Aditi Krishnakumar
‘I can hardly imagine it, but everything will be different tomorrow. I’ve looked forward to it for years. I’ll truly be Sundaram’s wife, together in body as in spirit…’
But that tomorrow never comes, and at just fourteen, Aru is left a widow. Worse, the village whispers name Sundaram a drunkard and a thief?the thief who called down the wrath of the local goddess by stealing the most precious jewel from her temple. The future Aru once envisioned vanishes, leaving only bleak and endless days ahead. So when a ray of hope appears in the form of the landlord’s children offering her a job as their grandmother’s companion, Aru seizes the opportunity.
In the landlord’s house, Aru gains an education, finds that her charge is an unexpected ally, and dreams impossibly of having a profession of her own one day. But she also learns uncomfortable truths. Soon, her very life is in danger…
The White Lotus is a gripping murder mystery and a rich social portrait of the plight of widows in rural Tamil Nadu at the very start of the twentieth century.
Actor, scriptwriter, photographer, traveller, teacher, amateur geologist, furniture restorer, restaurant manager, and now storyteller, Rustom loves wearing many hats, which he has been shrewdly, sneakily, surreptitiously storing over the years. (He also admits he has a very bald head which needs covering!)
Priya Kuriyan is an independent animation film maker and illustrator based in Delhi. She has directed educational films for the Sesame Street show (Galli Galli Sim Sim) and has also codirected a short animation film for the CFSI. She has also been illustrating a number of children’s books and comics.
Himanjali Sankar grew up in Kolkata. She completed her Masters and MPhil in English Literature from JNU, New Delhi. She has taught English to undergraduate students and been an editor with various publishing houses. She is the author of acclaimed novels like Talking of Muskaan and Mrs C Remembers.
Priya Kuriyan is an independent animation film maker and illustrator based in Delhi. She has directed educational films for the Sesame Street show (Galli Galli Sim Sim) and has also codirected a short animation film for the CFSI. Over the past five years, she has also been illustrating for a number of children’s books and comics.
Like most middle-class boys, Balaji Venkataramanan completed his engineering, joined the IT bandwagon, went onsite and started paying EMIs. Then the bubble burst and Flat-track Bullies got published. A native of Chennai, he’s mighty proud that he comes from the land of idli-sambar, Rajinikanth and the Chennai Super Kings.
Ma Anand Sheela, or Sheela Birnstiel, managed the Rajneesh commune and the city of Rajneeshpuram in Wasco County, Oregon, USA. She was the personal secretary of Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh from 1980 to 1985. More recently, she regained her spot in the limelight because of the Netflix series Wild Wild Country. Ma Anand Sheela has founded beautiful care homes for underprivileged young and old persons. Her care is based on love, respect and dignity. She manages two care homes in Switzerland and Mauritius.
A.P.J. Abdul Kalam was one of India’s most distinguished scientists, responsible for the development of India’s first satellite launch vehicle and the operationalization of strategic missiles. He was also the President of India between 2002 and 2007.
