Storizen Magazine June 2023 | Balli Kaur Jaswal

Storizen Magazine June 2023 | Balli Kaur Jaswal
Author: Pria Raiyani
Publisher: Storizen Media
Total Pages: 50
Release: 2023-06-20
Genre: Fiction
ISBN:

"In order to love who you are, you cannot hate the experiences that shaped you." - Andrea Dykstra Welcome to the June issue of Storizen, where we dive into the invigorating theme of "Self Care: Taking care of yourself." In a world that never stops, it's crucial to pause, prioritize our well-being, and embrace the transformative power of self-care. We are filled with euphoria to share that our cover story, "Society Unveiled: Now You See Us" featuring the brilliant author Balli Kaur Jaswal, uncovers the society we live in. Check out the exclusive feature inside! A lot has changed in Kashmir after Article 370 has been removed. We discuss the situation and consequences with the journalist and author of the book, "A Dismantled State," Anuradha Bhasin. Check it out! We got an opportunity to have a candid conversation with Shevlin Sebastian, author of the True Crime book, "The Stolen Necklace," published by HarperCollins India. Check out the interview inside! We extend heartfelt gratitude to our exceptional contributors for enriching the literary landscape, and to our readers for their unwavering support. Your enthusiasm fuels our commitment to deliver meaningful content that resonates with you. Happy Reading! Storizen Magazine June 2023 issue is live now!

The Unlikely Adventures of the Shergill Sisters

The Unlikely Adventures of the Shergill Sisters
Author: Balli Kaur Jaswal
Publisher: HarperCollins
Total Pages: 377
Release: 2019-04-30
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 0062645161

The author of the Reese Witherspoon Book Club selection Erotic Stories for Punjabi Widows follows her acclaimed America debut with this life-affirming, witty family drama—an Indian This Is Where I Leave You—about three Punjabi sisters embarking on a pilgrimage to their homeland to lay their mother to rest. The British-born Punjabi Shergill sisters—Rajni, Jezmeen, and Shirina—were never close and barely got along growing up, and now as adults, have grown even further apart. Rajni, a school principal is a stickler for order. Jezmeen, a thirty-year-old struggling actress, fears her big break may never come. Shirina, the peacemaking "good" sister married into wealth and enjoys a picture-perfect life. On her deathbed, their mother voices one last wish: that her daughters will make a pilgrimage together to the Golden Temple in Amritsar to carry out her final rites. After a trip to India with her mother long ago, Rajni vowed never to return. But she’s always been a dutiful daughter, and cannot, even now, refuse her mother’s request. Jezmeen has just been publicly fired from her television job, so the trip to India is a welcome break to help her pick up the pieces of her broken career. Shirina’s in-laws are pushing her to make a pivotal decision about her married life; time away will help her decide whether to meekly obey, or to bravely stand up for herself for the first time. Arriving in India, these sisters will make unexpected discoveries about themselves, their mother, and their lives—and learn the real story behind the trip Rajni took with their Mother long ago—a momentous journey that resulted in Mum never being able to return to India again. The Unlikely Adventures of the Shergill Sisters is a female take on the Indian travel narrative. "I was curious about how different the trip would be if it were undertaken by women, who are vulnerable to different dangers in a male-dominated society," Balli Kaur Jaswal writes. "I also wanted to explore the tensions between tradition and modernity in immigrant communities, and particularly how those tensions play out among women like these sisters, who are the first generation to be raised outside of India." Powerful, emotionally evocative, and wonderfully atmospheric, The Unlikely Adventures of the Shergill Sisters is a charming and thoughtful story that illuminates the bonds of family, sisterhood, and heritage that tether us despite our differences. Funny and heartbreaking, it is a reminder of the truly important things we must treasure in our lives.

Sugarbread

Sugarbread
Author: Balli Kaur Jaswal
Publisher: Epigram Books
Total Pages: 274
Release: 2016
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 9814757314

Pin must not become like her mother, but nobody will tell her why. She seeks clues in Ma’s cooking when she’s not fighting other battles—being a bursary girl at an elite school and facing racial taunts from the bus uncle. Then her meddlesome grandmother moves in, installing a portrait of a watchful Sikh guru and a new set of house rules. Old secrets begin to surface but can Pin handle learning the truth? Reader Reviews: “This novel is sensitively written, and raises important issues subtly: racism and racialisation; religiosity and its relation to identity; patriarchal values; class; and the intersection of Christianity and capitalism in the wonderful speech about 'spiritual bank accounts'. All the characters have depth and complexity and the two layers of the narrative (the experiences of Pin and of her mother Jini) are skilfully blended. There are some beautiful descriptive passages, and I like the way in which metaphors are used sparingly, but to good effect.” —Philip Holden, editor of Writing Singapore and Epigram Books Fiction Prize 2015 judge “Pin is an earnest and enchanting child, through whose curious and clear-sighted eyes we see family life and complications and childhood cliques and racism. But this entertaining book also has touching insights into love, hope and wisdom, and characters that will stay with you long after you finish it.” —Ovidia Yu, author of Aunty Lee’s Chilled Revenge “This is the most glorious mic drop moment in Singaporean Literature. Sugarbread is such a tender and powerful response to the many celebrated voices in Singapore that represent minority experiences through tokenism or ignore them altogether. Balli Kaur Jaswal has made me feel like my ten-year-old self could be someone’s protagonist, like my skin belongs in the pages of books in my country. She’s turned the mirrors on Singapore and our conversations about identity in a spectacular fashion. Her prose is delicate, precise and aching. Her storytelling lingers with you for days. This novel is triumphant and absolutely essential reading for anyone who cares about living in this city.” —Pooja Nansi, author of Love is an Empty Barstool

The Swastika Killer

The Swastika Killer
Author: Mahendra Jakhar
Publisher:
Total Pages: 485
Release: 2017
Genre: Detective and mystery stories, Indic (English)
ISBN: 9789385152900

Erotic Stories for Punjabi Widows

Erotic Stories for Punjabi Widows
Author: Balli Kaur Jaswal
Publisher: HarperCollins
Total Pages: 381
Release: 2017-06-13
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 0062645137

Reese Witherspoon’s Book Club Pick A lively, sexy, and thought-provoking East-meets-West story about community, friendship, and women’s lives at all ages—a spicy and alluring mix of Together Tea and Calendar Girls. Every woman has a secret life . . . Nikki lives in cosmopolitan West London, where she tends bar at the local pub. The daughter of Indian immigrants, she’s spent most of her twenty-odd years distancing herself from the traditional Sikh community of her childhood, preferring a more independent (that is, Western) life. When her father’s death leaves the family financially strapped, Nikki, a law school dropout, impulsively takes a job teaching a "creative writing" course at the community center in the beating heart of London’s close-knit Punjabi community. Because of a miscommunication, the proper Sikh widows who show up are expecting to learn basic English literacy, not the art of short-story writing. When one of the widows finds a book of sexy stories in English and shares it with the class, Nikki realizes that beneath their white dupattas, her students have a wealth of fantasies and memories. Eager to liberate these modest women, she teaches them how to express their untold stories, unleashing creativity of the most unexpected—and exciting—kind. As more women are drawn to the class, Nikki warns her students to keep their work secret from the Brotherhood, a group of highly conservative young men who have appointed themselves the community’s "moral police." But when the widows’ gossip offers shocking insights into the death of a young wife—a modern woman like Nikki—and some of the class erotica is shared among friends, it sparks a scandal that threatens them all.

7 Divine Laws to Awaken Your Best Self

7 Divine Laws to Awaken Your Best Self
Author: Swami Mukundananda
Publisher: Harper Collins
Total Pages: 226
Release: 2020-12-30
Genre: Self-Help
ISBN: 9390327091

'Just as heat is inherent in fire, so is our desire to become better.' Why are personal growth and life transformation so difficult? Does Creation wish that we fail? Of course not! The purpose behind the Universe's grand design is to make us succeed. Our own unawareness of the laws of the Universe creates the impediment. Just as physical phenomena are regulated by laws, there are spiritual principles governing the journey of life as well. Knowledge of them helps us understand why success comes so easily to some but remains a struggle for others; why some are still putting on their shoes, while others have finished the race. The beauty is that, like the physical laws of nature, the divine principles governing happiness and fulfilment in life are also eternally valid. In this book, Swami Mukundananda explains the 7 divine laws in an easily graspable manner. With knowledge of the Vedic scriptures and witty anecdotes that everyone can relate to, this book will empower you to become the best version of yourself.

Resurgent India

Resurgent India
Author: Bimal Jalan
Publisher: Harper Collins
Total Pages: 240
Release: 2019-07-20
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 9353570220

Resurgent India, a sequel to Dr Bimal Jalan's book Emerging India (2012) looks ahead and analyses what needs to be done in light of the significant advances made in politics and governance in one of the fastest-growing developing countries in the global economy. Since 2014, the political profile of the government has changed dramatically. The new government elected in 2019 - either with a full majority or a coalition of parties - will hopefully be in a position to launch significant political reforms. Resurgent India identifies the key priorities that can - and should - be implemented by the new government in national interest, irrespective of the political agenda of the party (or parties) that come to power.

Storizen Magazine December 2020 | Anubhav Agrawal

Storizen Magazine December 2020 | Anubhav Agrawal
Author: Saurabh Chawla
Publisher: Storizen Media
Total Pages: 98
Release: 2020-12-20
Genre: Fiction
ISBN:

A lot has happened this year and with the winters already arrived, almost all are happy to bid adieu to 2020. As we love stories, we wanted you to open up and share your experiences with us. As the new writers are finding ways to get published and the transformation in the publishing industry, Storizen in association with HarperCollins Publishers brings you the debut author, poet, and social media influencer, Anubhav Agrawal. Do check out the feature story on Page 8. Book Lovers, we are listening! With the hottest new releases in the market, we have also added a new section to cheer you all up! Yes, we have included Book Excerpts for you to dive deep into the world of books! Besides this, we have something awesome for you. We are now a 30K+ strong family on FB! We would like to thank you for your continuous support and belief in us. With lovely stories and poetry for you to explore, we are sure that you will love reading this issue again and again.

Fate or Destiny

Fate or Destiny
Author: Arthy S L
Publisher: Notion Press
Total Pages: 183
Release: 2021-11-09
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 1685639968

Kavin, a tourist guide from Port Blair, Andaman, resides with his brother, Kiran. His obnoxious past leaves a deep scar leading to PTSD with Parasomnia and Aquaphobia. Though his days remain gloomy, he explores a whole new dimension at night due to his Parasomnia. A mysterious goat drives his fantasy world, steering him towards his destiny. While he tussles to recover from his past, he encounters four girls who flip over his life. Someone who has only endured brutal tyranny witnesses the bright side of humanity. The frozen emotions of a 23-year-old pessimistic, introverted boy come to life only to fail his one desire due to his lack of empathy. Kavin yearns for a second chance to mend his mistakes. But is it plausible? Will an altered past lead to a different future? Fate or Destiny? Let us read through the story to untangle the knots.