On a rock on the road to a hill temple are carved the names 'Aravindan' and 'Poorani'.Barely out of her teens, Poorani is plunged into crisis with the sudden passing of her father. As she brings her life back on course, fate arranges a meeting with Aravindan. Gentle and idealistic, Aravindan makes it his goal to right the wrongs in society. Spirited and refined, Poorani blazes a trail to recognition and renown with her public-speaking knowhow. Their friendship soon...

Katha Vilasam: The Story Within offers a path-breaking series of 50 articles by S. Ramakrishnan, published over the course of four years in the widely read Tamil magazine Ananda Vikatan, to a wider reading public through translation into English. The writing style is intentionally direct and compact to suit a magazine readership. Nevertheless, the prose is elevating, even lyrical at times. There are “Aha” moments aplenty.The author uses a unique device in these units. They...

What are the stages in the life of a butterfly? If you trap a caterpillar in a box, will it blossom into a butterfly? When discrimination and violence are hidden lessons in our schools, can we hope to make a better world? In Just One Word, Bama takes us into the spaces that appear innocent and artless, but where, in truth, hate and prejudice bubble. Bama’s writings embody Dalit feminism and celebrate the inner strength of the subaltern woman, in the throes of caste domination and social di...