Mahāśvetā Debī Livres

A picture book which unobtrusively raises questions of politics, gender and class within the context of a simple, positive story of a young tribal girl and her quest for learning.

A trenchant, darkly humorous, and unsentimental look at Calcutta society. Set in Calcutta in the mid-1980s, Truth/Untruth is a fast-paced thriller built around the death of the pregnant Jamuna--a maid in a newly affluent residential apartment complex--and Arjun, the upwardly mobile businessman who seduced her. Packed with a cast of colorful characters, this novel is a trenchant, darkly humorous, and unsentimental look at the different segments of Calcutta society: from the middle-class culture vultures to the unscrupulous "promoter" class and the domestic helpers and slum goons who form an intrinsic part of the city's life. All are implicated in a complex web of guilt and bizarre twists and turns. Sex, lies, death--the great modernist themes--run like a thread through this book, exposing societal greed, lust, corruption, and moral hypocrisy with a sardonic tone that spares none. An unusual novel by an author who is otherwise known for her hard-hitting activist-feminist stories, Truth/Untruth underlines the exploitative vicious cycle that defines urban relations between the haves and have-nots.

The two stories in this collection are touching, poignant tales, in both of which the protagonists are old women.

Set in the mid-to-late 1800s, the narrative unfolds with Wajid Ali Shah's exile to Calcutta, intertwining the lives of the enchanting courtesan Laayl-e Aasman and her lovers, Bajrangi and Kundan. Their entangled relationships are marked by love, loyalty, and betrayal against a backdrop of crime and complex characters. This novel deviates from Mahasweta Devi's usual themes, showcasing her storytelling prowess in a richly detailed narrative that explores the human condition amidst historical upheaval.

A brief, poetic, poignant memoir from one of India's greatest writers. "Like a dazzling feather that has fluttered down from some unknown place. . . . How long will the feather keep its colours, waiting? The 'feather' stands for memories of childhood. Memories don't wait." In Our Sanitikentan, the late Mahasweta Devi, one of India's most celebrated writers, vividly narrates her days as a schoolgirl in the 1930s. As the aging author struggles to recapture vignettes of her childhood, these reminiscences bring to the written page not only her individual sensibility but an entire ethos. Santiniketan is home to the school and university founded by the foremost literary and cultural icon of India, Rabindranath Tagore. In these pages, a forgotten Santiniketan, seen through the innocent eyes of a young girl, comes to life--the place, its people, flora and fauna, along with its educational environment, culture of free creative expression, vision of harmonious coexistence between natural and human worlds, and the towering presence of Tagore himself. Alongside, we get a glimpse of the private Mahasweta--her inner life, family and associates, and the early experiences that shaped her personality. A nostalgic journey to a bygone era, harking back to its simple yet profound values--so distant today and so urgent yet again--Our Santiniketan is an invaluable addition to Devi's rich oeuvre available in English translation.

A tense sociopolitical novel exploring power, violence, and morality in 1970s India. The Murderer's Mother takes readers to the late 1970s in the Indian state of West Bengal, where the Communist Party-led Left Front has just been voted into power. It tells the story of Tapan, who has been installed as a gang leader by the most powerful man in the locality in order to kill "unwanted obstacles," which he does, one after another. Tapan knows there is no other way he can earn a living, but at the same time, he is desperate to protect his family. He tries to stop petty crime and assaults on women, even as he protects his patron's interests. Through the dissonance, he becomes both a feared and revered figure, but his patron's game becomes clear: now the murderer, too, must be eliminated.

Mahasweta Devi (geb. 1926) gehört zu den bedeutendsten indischen Schriftstellerinnen. Sie hat mehr als 50 Romane und eine noch höhere Zahl von Kurzgeschichten verfasst. Die Erzählung „Das Brahmanenmädchen und der Sohn des Bootsmanns“ gehört zu ihren frühen Werken.

Das erste Bilderbuch (Lesealter ab sechs Jahre) der engagierten indischen Autorin, die sich besonders für die Rechte der Minderheiten und Stammesangehöreigen einsetzt, erzählt eine Geschichte, die für die Schriftstellerin Mahasweta Devi typisch ist. Moyna ist sechs Jahre alt, lebt in einem kleinen Dorf und kann nicht zur Schule gehen, weil sie Ziegen hüten und Wasser und Holz holen muss. Doch weil sie immer „Warum?“ fragt, lernt sie eines Tages doch lesen und schreiben.