Short and long of it: Packing a punch with a new book on stories from around the world

In 2019, The Punch Magazine invited short story submissions from writers across the globe. With submissions coming in from across the world, 18 stories were short listed to what became the Anthology of New Writing. Shireen Quadri, founder and publisher of the Punch Magazine, says that she was astounded by the range and the volume of the stories as well as the fact that the submissions came from across the world. “The idea was to feature best writings in the form of short fiction by writers irrespective of their identities or geographical locations. Also, we wanted to publish stories by new as well as established voices, keeping the focus on the quality of writing.” she shares. While the pandemic and the subsequent lockdowns delayed the release of the anthology, it saw the light of the day in late 2021, bringing the works of young and unheralded voices to the notice of book lovers. The female voices behind the anthology The authors were not given any topics as that would restrict the anthology to one genre. The jury was looking for stories that would surprise them with their ingenuity and depth. Other factors which played a role were good storytelling skills, a strong narrative voice and ingenious use of language. “We had our eyes out for stories that reflected the human condition in general and had a deep resonance with the times we are living in.” notes Quadri and adds, “The fact that the anthology turned out to be exclusively by women writers was quite incidental in the sense that we found out that all the excellent stories that we had selected and shortlisted were by women.” What makes them readable by a diverse audience is the fact that these stories do not specifically talk about women issues and gender dynamics, they are just good stories told well by writers who are fond of the form and are trying to excel at it resulting in a culturally rich and diverse output. Since these are all stories by women, they are imbued with a distinct female gaze, laced with several layers and dimensions. Women writers are inclined to react to or reflect upon social realities differently, with empathy and understanding. Reading these stories, one gets the sense that the narrative voice in each of them has a deep emotional core that could be traced back to the gender of these writers. Quadri says that stories often spring from lived experiences. “The 18 stories in the anthology are about the women’s experience of the world, their navigation of relationships, their particular method of conveying authentically the complexities of relationships. They bristle with the sensibility and sensitivity women bring to the narratives around love, life, family and the world.” she explains. In these stories, writers demonstrate not just the tremendous control on their narratives, but also a flair with the medium. Though these stories are diverse — there is humour, mystery, drama and suspense — they are all filtered through the vantage prism of a specific gender: Woman. The writing is crystal and sterling, with no frills, no embellishments, and no ostentatiousness. Their settings are different and yet they mirror the universal human condition. London-based author Helen Harris, who has written Olya’s Kitchen for the collection, mentions how a particular story in a particular setting could be easily replicated to another cultural milieu, without losing out on their power and emotional heft. “It is fascinating to me how the story of, say Meher Pestonji’s Ghost, could easily be transplanted to an old family house in a Mediterranean setting (with a well replacing the water tank maybe). The experience is universal. The Russian grandmother in my story could equally have been a transplanted Indian grandmother lamenting that her English grandchildren no longer eat proper Indian food.” she muses. The format Short story is a tricky genre, there is a lot that’s condensed in it and yet it can also have the arc of a novel. It’s a form that tests a writer’s ability to tell the story in a concise manner with no superfluous elements. The Punch Art & Culture Foundation has published over 200 short stories since its inception five years ago from writers across the globe and has published the works of over 400 poets so far. It’s also a form that’s extremely challenging because one wrong note can throw the story off its course. Quadri observes, “Short stories also tell some very uncomfortable truths about ourselves as a society, as a nation. Most of the stories in this collection do all of these and more.” A lot of aspiring writers are taking to short stories while some are testing waters to finally arrive at the form that they will eventually gravitate to. These writers start with submitting their short fiction in literary journals or anthologies like these, often to make themselves visible or find the much-needed initial footing. “I believe writing short stories is a great way to start writing early.” Quadri says and adds, “There is also a great readership for short stories. There are many readers who don’t have the time to read novels running into hundreds of pages. For them, short stories are the best bet. With an anthology, you can read any random story and come back to others whenever you have time on your hand.” Anthologies are also ideal platforms where new voices can be found. When the short stories came in, Quadri was only looking at the content, the structure, the style of writing and a story told well. The stories that met these basic criteria were shortlisted for the anthology. Initially, the idea was to feature only new voices and aspiring authors who need such platforms the most, but when the submissions came pouring in, Quadri was surprised by the content, range, volume and the fact that close to fifty percent of the submissions came from established writers. It was then that she realised that even prolific writers needed a space to put out their work. “Non-fiction writers, poets and novelists occasionally write short fiction out of passion or interest or they have a good story that can’t be turned into a novel. So, an anthology is a win-win for both writers and readers. Readers get to read short stories by their favourite authors. And writers get to take a break from their chosen form.” she adds. Stories of love, loss and life Anthologies throw in a bunch of great talents together, melding myriad styles of writing into a potpourri of voices. They bring different voices together, making it possible for them to interact with each other, throwing open a world of possibilities and new discoveries. This anthology has some well-established writers as well as some new voices who have been published for the first time. It adds to the richness of the collection and lends it variety. It’s also a way of building a strong writers’ community.  The stories revolve around both familiar and unfamiliar themes. The anthology begins with Solitude, which explores our relationship with solitude and silence at a time when the world seems to be falling apart. In fact, while many of the stories were written in a world before COVID, many have a current of solitariness running through them Geetha Nair who wrote Falls for the anthology which turns on the idealism of youth shattered on the rocks of experience, on love and its betrayal shares, “The inspiration for the story was in so many lives around me! I used the third person mode of narration, inhabiting the mind of the central female character to span two periods in her life, thirty years apart. The use of literary allusions and irony helped to highlight my themes.” Another story which stands out is Honour by Rochelle Potkar. The poet and writer has been following social and feminist issues and this story was a natural progression which took a couple of years to manifest. “While sketching the story of Honour I was thinking of dishonour and honour killing and what it would be from a different perspective.” she muses and adds, “Purna, the washerwoman, emerged, probably, from the dhobi ghats of Mahalaxmi that I would witness over two years during my postgraduate college days. And as a story writer: I followed the scent of the story as the characters lead me into the story world." Compilations such as these give aspiring authors credence and confidence. Quadri explains, “For aspiring writers looking to write a novel, it is quite a task to find a publisher who believes in them. Being a part of an anthology familiarises them with the way things work in publishing. It’s a good first step towards writing their first book.” For Quadri, it has been an enriching and satisfying journey publishing this anthology. “During the course of reading and re-reading these stories, the power of the form revealed itself to me in newer ways. I would discover a new aspect of the writer’s worldview, the range and depth of her experience or a particular dimension of her craft every time I read a story afresh.” she signs off. Read all the Latest News , Trending News , Cricket News , Bollywood News , India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.