The George Garrett Fiction Prize: Judge’s Choice selected by Kaveh Akbar
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A woman seeks liberation from her bad luck and learns that magic can work too well. A lonely teacher befriends a beautiful moon bird. A cynical student discovers faith in an temple. Beautiful drawings in a servant girl's secret diary lead to a Godwoman’s ashram. The eight luminous stories in The Vanishings explore the space between presence and absence, where bodies fade, memories dissolve, and the self slips away.
Set against the vivid backdrop of South India, these tales follow characters grappling with magic fairness creams, giant birds who remember childhood games, and dinner parties lit by fireflies and laughter in the dark. With gentle humor and unflinching insight, The Vanishings examines what we lose when we're still here—to colorism, class divides, dementia, and the weight of others' expectations.
Tender, strange, and deeply human, these stories illuminate all the versions of ourselves we leave behind. Sometimes, what vanishes makes room for the transcendent.
​​Nominated for the AuthHer Prize.
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​​Recommended by Conde Nast Traveller, India, in the "Read Now" Section. ​
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​Will we make it?
That’s the question Kavitha and her cousin, Pallu, ask themselves as they trek through Himalayan pine forests and unforgiving mountains in Nepal and Tibet. Their goal: To reach Mount Kailash and lake manasarovar. The two women walk to ancient monasteries, meditate on freezing slopes, dance on the foothills of Kailash and confront death in the thin mountain air. In Kailash and manasarovar, the holiest of Hindu and Buddhist sites, they struggle to reconcile their rationalist views with faith and the beloved myths of their upbringing. Remarkably, it is this journey that helps them discover the meaning of friendship. Walking in clouds is a beautifully crafted memoir of a journey to Faraway places and to the places within. It mixes lyrical, descriptive storytelling with stunning photographs to bring to life a unique travelogue.
Work, Wisdom, Legacy, an insightful anthology edited by former RBI Governor Y.V. Reddy with Ravi Menon, Shaji Vikraman, and Kavi Yaga. Born from a profound question—how those who began their careers shortly after Independence can bridge the generational gap with their 21st-century grandchildren—the book features 31 reflective essays from India’s most eminent figures, including Narayana Murthy, P. Chidambaram, Arun Shourie, and Usha Thorat.
Spanning diverse fields from banking and public policy to media and academia, these luminaries revisit their professional journeys through the lens of the "three Is": Intellect, Industry, and Integrity. Moving beyond metrics of "hustle" and wealth, the contributors offer a contemplative look at the evolution of work, the impact of technology, and the moral dimensions of leadership. Praised by critics as a "panoramic view" of the Indian experience, this collection serves as a timeless guide for a young workforce, redefining legacy as the lasting impact one leaves on others through values, empathy, and purpose.