When Sunil is sent to stay with his Uncle Vish, he doesn’t know quite what to expect. All he knows is that it’s a long way from the city to the jungles of Madhya Pradesh, and that his Uncle’s job is to protect the tigers that live there. Befriended by a little Adivasi girl called Jungu, Sunil soon has to face some tough questions. If the tigers are to survive, then the people must be moved out of the forest. But what will happen to Jungu and all the other Baiga villagers? Don’t they have a right to be there? And meanwhile, there’s a very real, very dangerous gang of poachers to be caught. Vithal Rajan’s delightful tale of an unusual friendship between a city boy and an Adivasi girl introduces children to the magical world of the Baigas, teaching them tolerance, respect and the importance of protecting the natural environment. Published by Zubaan.

Escapades of self-serving do-gooders, national leaders, babus, and other frauds, Indian and International.

This endearing, witty, self-deprecating memoir documents the life of one of the leading feminists of the contemporary Indian women’s movement. Vina Mazumdar, one of the key researchers and writers of the landmark report of the Committee on the Status of Women in India, Towards Equality, here documents her early life, her gradual politicisation in a household of liberal, educated Bengalis, and her involvement in women’s issues and the women’s movement. Brought up to be outspoken and frank, Vinadi, as she is affectionately known, began by becoming involved in university-level politics in Calcutta. Marriage and a young family did not prevent her from pursuing her studies and her career, in the teeth of considerable opposition from relatives but with constant support from her mother. On her return to India from Oxford, Vinadi first moved into the field of education, and then, with her involvement in the research and writing of Towards Equality, was catapulted into the women’s movement. An activist and institution builder, Vinadi set up the Centre for Women’s Development Studies in Delhi, one of the leading research and outreach institutions for women in the country. In this rare memoir, Vinadi provides a rich history of the contemporary women’s movement in India. Published by Zubaan.

A thick mist envelops an isolated house and a cottage atop a hill. Raseel, looks out from the window of her house and watches as the mist covers first the plants, then the trees and finally the cottage. Suddenly it parts, and three men come into view, furtive, quick. Then they’re gone. Minues later, Raseel hears the sound of shots. And then there is silence. The reader is pulled into Bijoya Sawian’s tense and dramatic story of the strange death of a dhkar, an outsider, in the beautiful hill town of Shillong in northeastern India. Why was he killed? Who are the killers? Are they known to the housekeeper and driver? As she begins to unravel this mystery, Raseel finds herself caught in a tale of intrigue and violence that mirrors the world of insurgency around her. In her lyrical, haunting prose, Bijoya Sawian paints a dark, threatening picture and shows how violence has tainted the very fabric of everyday life in a place that was once peaceful, untroubled and calm. “Shillong comes across as the hero of the story—the paradise that it once was and no longer. The author successfully captures the mood, the weather, the people, and the place... [Shadow Men] is unlike any other book I have read in a long time and you will love it too.” —Sonia Pressman Fuentes “In crisp, everyday conversations, the festering wounds of a splintered hill state are laid bare—the resentment brewing between the Khasis and the Garos, the downside of the traditional matrilineal system, the disconnect with mainstream India, crippling unemployment, drug and alcohol addiction, corrupt politicians, you get it all.” —Assam Tribune Published by Zubaan.

Rishabh the rat and Shashee the spider are quite happy with the way they are: rummaging around in Venkat Thatha’s wonderful, musty, dusty, rare herbs shop. Until, that is, they stumble upon a magical powder and find themselves transformed into human children. It’s not easy being a kid: there’s school, and homework, wearing clothes and—yuk!—having to use soap... but even worse, their very home and the entire city are under threat from an evil moneylender and property dealer known as the Shark. With the help of other children, friendly cockroaches, cheeky mosquitoes, and a very Big Bandicoot, they set out to prove that no problem is too big even for the smallest of creatures. “Riddle of the Seventh Stone [is] a unique take on ordinary events and creatures that we take so much for granted; things that get extraordinary in Sahu’s gifted hands.” —Shreekumar Varma “Monideepa Sahu’s delightful debut book should be prescribed reading for all school age children. I for one have decided to put it firmly on my list of gifts to keep in stock, and am eagerly looking forward to her next!”—Saffron Tree “...a fun read, even for this adult reader, so I’m sure children would thoroughly enjoy the creepy bits as well as the Indian setting. What a welcome change!” —Hasmita Chanda Published by Zubaan.

As if being the new kids isn’t enough, Padma and Kannagi Shankar quickly find that New Dawn High School isn’t exactly a regular school. They have weird subjects like ‘Pot of Gold’ and ‘Maths and Beauty’ and some of their classes are taught by students! But it’s more strange than bad, and the sisters start to enjoy themselves and make new friends – until a discovery in the library and a few unpleasant encounters lead them to question their presence at the school in the first place. With their parents far away, and their Thatha not being the easiest person to talk to, the girls are forced to find solutions of their own – but will they work, or will the bullies win?