyday lingo i... more I found Nisha Susan’s stories to be marked by two features: the usage of casual, everyday lingo in most stories; and the themes of friendship and camaraderie. Susan’s stories are forthright and fun. It’s a book one would grow friends with as they laugh along with her.
My review of Nisha Susan’s collection of short stories, “The Women Who Forgot To Invent Facebook and Other Stories”; first published in print in National Herald On Sunday, issue dated 06-December-2020: https://www.nationalheraldindia.com/india/nisha-susans-debut-book-is-unputdownable-friendly-and-fun

National Herald On Sunday, Mar 1, 2020

Open, Feb 26, 2020

If the purpose of stories—or literature—is to unite, then "The Legend of Himal and Nagrai: Greate... more If the purpose of stories—or literature—is to unite, then "The Legend of Himal and Nagrai: Greatest Kashmiri Folk Tales", I think, serves its purpose well. This is a timely volume—the communication blockade in Kashmir warranting that ‘the stories of Kashmir and Kashmiris’ are documented and the world be made aware of those stories.
This review was first published online on 26-February-2020 on the website of Open magazine: https://openthemagazine.com/lounge/books/the-valley-of-one/

Huffington Post India, 2019

Manjul Bajaj's novel, "In Search of Heer", is noteworthy, certainly, for the beauty of its narrat... more Manjul Bajaj's novel, "In Search of Heer", is noteworthy, certainly, for the beauty of its narration, but more than anything, it is a shining example of how an author’s imagination can make a reader look at an age-old and seemingly inviolable rendition in a new way. Bajaj’s narration might be set during the reign of Emperor Akbar, but the themes and concerns of In Search of Heer are quite of the 2010s.
Review first published on Friday, 06-December-2019 on the website of Huffington Post India: https://in.news.yahoo.com/book-review-search-heer-manjul-082922093.html

National Herald On Sunday, 2019

Fikr Taunsvi was a satirist, but the dominant mood in "The Sixth River" is not satire but realism... more Fikr Taunsvi was a satirist, but the dominant mood in "The Sixth River" is not satire but realism.
My review of Fikr Taunsvi's memoir, "The Sixth River: A Journal from the Partition of India", translated by Maaz Bin Bilal from the Urdu original, "Chhata Darya". First published in print in National Herald On Sunday of 20-October-2019. Link to read online: https://www.nationalheraldindia.com/opinion/a-moving-and-visceral-account-of-partition

National Herald On Sunday, 2019

Magical Women is an anthology of fourteen stories edited by Sukanya Venkatraghavan (the editor al... more Magical Women is an anthology of fourteen stories edited by Sukanya Venkatraghavan (the editor also being one of the fourteen featured authors). A glimpse of what this anthology is about could be felt in the title itself. The stories in Magical Women are about women who are born with magic, who know their powers and are not afraid of using it. The stories range from suspenseful to empathetic, contemporary to historical, mythological to sci-fi, entertaining to issue-based, and they all have strong female protagonists who are uninhibited with their powers. Venkatraghavan writes in the Editor’s Note: “We need to tell these tales embedded in our culture and imagination, about the magic we have forgotten we possess, or are told we don’t, because the world is afraid of a female who knows she is powerful.” True to the editor’s words, each story in this anthology is powerful in its own way, celebrating both magic as well as the feminine, and it is quite appropriate that the authors in this anthology are either women or do not conform to the gender binary.
First published in print in National Herald On Sunday of 08-September-2019.
URL: https://www.nationalheraldindia.com/reviews-recommendations/fourteen-richly-imagined-meaningful-and-entertaining-stories
Link to the review in the epaper: http://epaper.nationalheraldindia.com//index.php?mod=1&pgnum=9&edcode=71&pagedate=2019-09-08&type=

Samyukta Fiction, Mar 15, 2024

Ballal’s Bother, a story by Nalini Bera, translated from Bengali by Hansda Sowvendra Shekhar, pub... more Ballal’s Bother, a story by Nalini Bera, translated from Bengali by Hansda Sowvendra Shekhar, published on 15-March-2024 in Samyukta Fiction: https://samyuktafiction.in/2024/03/15/1564/

Vanmali Katha, Jan 1, 2024

"Paavai", a short story by Kuzhali Manickavel, translated from English to Hindi by Hansda Sowvend... more "Paavai", a short story by Kuzhali Manickavel, translated from English to Hindi by Hansda Sowvendra Shekhar; first published in print in the magazine, Vanmali Katha, January 2024 issue.

Mint Lounge, Jan 13, 2024

Once he had taken off all his clothes, the agent turned towards the man with the “gamchha” around... more Once he had taken off all his clothes, the agent turned towards the man with the “gamchha” around his neck and said, ‘I can do it. I can run. It’s easy.’
Paper Boat, a short story by Manoj Rupda, translated by Hansda Sowvendra Shekhar from the Hindi original, “Kaagaz Ki Naaw”, featuring illustration by Priya Kuriyan. First published in print in Mint Lounge, dated 13-January-2024: https://lifestyle.livemint.com/news/big-story/lounge-fiction-special-2024-manoj-rupda-hansda-sowvendra-shekhar-111704994687672.html

Fountain Ink, Dec 22, 2023

Two lives and many fates entangled in one name. “The Other Jowakim Linda”, a story by Mithilesh P... more Two lives and many fates entangled in one name.
“The Other Jowakim Linda”, a story by Mithilesh Priyadarshy, translated by me from the Hindi original, “Sahiya”
First published in Fountain Ink on 22-December-2023: https://fountainink.in/fiction/the-other-jowakim-linda

Hammock Mag, Mar 6, 2023

"An Elephant Eaten Alive" by Manoj Rupda, an excerpt from the novel "I Named My Sister Silence" (... more "An Elephant Eaten Alive" by Manoj Rupda, an excerpt from the novel "I Named My Sister Silence" (Chennai: Eka, an imprint of Westland Books, 2023), translated from Hindi by Hansda Sowvendra Shekhar; first published online on 06-March-2023 on Hammock Mag: https://smilodon-trumpet-pbjj.squarespace.com/fiction-2/an-elephant-eaten-alive

The Dalhousie Review, Jan 2023

Tower of Silence: my translation of Manoj Rupda’s Hindi story, “Tower of Silence”, first publishe... more Tower of Silence: my translation of Manoj Rupda’s Hindi story, “Tower of Silence”, first published in print in the Summer 2022 issue of The Dalhousie Review: https://ojs.library.dal.ca/dalhousiereview/issue/view/1005/showToc

Poetry at Sangam, 2022

Poems by Chinmayee Hansdah-Marandi, Suchitra Hansda, and Parimal Hansda; translated from Santali ... more Poems by Chinmayee Hansdah-Marandi, Suchitra Hansda, and Parimal Hansda; translated from Santali by Hansda Sowvendra Shekhar; published on Poetry at Sangam on 03-October-2022; URL: http://poetry.sangamhouse.org/2022/09/sowvendra-shekhar-hansda/

The Indian Express, Aug 25, 2022

Scroll, Aug 20, 2017

Of lives lived in constant conflict...between love, fear, desire, death. These poems by Parimal H... more Of lives lived in constant conflict...between love, fear, desire, death.
These poems by Parimal Hansda are from his poetry collection, "Dhunwa Otang Og Kana" ("The Smoke Is Wafting Away"), the winner of the Sahitya Akademi Yuva Puraskar 2016 (Santhali). They have been translated for the first time from the original Santhali by Hansda Sowvendra Shekhar.
This translation first published in Scroll.in on Sunday, 20-August-2017.
https://scroll.in/article/838374/eight-melancholic-introspective-poems-by-parimal-hansda-on-being-a-santhal-today

The Hindu Literary Review, Sep 17, 2017

"I am from the Earth" Keep walking, exhorts Manish Mundra Four poems by Manish Mundra, translat... more "I am from the Earth"
Keep walking, exhorts Manish Mundra
Four poems by Manish Mundra, translated from Hindi to English by Hansda Sowvendra Shekhar
First published in print in The Hindu Literary Review, all editions, Sunday, 17-September-2017.
https://www.thehindu.com/books/i-am-from-the-earth/article19690085.ece

National Herald On Sunday, Oct 1, 2017

"They Came Firing To Kill" is the English translation by Hansda Sowvendra Shekhar of an original ... more "They Came Firing To Kill" is the English translation by Hansda Sowvendra Shekhar of an original non-fiction work in Santhali, "Kirta Dangra - Mid Huding Oporom", by Shibu Tudu. This was first published online in Asymptote with the title, "Memories of the Kirta Dangra". "They Came Firing To Kill" features an illustration by Manash Murmu and was re-published - this time, in print - in National Herald on Sunday, 01-October-2017.
Link to the epaper:
http://epaper.nationalheraldindia.com/index.php?mod=1&pgnum=9&edcode=71&pagedate=2017-10-06&type=

Walking BookFairs, 2018

"A Poem for the Ol-Chiki", a poem in Santhali by Sokhen Tudu, translated into English by Hansda S... more "A Poem for the Ol-Chiki", a poem in Santhali by Sokhen Tudu, translated into English by Hansda Sowvendra Shekhar, first published in print in 2018 in the anthology, "100 Poems Are Not Enough", published by Walking BookFairs, Bhubaneswar.

Usawa Literary Review, Jul 2018

Baba, Crows, and Black Smoke, story by Ranendra, translated from Hindi by Hansda Sowvendra Shekha... more Baba, Crows, and Black Smoke, story by Ranendra, translated from Hindi by Hansda Sowvendra Shekhar, first published in Usawa Literary Review, URL: https://www.usawa.in/in-translation/baba-crows-and-black-smoke.html

Indian Literature (Sahitya Akademi), May 2021

Five poems by Rupchand Hansda from his collection, “Gud Dag Kasa Dag”, which won the Sahitya Akad... more Five poems by Rupchand Hansda from his collection, “Gud Dag Kasa Dag”, which won the Sahitya Akademi Puraskar in Santhali for the year 2020; translated into English by Hansda Sowvendra Shekhar; first published in print in Sahitya Akademi’s journal, Indian Literature, issue #323, May-June 2021.

The Indian Express, Nov 16, 2021

A fox who has eaten an egg; a bent, old woman; a termite hill; and an egret meets a wooden stick ... more A fox who has eaten an egg; a bent, old woman; a termite hill; and an egret meets a wooden stick in this short story for children — published in print in the Children’s Day Special of EYE, the magazine with The Indian Express, on Sunday, 14-November-2021 — online: https://indianexpress.com/article/express-sunday-eye/it-started-with-bili-majhi-7619805/

Comixense, Jan 2022

Tattoo: story by Hansda Sowvendra Shekhar and art by Partha Banik; published in Comixense (publis... more Tattoo: story by Hansda Sowvendra Shekhar and art by Partha Banik; published in Comixense (published by Ektara Trust), Volume 1, Issue 4 (January-March 2022); https://comixense.com/tattoo/

The Duckbill Blog & Scroll, Oct 21, 2018

Agents Of Ishq, Jul 1, 2017

First published online on Agents Of Ishq on 01-July-2017: http://agentsofishq.com/sss/hansda/

Agents Of Ishq, Sep 16, 2017

Torchlight (Bookworm Goa), Apr 27, 2018

I write about three novels - Jean Webster's "Daddy-Long-Legs", Danielle Steel's "Wings", and Manj... more I write about three novels - Jean Webster's "Daddy-Long-Legs", Danielle Steel's "Wings", and Manjul Bajaj's "Come, Before Evening Falls" - in the April 2018 issue (Issue #5, Theme: Bookish Love) of Torchlight, the journal of Bookworm Goa. Link to read online: http://journal.bookwormgoa.in/my-bookish-desires/