India’s most beloved storyteller, Neelesh Misra releases his first collection of poems, ‘Main Aksar Sochta Hoon’, published by Westland Books in collaboration with Gaon Connection Pvt. Ltd.
New Delhi: Westland Books is pleased to announce the release of a new book of poems, Main Aksar Sochta Hoon, by popular storyteller, songwriter and co-founder of India’s first rural newspaper Gaon Connection, Neelesh Misra. The book will be published by Westland Book’s language imprint Eka, in partnership with Slow Imprint, an initiative by the Slow Movement conceptualised by Misra.
This also marks the launch of the Slow Imprint, which will feature four more titles later this month, selected and presented by Neelesh Misra. These include Gaanv Se Bees Postcard by Shiv Balak Misra, Junglee Phoolon Si Ladki by Anulata Raj Nair, Kaaljayi: Kahaniyan Vedon Puranon Se by Chhavi Nigam, Vrishali Jain, Shikha Dwivedi and Anulata Raj Nair, and Magic Box
by Anulata Raj Nair, Deepak Hira Ranganath, Anita Sethi and Deeksha Chaudhary.
What makes this publication an important literary event is that Misra will be releasing his poems in a book form for the first time. The collection will be available this November across online and offline bookstores.
An additional feature of the book is the QR code on its cover, which will take the readers to a library of recordings featuring his free verse, ghazals and songs.
Neelesh Misra, writer, storyteller, and lyricist said, “We have had the opportunity to serve millions of people with audio stories over the past decade and more. Listeners have often urged us to launch books as well. It is an absolute delight, therefore, that we are stepping into publishing by launching the Slow Imprint with Westland Books in order to present storytelling in a new avatar, through a series of books for all age groups, and on a multitude of themes. I am looking forward to being both an author, and a reader, of the Slow Imprint.”
Minakshi Thakur, Publisher, Indian Literature, Westland Books said, “At Westland Books, we constantly endeavour to introduce our readers to diverse voices and works from the languages. Westland being a pan-Indian publisher is delighted to be partnering with Neelesh Misra and his team
of writers who have a finger on the pulse of a large listener-base. They have been honing the art of storytelling for the radio and other audio platforms for a long time. In the coming months, as we publish Hindi books in all genres, for children and adults, with Slow Imprint, and then expanding the scope of this imprint, titles in English too will be made available to a wide readership.”
About the Book
Neelesh Misra’s poetry explores themes like love, nostalgia, lives in cities, the search for one’s roots and a sense of belonging, and modern-day anxieties. Though he has been writing songs for over a decade, this is the very first time that his poetry will appear in the form of a book.
This collection features free verse, ghazals, and songs, some of which Misra has recorded in his own voice. A QR Code on the cover of the book will lead the readers to the recordings.
About the Author
Starting out as journalist, Neelesh Misra covered conflict and insurgency for two decades, traveling deep into Kashmir, Naxalite-dominated areas of central and eastern India, and the north-east. He received the Ramnath Goenka Award for Excellence in Journalism and the K.C. Kulish Memorial Award in the year 2009. He has written five books, including The Absent State (2010), which he co-wrote with Rahul Pandita, 173 Hours in Captivity and End of the Line: The Story of the Killing of the Royals in Nepal.
Neelesh started his career as a Bollywood lyricist while researching for a book in Mumbai. His debut song for Jism (2003) was followed by immensely popular songs like, Kya Mujhe Pyaar Hai, for Woh Lamhe (2006). He wrote over twenty songs in fifteen films. In 2012, he co-wrote the screenplay for Ek Tha Tiger, starring Salman Khan, along with Kabir Khan. His widely loved radio show, Yadoon Ka Idiotbox on BIG FM 92.7 revived the art of oral storytelling in India. He also hosted The Neelesh Misra Show on 93.5 RED FM. In late 2012, he, along with Karan Dalal, started India’s first rural newspaper, Gaon Connection. Since 2018, he’s been hosting a long format interview show, Slow Interview With Neelesh Misra, in a rural setting. The people interviewed include Manoj Bajpayee, Pankaj Tripathi, Sanjay Mishra, Ayushman Khurrana, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Kumar Vishwas, Anubhav Singh Bassi, Vikas Divyakirti, Chef Ranveer Brar, Gaur Gopal Das, among others.
Gaanv Se Bees Postcard
Shiv Balak Misra
About the Book
20 ESSAYS ON THE VILLAGES OF INDIA
Each essay in this collection has been written in the form of a postcard sent by the author, Shiv Balak Misra, who left city life and his high-profile job as a geologist to move back to his village in UP and start a school with his wife. He has seen the villages of India change in the last five decades and writes about it in a way that will give the urban reader interesting insights into cultures, societal structures, aspirations of the rural youth, challenges of the past and present, and achievements that they are largely unfamiliar with. They will see an India which is very different from the spaces they occupy and is ever changing.
About the Author
Dr Shiv Balak Misra was born in a small village in Uttar Pradesh in 1939. He is a well-known geologist, author and social worker. In 1967, Dr Misra played a vital role in finding the fossils of ‘Ediacaran fauna’, which is being used to study the origin of life on earth. The area where Dr Misra found the fossils was conserved and named ‘Mistaken Point Ecological Reserve’ in 1984 and was declared World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2016. In 2007, the Ediacaran fossil was named after Dr Misra as ‘Fractofusus Misrai. In 1969, Dr Misra left his job as a geologist in Canada to open a school in his village.
Junglee Phoolon Si Ladki
Anulata Raj Nair
About the Book
HEART-WARMING, MODERN LOVE STORIES CENTRED AROUND WOMEN.
Junglee Phoolon Si Ladki is a collection of love stories written by Anulata Raj Nair. It is being presented by storyteller Neelesh Misra’s imprint, the Slow Imprint, a co-publication arrangement with Westland Books. Neelesh is followed by 174.9k people on X (formerly Twitter).
About the Author
Anulata Raj Nair is a writer and Creative Head of Slow Content Pvt. Ltd owned by Neelesh Misra. She became part of Misra’s Storytellers ‘Mandali’ in 2014 and has written over 350 stories for various highly-rated radio shows, like Yaad Sheher and Yaadon Ka Idiot Box, hosted by him. She leads the Mandali now and is a mentor to many upcoming writers, Anulata also runs the ‘Slow Masterclass’ started by the Neelesh Misra Creativity School.
She has produced shows like Yaadon Ka Idiot Box on 92.7 Big FM, and Yoddha, Bhootkaal and Qisse Lockdown for Audible. She has also written stories like Qisson Ka Kona, Kahani Express and Time Machine for a well know platform called Jio Sawan.
Her published works comprise a collection poems, Ishq Tumhein Ho Jayega and children books, Chakori Nani and Rangbirangi Topi. Her cover stories, poems and book reviews have been widely published in national publications.
Anulata is a reviewer and a podcaster. Her podcast of book reviews, Panne Khan, appears on Slow App and Audible. Her show Kitabein is broadcast every Friday on Big FM.
Kaaljayi: Kahaniyan Vedon Puranon Se
Chhavi Nigam, Vrishali Jain, Shikha Dwivedi and Anulata Raj Nair
About the Book
UNKNOWN TALES FROM THE VEDAS AND THE PURANAS.
This fascinating collection puts the spotlight on lesser-known stories from the Vedas and the Puranas. They flesh out episodes featuring characters like Sati Anusuya, Yayati, Narad Muni and King Uttanapada and Queen Suneethi’s son Dhruv, mentioned in the Vishhu Purana, whom Lord Vishnu places in the sky and names Dhruv Tara, and Brihannala, Arjuna in the disguise of a eunuch. It also includes some previously unheard-of tales from the Ramayan and Mahabharat.
Written in contemporary, accessible language, these stories are meant to spark an interest in India’s rich and enduring tradition of storytelling.
About the Author
Born on 2 September in Aligarh, Dr. Chhavi Nigam has completed her PhD in Political Science and at present she is working as an Assistant Professor in a college in Lucknow. She is actively involved in social work and has been felicitated and awarded for it. Apart from being a member in Neelesh Misra’s Mandali she has written over 500 stories, poems, short-stories, Haiku etc. Her works are regularly being broadcasted and published.
Shikha Dwivedi works as content quality lead in a multinational company. She likes reading, writing and exploring new places. Her stories and articles have been published in many magazines.
Vrishali Jain is from Kanpur and pursued journalism from IIMC. She has written many stories for radio. At present she works for ‘SBS Hindi’ in Sydney.
Anulata Raj Nair is a writer and Creative Head of Slow Content Pvt. Ltd owned by Neelesh Misra. She became part of Misra’s Storytellers ‘Mandali’ in 2014 and has written over 350 stories for various highly-rated radio shows, like Yaad Sheher and Yaadon Ka Idiot Box, hosted by him. She has produced shows like Yaadon Ka Idiot Box on 92.7 Big FM, and Yoddha, Bhootkaal and Qisse Lockdown for Audible. She has also written stories like Qisson Ka Kona, Kahani Express and Time Machine for a well know platform called Jio Sawan. Her published works include a collection of poems, Ishq Tumhein Ho Jayega and two books for children, Chakori Nani and Rangbirangi Topi. Her show Kitabein is broadcast every Friday on Big FM.