Purple Pencil Project

20/05/2025

I'm old school - I believe books aren't props, and they don't need to sit pretty and perfect on your shelf!

A messy book is a sign it's lived your life with you!!

Readers and bookstagram, what team are you on?

08/05/2025

I saw I'm a writer, until raw emotion takes over. Then, I'm just an approximate - grasping for the right words like a fish gasping out of water.

{writers, writing life, thoughts, midnight musings, unfiltered, emotional writing, evocative, carousels, micro-essays, feelings, healing, words, vocabulary}

24/04/2025

I spent so long putting 50 books of Dalit writing from across India and its languages together (with links to where you can read or buy them), that I did not realise the month was nearly up!

It does not matter; special days like these are just jumping off points to give my reading journey a new, more intentional perspective and direction.

Let this post be that for you.

A push to break out of your echo chambers, and understand lives which may be unfamiliar to you, reaching you as simplified headlines.

Here are 15 books. There are 35 others at the link in the bio.

Or DM us and we will send you the link directly

Don’t forget to tag a Dalit artist here; not just in April for Dalit History Month, but as a continuous process to mindfully consume art and content.

1. The Stepchild, Joseph Macwan, tr. Rita Kothari
2. Don’t Want Caste : Malayalam Stories by Dalit Writers, tr. Ravi Shanker, Abhirami Girija
3. Dalit Poems, Songs And Dialogues From Bengal In English Translation, By Asit Biswas & Shubh Brat Sarkar
4. Dalithan: An Autobiography by K.K. Kochu, tr. Radhika P. Menon
5. Homeless in my Land: Translations from Modern Marathi Dalit Short Stories, Ed. Arjun Dangle
6. Bhimayan: art: Durgabai Vyam, Subhash Vyam and text: Srividya Natarajan, S. Anand
7. Anthology of Dalit Literature (Poems), Ed. Eleanor Zelliot and Mulk Raj Anand
8. Koogai: The Owl by Cho. Dharman tr. Vasanth Surya
9. Dalit Kitchens of Marathwada by S.M. Patole, tr. Bhushan Korgaonkar
10. Spotted Goddesses: Dalit Women's Agency-Narratives on Caste and Gender Violence by Roja Singh
11. The Ballad of Bant Singh: A Qissa of Courage by Nirupama Dutt
12. Steel Nibs are Sprouting New Delit Writing From South India: Dossier II Kannada and Telugu. Edited by K. Satyanarayana & Susie Tharu
13. A Gardener in the Wasteland, Story: Srividya Natarajan Art: Aparajita Ninan
14. Baluta by Daya Pawar
15. The Outcaste, Akkarmashi by Sharankumar Limbade, tr. by Santosh Bhoomkar

Video edits: Rishabh Yadav

24/04/2025

In honour of bookstores, a series to capture the beauty that's packed in these spaces of magic, wonder, and stories. 💜

21/03/2025

Let’s settle the real debate —Which book would you pick?

☕️📖

12/03/2025

Do you also think of Bollywood songs every time someone says ‘Indian’ music? If yes, we’re here to change that! There’s so much more to explore, and we’ve got some amazing picks from across India.

‘The Purple Corner’ is a WhatsApp community where we talk about Indian books, movies, poetry, music, and more. Every Monday, we have ‘Musical Mondays’ in the group, and these are just some of the many pan-Indian songs our community recommended.

What are your all-time favourites in Indian music? Drop it in the comments!

11/02/2025

03/02/2025

“Pay a tribute to a loved one in your mother language” should become a mandatory exercise on the journey to becoming a storytellers.

It was the most powerfully an emotion has hit me in recent times.

Perhaps distancing ourselves from our language, we are also distancing ourselves from our own strongest, unfiltered emotions?

Would love to know thoughts and experiences on this strangely but slightly half-baked bilingual life we lead as Indians.

Text by

06/01/2025

2024 has been a rollercoaster of a reading year – some books stole my heart, some didn’t live up to the hype, and it got me thinking about the 3 book stacks that define my reading journey. I’m sure every bookworm can relate to this!

Now it’s time to refresh the reading goals and dive into new worlds. While I’ll never stop adding to my TBR (because let’s face it, it’s a lifestyle), I’m excited to find more gems and finally get into the books I’ve been keeping aside for so long. Here’s to a year of turning pages and chasing stories.

Which books will you be putting in each stack? Tell us in the comments!

[2024 reads books literature recommendations TBR stacks stories languages trending new bookstagram]

24/12/2024

Some books stand the test of time and continue to impress us regardless of when we’re reading them.

They capture the essence of a particular era – its politics, culture, and everyday life – showing us why they mattered then and why it still does now.

These are the books that bring us closer to the world we’re in along with showing us where we’re headed.

From the Green Revolution to the chaotic Emergency years and the era of economic liberalization,we’ve put together a decade-wise list of books that have shaped our thinking and captured the highs and lows of society.

DM us to get the full list for each decade

Which book would you add to each decade? Tell us in the comments. As always, language no bar.

[India independence decade book recommendation language list books reading Indian literature trending]

30/11/2024

Tis the season for Christmas movies and good food! 🎄
So, we’re switching things up from our usual screenwriting discussions and bringing the magic of movies to life with a cozy private screening to kickstart the holiday cheer.

🗓️ When? December 14
⏰ Time? 6:30 PM – 10:00 PM
📍 Where? Andheri West

We’re bringing the timeless Christmas classic ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’ to the screen—this is one you won’t want to miss! Limited seats, so RSVP before they’re gone!

Drop us a DM to grab your spot.

[Christmas party private movie screening it’s a wonderful life screenwriting corner club december]

24/11/2024

Ever noticed how your favourite regional author doesn’t always show up under “Indian authors”? That’s the gap we’re trying to fill and how I and found our rhythm in curating book lists that truly celebrate India’s diversity.

Google your favourite regional author and tell us what pops up—or doesn’t—in the comments! Let’s start the conversation!

[Indian Literature languages diversity google search inclusion Hindi books regional author new trending]

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