Prutha Goa

The Delicate Balance of Little Lives is author Jessica Faleiro’s second innings as a writer. A book of short stories, The Delicate Balance of Little Lives reveals the interwoven lives of five women with each woman’s tale of dealing with the sufferings she has undergone. Jessica has another book of short stories called Afterlife: Ghost Stories from Goa , which was published in 2012, to her credit. The passionate writer, who transitioned from a career of working in research and policy to acquiring a master’s in Creative Writing from Kingston University, England, took a dive head first into the deep end of the volatile pool of literature, writing and publishing. Having lived in Goa, Mumbai, Miami, Paris and London, and travelled extensively on work, Jessica makes optimal use of her travel adventures by writing about them. She has been conducting vision board and creative writing workshops in India and abroad. However, her primary goal is to channel her own creativity and present it to re

Advent is a time of preparation for the coming of Christ. It is also a time of giving, and giving freely. Carpe Diem-The Art and Learning Centre in Majorda has combined an opportunity to give with the treat of a literary evening with Goa’s noted poets and writers. Poets and Writers Evening: A Fundraiser in Support of Arz and Victims of Human Trafficking will be held at Carpe Diem on the 9th of December 2018 from 6.30pm to 8pm. Entry is free and those who wish to attend are invited to donate generously to support ARZ. ARZ, or Anyay Rahit Zindagi (Life without Injustice), is a Goa-based organisation that rescues victims of trafficking for commercial sex work. A group of professionals from the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) established the organisation in 1997, and the first project undertaken by ARZ was the rehabilitation of commercial sex workers in Baina, Goa, in 1998. Arunendra Kumar Pandey is one of the founders and director of ARZ and has been working tirelessly with his t

Fair-Weather Brother by Pogoat (pseudonym) is a harsh reminder that all is not well in the state of Goa. With a dystopian twist, the book attempts to jolt the inured mind into awakening and addressing these issues. The book is the first of a trilogy and lives true to its warning that the content is suitable for those above 18 years. The novel takes you on a surreal, psychedelic trip (pun intended) through the eyes of Charlie, the main protagonist. His brother James accompanies him but also has his own set of experiences. The foundation of the novel is laid in Goa’s tourism industry and its flailing performance in recent times. This prompts Charlie and James to embark on a search for alternative sources of economic stability. The two seem to have the Goan ‘sussegad’ attitude built into all their decisions and movements. Trying to combine a holiday and a paid job as caretakers of a luxury campsite at the Nubra Valley in Kashmir, the two brother first halt at Mumbai, where James has a jo

Fundação Oriente India prides itself on embracing languages that reflect Goa’s rich linguistic history within the sphere of its biennial Goan Short Stories Competition. The participants can submit their entries in Konkani (Romi or Devanagari scripts), English, Marathi and Portuguese in 1,000 to 3,000 words. The competition began in 2011 and following every edition of the competition there has been a release of a book containing stories by the winner and finalists. The 2015 edition of the Goan Short Stories Competition resulted in Monsoon Winds: Short Stories from Goa . Nayana Adarkar’s ‘Rakhondar: The Protector’ is a reminder of the patriarchal system that has its vice grip on Indian women wherein women are passed on from one male family member to another under the guise of protection. She derides this system of protection by pointing out that it is she who ends up doing all the protecting. The position of the middle class and lower middle class Indian woman is still to a large extent

Stars Next Door by Cyprian (Skip) Fernandes is a compilation of the stories of East African Goans who shone as sportspersons and musicians. The book, which is a tribute to the prowess of this section of the Goan diaspora, carries contributions from other authors like Hartman de Souza. It is interesting to learn how Goan talent was nurtured to the extent it was, bringing in international recognition in some cases. The Goa, 1556 published book is admirable in its efforts to keep alive the memory of these impressive men and women who achieved much with fewer facilities than we have in these times. The making of Seraphino Antao, a record-breaking ace sprinter from Kenya, is quite a tale. From a barefoot sprinter, he rose to become a double gold winner at the 1962 Commonwealth Games in Perth, Australia. His retirement from athletics was a follow-up to a heart-breaking loss at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics. Albert Castanha was an all-round sportsman, excelling in soccer, hockey, cricket, badminto

Tishani Doshi has quite an impressive oeuvre as a poet, author, journalist, and dancer. The Madras-born Tishani has written essays, poems and short stories that are part of anthologies. Her first novel, titled The Pleasure Seekers , was shortlisted for The Hindu Literary Prize. She has a Masters in Creative Writing from the Johns Hopkins University, USA. Countries of the Body , her maiden collection of poems, won the Forward Prize (Best First Collection) in 2006, while ‘The Day we went to the Sea’ from the same book won the 2005 British Council-supported All India Poetry Competition. As a dancer, Tishani was mentored by the late, famed choreographer Chandralekha and was part of her dancing troupe till her death in 2006. The release of Tishani’s new collection of poems Girls Are Coming Out of the Woods will be held at The Cube Gallery in Moira, Goa, at 7pm, with a reading of her poems and a performance of experimental dance by Tishani. It was at the age of twenty that Tishani became en

Memoirs take us back into the past, into a history that may be erased and its valuable essence lost if it is not preserved through documentation. Aloysius D’Souza’s Homeward Bound is a happy example of keeping memories of the past intact and available to future generations. Aloysius, who spent part of his childhood in Burma, recalls lively anecdotes of his life there and in Goa that prove to be a delightful learning experience. The opening pages of the book take us right into the Japanese attack on Burma in December 1941. The fear and commotion of the proceedings is told through the eyes of a young Aloysius, in very much the innocent candour of a young boy, but without negating the urgency of the situation. ‘As far as we youngsters were concerned this was a wonderful holiday. During the days, we investigated the neighbourhood, discovering Chinese market gardeners… ‘Most of these refugees, probably a million or more, trekked out through the jungles and hills of upper Burma into north e