‘The Punch Magazine’s Anthology of New Writing: Select Short Stories by Women Writers’ edited by Shireen Quadri has received rare praise from critics and fans alike. The eclectic collection of short fiction penned by authors from across the globe published by Niyogi books has captured readers’ imagination with its sensitivity and depth of storytelling.
BLink caught up with Quadri, the founder and publisher of The Punch Magazine to learn more about the book and the challenges of publishing during the pandemic. Edited excerpts
What themes do the stories in the collection talk about? Who is your target readership?
We didn't give any topic to the authors since we didn't want to keep it restricted to any genre. As for the selection of stories, it was done by an internal jury that was kept confidential. Some anthologies at the international level are brought out like this, where the process is kept confidential to avoid chances of favoritism. It was quite a rigorous process because of the volume of the submissions.
The stories were read without revealing the name of the writers to keep them objective and transparent. We were looking for stories that would seize and surprise us with their ingenuity and depth. We were looking at good storytelling and a strong narrative voice.
We also factored in the 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.
The fact that the anthology turned out to be exclusively by women writers was quite incidental. These stories do not specifically talk about women's 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.
These are culturally rich and diverse stories. Our target readership is anyone between the age of 16 to 96, people who love to engage with good and entertaining stories.
Your anthology has writers from different parts of the world. What was it like to work with them? Is this anthology also a way to introduce new writers?
Since these are all stories by women, they are imbued with a distinctly female gaze, laced with several layers and dimensions. A woman's way of looking at the world and its associations can be, though it's not always necessary, different from men.
Women writers are inclined to react to or reflect upon social realities differently, with empathy and understanding. Reading these stories, you will get the sense that the narrative voice in each of them has a deep emotional core. Stories often spring from our 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. Though these stories are diverse — there is humour, mystery, drama, and suspense.
The writers whose stories have made the cut are Ameta Bal, Anila S K, Anjali Doney, Camilla Chester, Geetha Nair G, Helen Harris, Humra Quraishi, Jayshree Misra Tripathi, Latha Anantharaman, Meena Menon, Meher Pestonji, Rinita Banerjee, Rochelle Potkar, Sarah Robertson, Shilpa Raina, Tammy Armstrong, Vineetha Mokkil and Vrinda Baliga.
Do tell us how the idea for ‘The Punch Magazine Anthology of New Writing’ came about?
In 2019, The Punch Magazine invited short story submissions from writers across the globe. In about three months, we got an overwhelming response, with submissions coming in from not just from India but also from the UK, the US, Canada, Mexico, Russia, and Spain. We were quite astounded by the range and the volume of the stories.
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. I thought it would be a good idea to collaborate with an established publisher to bring out a print version.
Trisha Niyogi, COO at Niyogi Books, was the first one I discussed with the eclectic bunch of stories and soon we signed the contract and began working on the anthology. Just when we were about to begin work in earnest, the pandemic struck.
The subsequent lockdown threw things out of gear and the anthology's release got delayed. Early in 2021, we had hoped it would see the light of day sometime in the summer, but the devastating second wave pushed the release to late November.
The pandemic delayed the release of this book. What kept you going?
Things got delayed but we believed in these stories and wanted them to see the light of day. Niyogi books, too, were unwavering in their commitment to the book. Being from a publishing background, I am aware of the difficulties faced by trade publishers and empathised with them in this time of crisis... What the pandemic did was to leave us reflecting more on solitude.
Writing is a solitary act, too. You sit in a corner of someplace and bring worlds into being, worlds often removed from your culture or condition. What kept us going is the power of writing and the ability of words to limn our lives.
Do tell us about The Punch Magazine? How did you start and how has the journey been so far?
The Punch Magazine is a non-profit monthly digital magazine. It's an initiative by Punch Art and Culture Foundation that endeavours to promote literary, arts, and cultural traditions around the world.
There's a huge representation gap in our creative sector vis-a-vis literature and culture and The Punch Magazine is trying to bridge that gap. The idea is to build a solid platform for the consistently booming creative industry and to chronicle developments in literature, arts, theatre, dance, music, heritage, etc.
We have been a launching pad for new voices and unheard voices. We blend them with the established ones. In addition to the in-depth essays, reviews, interviews, short fiction, narrative nonfiction, there is a vibrant section on poetry and short stories.
The magazine is designed to showcase the best writings from across the globe which include emerging, established, and experimental voices.
What do you look for in the short story as a genre?
The short story is a tricky genre, there's 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 concisely with no superfluous elements. It's also a form that's extremely challenging because one wrong note can throw the story off its course.
As a reader, what we look at in a short story is that it has to engage us, surprise us, shock us or just make us laugh. 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 short story anthology is a good way to bring diverse cultures and stories by different authors under one umbrella. It makes for an interesting read. Also, a lot of aspiring writers are taking to short stories.
Some of them are, of course, 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, 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.
What do you plan to work on next?
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. Looking at the good response to this anthology, we’re planning to work on more such collections in the future.
About the book:
The Punch Magazine’s Anthology of New Writing: Select Short Stories by Women Writers
Edited and Introduced by: Shireen Quadri
Publisher: Niyogi Books
Pages: 192
Price: ₹395