A few days back, I sat in a contemplative mood recounting the books I’ve read in the past few months. The books include -- Idris – The Keeper of the Light by Anita Nair, Map of Love by Ahdaf Soueif, Urnabhih – A Mauryan Tale of Espionage, Adventure and Seduction by Sumedha Ojha, The Translator by Leila Aboulela, and In the Time of the Butterflies by Julia Alvarez.

Only when I put down this list in this fashion, did it occur to me that I’ve been reading women writers that too from developing countries. There is something in these stories that attracts me – for one, they are not the standard stories that emerge from the West. I think I’ve had enough of those. There is just so much one can explore and experience (so what if it is in the form of books?) It’s like taking a journey to these places, getting glimpses of the subtle nuances of their cultures, gaining insights into their languages, noting the place of women in these societies, and even exploring the question of their identity and how they seek a place for themselves in the world.

One novel moves from Somalia to the Malabar coast and thence to Ceylon and then finds its way back to the mainland in Toothukudi (Tuticorin) and on to the diamond mines of Golkonda. Set in the 1600’s, this enriching novel recreates the time and the places with such authenticity, one feels history textbooks and classrooms could be transformed. The level of detail and the recounting of ordinary moments are extraordinary. The book leaves you with lasting impressions. This is Anita Nair’s Idris – The Keeper of the Light.

Another novel moves from Britain to Egypt – set in the past and the present, it weaves a story of overcoming loss and finding love. The story is revealed through a series of letters discovered by a close family member of the main characters – a grieving English lady trying to overcome a personal loss and a staunch Egyptian nationalist. The underlying themes of British imperialism, the fierce nationalism of the Egyptians, and the continuing turmoil of the Middle East are skillfully interwoven in the story and perhaps, what stands out is the grace one is capable of in the face of adversity. This is Ahdaf Soueif’s The Map of Love. Ahdaf Soueif is Egyptian, as you may have guessed.

In my next post, I will cover the books Urnabhih – A Mauryan Tale of Espionage, Adventure and Seduction by Sumedha Ojha and The Translator by Leila Aboulela. The book, In the Time of the Butterflies deserves an exclusive post – you will see why when you come to it. And I hope to do justice in my review of this truly inspirational book that is based on a true story.

A couple of days back, Armeen shared with me the exciting news that her short story, Farewell, Heidelberg, had made it to the top 10 among 2,208 entries from around the world in a competition conducted by Writers and Artists (Bloomsbury). The results will be announced by the end of March. As you can imagine, Armeen and I are barely moving as we have our fingers and toes crossed!

All this talk of short stories made me think of the writers behind them. To my mind, short story writing is a fine art. How does one build a plot that is compelling, develop characters that readers care about, and bring the story to a conclusion that may or may not be what the reader expects? And, the writer must do this in the space of 1-3 pages. Being brief that too while writing a story is no mean feat. For the record, I’ve written websites, blogs, essays, user guides, training manuals, and e-learning courses – but I’ve never written a short story. It is a difficult art – and underappreciated too, I’m afraid.

Right from school, we read short stories by writers such as Saki, Guy de Maupassant, O. Henry, Oscar Wilde, Ruskin Bond and Anton Chekov to name a few. From the Indian subcontinent one name comes immediately to mind – Saadat Hasan Manto. Some of his short stories are just a paragraph long – and what paragraphs those are! Poignant, heart breaking, wistful, reflective – all in one. How easily the stories flow, how effortless the construction is. I remember how struck I was as a reader as the last line of the story held a twist that changed the entire meaning of the story!

I’m going to revisit some stories and will read a few new ones – and I hope you do too. And as we read, dear reader, let us pause a moment to appreciate the art of the short story.

One of previous blog posts started with the line ‘At Steta, one of our proofreaders is a retired gentleman.’

The same gentleman (bless him), has brought to our notice the fact that ‘retired gentleman’ is misleading. It implies he was a gentleman in the past, and is no longer one. The line should read:
'At Steta, one of our proofreaders is a retired Government employee and a gentleman...' OR
'At Steta, one of our proofreaders is a gentleman who is a retired Government employee...'
 
It is these subtle nuances of language that can make the difference between good writing and almost-perfect writing. The English language is flexible enough to allow many different ways to express the same thought. It is essential, however, to see that the sentence remains true to its intended meaning.
 
If you happen to notice any aspects of language on this website that could be improved, please do let us know.