It is sometime in the first decade of the 20th century. The British Imperialists have been in India for over 150 years. However, life in the small village of Shahpur in undivided Punjab has remained largely unchanged. The menfolk look to the wealthy and worldly-wise Shahji and his benevolent younger brother Kashi for support and advice, while it is Shahji's wife's home and hearth that is the centre of all celebrations for the women. Local disputes, trade, politics, a trickling of news from the Lahore newspaper are all discussed every evening at the Shah's haveli. But as the Ghadar Movement gains momentum elsewhere in Punjab and in Bengal, bringing into focus the excesses of the British, the simple village of Shahpur cannot help looking at itself. The discontent has set in. Krishna Sobti's magnum opus, Zindaginama brilliantly captures the story of India through a village where people of both faiths coexisted peacefully, living off the land.

This Is Dr. Kumool Abbi`S Brilliant Analysis Of Krishna Sobti`S Zindaginama A Well Known Hindi Text With Socio-Cultural 20Th Century Punjab As Its Background. The Beautifully Articulated Text Comes Up With The Thesis That Every Social Cultural And Political Structure Is In Perpetual Dialectical Interaction With Its Anti-Structure. As A Result The Diachronic Movements Continuously Subvert The So Called Static Wholes.

This book is not intended to provide a list of the 100 ‘best’ books ever written and published by Punjabi authors. Given the sheer range of books written by Punjabi authors and the unpredictability of individual taste, any such definitive list is quite impossible. Secondly, the choice has been restricted to books that were written by them either in Punjabi, Hindi or Urdu but have been translated into English. Thus, personal choice restricted by availability has dictated this selection. The choice of books includes autobiographies, novels, short stories, poems, and plays. Research books, religious books, and books written originally in English have not been included. From the Introduction I am amazed at the scholarship, the passion and the love with which Paramjeet Singh has written this book. It will be a reference volume for all times. Nirupama Dutt Poet, Journalist & Translator Mr. Singh’s effort is commendable as he is making available some of the rarest of gems of Punjabi literature to the non-Punjabi readers. I congratulate Mr. Singh on putting together this selection and hope that non-Punjabi readers of this book would find new horizons of cultural experience opening up before them. Of course, for Punjabi readers, it may be yet another opportunity to experience a sense of genuine pride in their rich legacy of language, literature and culture. . Prof. Rana Nayar

This book engages with the life and works of the distinctive Hindi writer Krishna Sobti, known for making bold choices of themes in her writing. Also known for her extraordinary use of the Hindi language, she emerges as an embodiment of a counter archive. While presenting the author in the context of her times, this volume offers critical perspectives to define her position in the canon of modern Indian literature. Alongside important critical essays on her, the inclusion of excerpts from the translations of some major works by the author, such as Zindaginama, Mitro Marjani and Ai Ladki, greatly facilitate an understanding of her worldview and the contexts in which she wrote. Also included in this book are some of her reflections on the creative process that help in unfolding the complexities of her characters and her specific approach to the language of fiction. Writing in the times of significant political and cultural churnings, her fiction includes themes such as the Partition of the country and its aftermath, women and their sexuality, desire and violence, history and memory. Her writing subverted the dominant narratives of the times and de-historicised history. Her own essays and other critical writings demonstrate the way Krishna Sobti’s characters are abundantly polyphonic and seeped in social realities. They encapsulate the cultural milieu of their times and serve as a site of resistance to the dominant archive of power. Her interactions with her fellow Hindi writers such as Nirmal Verma and Krishan Baldev Vaid, as also her letters, her memoirs and the reminiscences of others, further enrich this volume and establish her unique voice. Part of the ‘Writer in Context’ Series, this book will be useful for scholars and researchers of Indian literature, English literature, postcolonial studies, cultural studies, gender studies, translation studies and Partition studies.

Here are 5 scintillating interviews that capture the magic and the mystery of the world of the contemporary Indian writer. U R Anantha Murthy, Bhupen Khakhar, Mahasweta Devi, Krishna Sobti and M T Vasudevan Nair offer insights into the art and craft of writing, share their hopes and fears and reveal that unique creative urge which makes their work what it is.

Ai Ladki is prose in poetry, the tale of an old woman awaiting death and musing about her life. Without any fear of the imminent death, she is eager to start all over. The book describes the life instinct, the undaunted will to live.