Islands in the stream is my first paperback that is a compilation of a few selected poems. This book is divided into two sections and contains 48 poems in total. The first part is titled ‘nature’s rhapsody’ and it contains poems that sing odes to nature in its many forms. The last two poems of this section pay homage to the peace that descended once the streets went silent due to the pandemic (covid-19). The second section is titled ‘Life’s foibles’ and represents life, its desires, its follies and human nature.

Today, the situation demands that we maintain a sanitized, disinfected environment at home and around us. Believe me when I say that I spend a small fortune, literally thousands of rupees, on sanitization products. And, I am quite fanatical about disinfecting the house and the passage outside the house. People, …

I am obsessed with cleanliness. You will understand the extent as you read this blog, I mop and disinfect my floors at least twice a day. Those who know me would vouch for the fact that my house is always neat and sparkling clean. I am propelled by my motherly …

Written in a reflective tone, ‘Our moon has blood clots – a memoir of a lost home in Kashmir’ is a gut-wrenching chronicle of the events that led to the slaughter of hundreds of Pandits in the Kashmir Valley in barbaric events that unfolded after 1990. Driven out of their ancestral homes and lands and not welcomed warmly by any other countrymen, this is the story of those of ‘nobody’s people’ (page 89).

From the poem ‘Sands of Time’ //They trickled slowly down the funnel, no sound of bells or chime, quietly, through the glass tunnel ran out the sands of time. The mighty mountain stood its ground, foreboding, all alone. The waves would all come and pound their fists onto its stones….//

Between the pages of this book are lovingly cradled a plethora of emotions. As you read, Nisha takes you through pages that invite you to enjoy nature and its elements and gently nudge you to sit, relax and introspect about yourself, about those around you and about life. However, the shift in mood in the book is not sudden. Like a day bright with sunshine and warmth gently sighs into the embrace of the cool, bedecked night; Nisha’s poems lead you down the path of self-discovery and love. Each nugget is presented with such transparent candour that you cannot miss their relevance to your life.

How does a woman become a mother? Is it by giving birth to a child? Or, can a woman become a mother y adopting, fostering and loving a child birthed by another? Dr Vithal Venkatesh Kamat said – A child gives birth to a mother. So, perhaps it would be …

Suhail Mathur is an award winning and bestselling author of the historical-mythological fiction, THE BHAIRAV PUTRAS and the mythological-fantasy, THE HUNT FOR RAMA’S BOW, a TedX speaker, and is one of the country’s premier literary agents via his agency, THE BOOK BAKERS, through which he has worked on more than 700 books.

Tête-à-tête with Penmancy on introducing, nurturing and publishing new literary talent – 9.5.21 Link to YouTube session – https://youtu.be/6s8M_dXVy5A Link to Facebook session – https://fb.watch/5sp63YPc12/ The advent of the digital age has made it possible for fledgling writers to join various literary platforms online and get in the much-needed practice …

Even though the suspense unfolds early in the book, it is a story backed by some wonderful research and crisp writing. For that alone, I recommend it.