Arts/Books

Photo: CNN India-West News Desk NEW YORK, NY - In a recent interview with CNN on April 22 in Moscow, renowned Russian painter Nikas Safronov unveiled the portrait gifted by President Vladimir Putin to U.S. President Donald Trump earlier this year. The dramatic

India-West News Desk NEW DELHI – The Missed Tree, a debut novel by 16-year-old Rujhaan Chaudhary, presents a story centered on imagination, personal growth, and spirituality within a young adult framework. The novel follows Ramya, a girl who forms a deep bond with

India-West News Desk NEW YORK, NY - Kash Patel likely didn’t expect his book to receive a publicity push from the mayor of New York City — but that’s exactly what happened. Days after federal bribery charges against him were dropped,

NEW DELHI (ANI) -  Artist, poet, and diplomat Abhay K brings together poetry, philosophy, and visual art in his latest collection Shunyata | Emptiness, offering a contemplative and powerful interpretation of the Buddhist concept of emptiness—or Shunyata. Inspired by the Heart Sutra’s profound

India-West Staff Reporter LOS ANGELES, CA - Sikhlens Publications is set to release two beautifully illustrated children’s books this Vaisakhi: Proud to be a Kaur and Proud to be a Singh. Authored by Sandip Kaur Sodhi, a teacher-librarian and cultural advocate, and illustrated by

Photo: Booker Prize India-West News Desk NEW DELHI - Heart Lamp: Selected Stories, a searing collection by Kannada writer Banu Mushtaq and translated into English by Deepa Bhasthi, has been shortlisted for the 2025 International Booker Prize. It marks only the second time a

India-West News Desk NEW YORK, NY- Actor-comedian Vir Das has written The Outsider: A Memoir for Misfits, offering a deep dive into his life and experiences across cultures. Sharing the book cover on social media, Das revealed that the memoir has been

Photo: Instagram MUMBAI (ANI)- Actor Sonu Sood’s book I’m No Messiah (co-authored by Meena Iyer) has reached over 7,000 schools across India, contributing to the Gyan-Key Classroom Library initiative, the world’s largest rural reading program led by Pradeep Lokhande. The book,

India-West Staff Reporter NEW DELHI- Dr. Bhadreshdas Swami, a scholar of Sanskrit and Indian philosophy from the BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha, has been awarded the Saraswati Samman 2024 for his Sanskrit publication Swaminarayana Siddhanta Sudha. The recognition marks a return of the prestigious

India-West Staff Reporter DAVIS, CA - For over a decade, Manvir Singh, an assistant professor of anthropology at UC Davis, has immersed himself in the study of shamanism, conducting ethnographic fieldwork with Mentawai communities on an Indonesian island. His experiences and

Photo: The 2024 UCLA Bruin Bhangra team By BHARTTI KUMARLOS ANGELES, CA — It started with a spark—a group of UCLA students, a passion for Bhangra, and a belief that Punjabi culture deserved the biggest stage possible. Twenty-five years later, that

The Eleventh Hour by Salman Rushdie NEW DELHI (ANI)- Salman Rushdie's new collection of stories, The Eleventh Hour, will be published later this year—his first work of fiction since surviving a brutal stabbing in 2022, publisher Penguin Random House India said. The book, slated

India-West Staff Reporter SAN DIEGO, CA – The Old Globe has unveiled the full cast and creative team for the world premiere of House of India, a comedy by San Diego playwright Deepak Kumar. Directed by Drama Desk Award-nominee Zi Alikhan, the

India-West Staff Reporter NEW YORK, NY - This summer, Penguin Classics will take us back to the turbulent beginnings of Partition with two powerful novels that offer intimate, fictional accounts of the period. Both Tamas by Bhisham Sahni and The Women’s Courtyard by Khadija Mastur,

India-West News Desk PHILADELPHIA, PA- Emily Bhatnagar, a first-year student at the University of Pennsylvania’s College of Liberal and Professional Studies, has been awarded the Margaret L. Hodges Leadership Award for her nonprofit initiative that provides books to children undergoing cancer

Photo: From the archives of Gloria’s Foundation India-West News Desk NEW YORK, NY - Gloria Steinem, renowned feminist and social activist, in a recent Instagram post shared a powerful memory from the 1970s that highlights the lasting impact of her meeting with Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay,

India-West Staff Reporter Our Beautiful Boys, by Sameer Pandya, Ballantine Author Sameer Pandya crafts a gripping literary thriller set against the complexities of Indian American identity, privilege, and belonging. The novel opens with a haunting scene: four teenagers venture into a cave

Photo: Columbia University/Alice Attie India-West News Desk NEW YORK, NY - Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak, a towering intellectual force in literary theory and postcolonial studies, has been named the recipient of the 2025 Holberg Prize—one of the world’s most prestigious academic honors. Spivak’s

Photos: Christies (Right,) Photo: Wikipedia (Left) India-West Staff Reporter NEW YORK, NY – A lost masterpiece by M.F. Husain, hidden from public view for nearly seven decades, has now made history. Untitled (Gram Yatra), a monumental 1954 painting by the modernist icon, sold

ndia-West News Desk The Great Conciliator: Lal Bahadur Shastri and the Transformation of India by Sanjeev Chopra, Bloomsbury Publishing Sanjeev Chopra's latest book, The Great Conciliator, delves into the life of India's second Prime Minister, Lal Bahadur Shastri. The book begins with Shastri’s

Photo: Screengrab/Andrew Roth/Guardian India-West News Desk WASHINGTON, DC- Vice President JD Vance and his wife, Usha Vance, faced a jeering crowd at the Kennedy Center on the night of March 13 as they attended a National Symphony Orchestra performance. The loud boos from the

Voice for the Voiceless by Dalai Lama India-West Staff Reporter DHARAMSALA – In his newly released autobiography, Voice for the Voiceless: Over Seven Decades of Struggle with China for My Land and My People, the Dalai Lama declared that his successor will

MUMBAI (ANI) – Writer and director Seema Kapoor, and sister of veteran actor Annu Kapoor launched her autobiography Yun Guzri Hai Ab Talak at a star-studded event. The event saw the presence of industry veterans including Boney Kapoor, Annu Kapoor, Anupam Kher, Paresh

Photo: Instagram India-West News Desk WASHINGTON, DC – As the United States prepares to mark its 250th anniversary in 2026, New York-based artist and cartoonist Shreyas Navare has launched a year-long, multi-city exhibition featuring watercolor caricatures of American presidents. Titled Hail to the Chiefs—a nod to

Mustafa’s MithaiBy Sana Rafi, illustrated by Nabi H. Ali Penguin Young Readers is set to release Mustafa’s Mithai, a heartwarming picture book by Sana Rafi and illustrated by Nabi H. Ali, that explores the sweetness of South Asian desserts and the joy

India-West Staff Reporter CALABASAS, CA – At the serene Malibu Hindu Temple, internationally acclaimed Mohiniyattam dancer Vijayalakshmi introduced participants to the beauty of Mohiniyattam, the classical dance form of Kerala. Through a special workshop, on March 1, she aimed to showcase

India-West Staff Reporter CHICAGO, IL - Arsh Pal has two passions in his life: his painting and helping people. On his eighth birthday, Arsh's family gave him acrylic painting supplies and he became obsessed with the medium, producing painting after painting. He

India-West News Desk NEW DELHI - Sangeetha Shinde’s latest novel, The Unseen Goddess, is a poignant exploration of resilience, survival, and the deep-seated gender inequalities that shape women’s lives in India. Set to release on March 8—fittingly on International Women’s Day—the novel

The Prince Without SorrowBook One of the Obsidian ThroneBy Maithree Wijesekara |Harper Collins, $18.99 Maithree Wijesekara, a practicing dentist, makes a striking debut with The Prince Without Sorrow, the first installment in The Obsidian Throne trilogy. Inspired by the Mauryan Empire, this gripping fantasy

India-West Staff Reporter LOS ANGELES, CA — Artist and composer Christopher Janney will debut his latest work, HeartBeat: LMU, as the featured cultural event of the annual South Asian Studies Association conference at Loyola Marymount University on March 1. The performance explores the intersection

India-West News Desk FREMONT, CA – MILANA, an experimental performance blending Kathak dance, Indian classical music, and jazz, premieres on March 15, 2025, at Jackson Theater, Ohlone College. The production features Kathak artist Labonee Mohanta, percussionist Rohan Krishnamurthy, jazz pianist Colin Hogan, and

Photo: Indian Ink Theatre Company India-West Staff Reporter MILL VALLEY, CA - Marin Theatre Company will stage Mrs. Krishnan’s Party, an immersive play that brings the Southern Indian harvest festival of Onam to life, from March 19-30. Set in the back room of

India-West News Desk TALLAHASSEE, FL- Indian American author Sita Singh has been awarded the Gold Medal in the Young Children’s Literature category at the 2024 Florida Book Awards for her picture book Mango Memories. The recognition highlights Singh’s commitment to storytelling that

NEW DELHI (ANI) - Bangabandhu, Bangladesh and Britain explores the pivotal life of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the founding father of Bangladesh, and the nation's journey to independence. Co-authored by Abu Syed and Priyajit Debsarkar, the book delves into key historical events, including the

India-West News Desk NEW DELHI - A book addressing farmer suicides and the struggles of women farmers in rural India was a key feature at the ongoing World Book Fair. Widows of Vidarbha, authored by journalist Kota Neelima and published by Oxford University Press, delves into the agrarian crisis in

Photos: Nicholas Lea Bruno India-West Staff Reporter SEATTLE, WA - The Seattle Asian Art Museum will present Suchitra Mattai: She Walked in Reverse and Found Their Songs from April 9 to July 20, marking the artist’s debut solo exhibition in Seattle. Featuring immersive sculptural textile

JAIPUR, (ANI) - Actress Huma Qureshi made her debut as an author with the launch of her novel Zeba: An Accidental Superhero at the Jaipur Literature Festival on February 2. Sharing her journey of writing the book, Huma revealed that the story was

JAIPUR, (ANI)  - Rajya Sabha MP Sudha Murthy and her daughter, Akshata Murthy, engaged in a candid discussion on work-life balance, childcare, and cultural values at the Jaipur Literature Festival’s session titled My Mother, Myself. Former British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Infosys

JAIPUR (ANI) – Author Abhay K’s latest book, Nalanda: How It Changed the World, was launched at the Jaipur Literature Festival by historian William Dalrymple, Professor Shailendra Raj Mehta, and author-historian Narayani Basu. The book delves into the history of Nalanda Mahavihara,

India-West News Desk JAIPUR - At the 2025 Jaipur Literature Festival (JLF), celebrated lyricist, screenwriter, and poet Javed Akhtar unveiled his latest book, Gyan Seepiyan: Pearls of Wisdom. During a session, he shared insights on language, education, and cultural heritage, emphasizing the need to

The Literature Times has unveiled its list of the Top 10 Influencing Authors of 2024, spotlighting individuals whose works have significantly shaped contemporary literature and inspired readers worldwide. Swapna AbrahamSinger-songwriter, author, and world record holder Swapna Abraham is celebrated for her

India-West News Desk JAIPUR, (ANI)- The 18th edition of the Jaipur Literature Festival (JLF) will return from January 30 to February 3, promising an exciting lineup of events, speakers, and themes. Sanjoy K Roy, Managing Director of Teamwork Arts, shared details

KOZHIKODE, (ANI)- The eighth Kerala Literature Festival to be held from January 23 to 26 on the beaches of Kozhikode, will feature over 500 speakers from 15 countries and an expected audience of more than 600,000. It is organized by the

India-West Staff Reporter Safe Harbor by Padma Venkatraman, Nancy Paulsen Books, 176 pages, $17.99 Padma Venkatraman, the acclaimed author behind The Bridge Home and Born Behind Bars, is set to release her sixth novel, Safe Harbor, on January 21. This novel-in-verse, aimed at middle-grade readers, weaves together

By Suvir Saran There is an arc to creativity – a curve that begins in the quietest corners of our being, sometimes unnoticed, sometimes fragile, and carries us through life. This meandering path, woven with moments of discovery, loss, rediscovery, and

Indian Genius: The Meteoric Rise of Indians in America by Meenakshi Ahamed, Harper Collins, 346 pages, $40 Meenakshi Ahamed’s book, Indian Genius: The Meteoric Rise of Indians in America, set to be published on March 4, explores the remarkable transformation of

MUMBAI, (ANI)  - Pritish Nandy who passed away on January 8, at age 73, was an influential Indian poet, painter, journalist, parliamentarian, media personality, animal rights activist, and film and television producer. He was the author of forty poetry books

Photo:Timothy Norris for The Music Center via Lucypr.com By Fatema Baldiwala LOS ANGELES, CA – The 65th Annual LA County Holiday Celebration at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion of The Music Center in downtown Los Angeles, held on December 24, was a cherished

The Satanic Verses by Salman Rushdie India-West News Desk NEW DELHI - Salman Rushdie’s controversial 1988 novel The Satanic Verses has made its way back to Indian bookshops, decades after being banned for sparking riots and outrage over its alleged blasphemy. The

KOZHIKODE (ANI) - MT Vasudevan Nair, a legendary figure in Malayalam literature, passed away on December 25 at the age of 91. His funeral was held the same, and he was cremated with full state honors at the Smrithipatham Crematorium in