Debut Indian Writers Challenge
What is this | What is in this for you | What’s fun without rules | The contesting reviews | The WordMavericks | The Winners
The Tales Pensieve & Random House Publishers India celebrate the advent of Indian writing talent world over
It’s The Debut Indian Writers Month and hence these two beauties are up for the grabs for the readers!!
There will be 8 book reviews to answer from this month; answer one or all or any number of chosen ones and the best answer of the month gets these 2 books home delivered.
Be the Reader-Winner of May 2013 & win passage into the two wonderful tales of the past year!
Comment is all you have to do.
Just about a decade back, I would consciously never pick up a book by an Indian writer, to me those books were like the national award-winning films that were the Sunday afternoon entertainment on Doordarshan in the 90′s – deep but dark, long and boring – simply unfathomable!
Then, enters a generation of writers who caught the Indian reader by surprise by writing stories similar to the lives they were living and lo-and-behold – magic happened! We readers did not just read, we lapped it up. A crater of literary void was triggered open which demanded to be filled up.
Cut to book shopping today – When I walk into a Crosssword or Landmark, without contemplation or confusion I am headed towards the section – Indian Fiction/ Indian Books. The recommendations at these stores, the books of the month and topping the bestseller charts are works by Indian writers, in-fact most of the wishlist on Flipkart is also Indian now and nothing pleases this desi reader more 
Celebrating this ecstatic turnaround for Indian readers and writers alike, here at The Tales Pensieve, a challenge is up till the end of this year.
A challenge to read and review a minimum of one first time Indian writer every month. That writer also gets featured here as the ‘WordMaverick of the Month‘.
(Lekhak log/ publishers do not ‘the’ disappoint me, let a debut writer be born every month.)
What is in it for you?
Books and fun galore; while savoring some variety Indian writing.
The challenge for you is – BwP – Be word Philanthropic, give it back – while I read books and write reviews, you read and write too! Read the review on the blog (or the book) and write a comment under the review, answering the question accompanying the review.
The best answer every month wins a book from Random House Publishers India.
What is a challenge without roadblocks: Rules
1. The reviews that will be part of the challenge will be indicated likewise – Only reviews of books by debuting Indian writers are part of this challenge, though you are free to comment on other reviews too. I would love that; I would also love it, if you would like The Tales Pensieve page on FB
2. A valid competing comment for a month’s challenge would be any comment made from the date of posting of the book review to midnight (23:59 hours) of the last day of the month.
3. You are allowed only one comment per book review, though you are free to participate every month irrespective of earlier wins (or attempts).
4. For the challenge – ‘Every month’ means from the 1st to the 30th/ 31st of the month & ‘Indian writer’ means any writer who is of Indian origin, may or may not be based out of India.
5. In cases of more than one debut writer getting reviewed in the same month, I will pick the WordMaverick of the month based on my ratings and on how much I enjoyed the word-journey.
6. I reserve the right to decide the winner, the WordMaverick of the month or even discontinue the contest at my discretion.
So bookwormies Get. Set. Let. the creativity flow, fill the Pensieve, make the decisions tough for me.
Meanwhile don’t forget to spread the word and share.
2013
June Challenge: Love..Life..Kumbh | Closes June 30, 2013
DEBUT INDIAN WRITERS MONTH 2013 | May Challenge: 2012 Nights | Murder in Amaravati | Arjuna| The Karachi Deception | The Other Side of the Table | The Anza Deception| Arty Facts | The Secrets of the Dark | The Homing Pigeons | Closes May 31, 2013
April Challenge: Tantra | Closes April 30, 2013
March Challenge: Luwan of Brida | A Splash of Love | Closes March 31, 2013
February Challenge: Jack Patel’s Dubai Dreams | Closes February 28, 2013
January Challenge: The Stopover | Chasing Maya | Closed • January 31, 2013
2012
December Challenge: My Magical Palace | Once Upon the Tracks of Mumbai | Closed . December 31, 2012
November Challenge: Red Jihad | Toke | Closed • November 30, 2012
DEBUT INDIAN WRITERS MONTH 2012 | October Challenge: An Idiot, Placements and IntervYOU | Quarantine | Thundergod | Mumbaistan | Death in Mumbai | 3 Lives | The Shadow Throne | Untruly Yours | Boats on Land | Govinda | Closed • October 31, 2012
September Challenge: Prey by the Ganges | Closed • September 30, 2012
August Challenge: The Evolution of Gods | Closed • August 31, 2012
2013
April – Adi for Tantra | inKonversation
March – Sarang Mahajan for Luwan of Brida | inKonversation
February – P.G. Bhaskar for Jack Patel’s Dubai Dreams | inKonversation
January – Ram Prakash and Deepa Pinto for The Stopover | inKonversation
2012
December – Kunal Mukherjee for My Magical Palace | inKonversation
November – Jugal Mody for Toke | inKonversation
October’s Superstar WordMaverick – Janice Pariat for Boats on Land | inKonversation
September – Hemant Kumar for Prey by the Ganges | inKonversation
August – Dr. Ajay Kansal for The Evolution of Gods | inKonversation
2013
April – Surya | Facebook | Blog | Won a copy of Legacy by Sudha Menon
March – Priyanka Roy Banerjee | Facebook | Blog | Won a copy of Dozakhnama by Ravi Sankar Bal
February – Muhammad Ashik | Blog | Twitter| Facebook | Won a copy of Aerogrammes by Tania James
January – Balkha Parikh | Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Won a copy of Our Moon Has Blood Clots by Rahul Pandita
2012
December - Sapna Katti | Blog - dreamysap | Twitter | Facebook | Google+ | Won a copy of 55 by Chetan Chhatwal
November – Alpa | Blog – 1 More Page Please | Twitter | Facebook | Won a copy of Jana Bibi’s Excellent Fortunes by Betsy Woodman
October ‘s SuperWinner – Vinod George Joseph | Facebook | Blog | Won a copy of A Wanted Man by Lee Child & She Writes: A short story collection
September – Ronak Baj | @ronakbaj | Won Flipkart eGift Shopping Vouchers
Also see the other challenges on The Pensieve
12 Comments on “Debut Indian Writers Challenge”
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Dear Reshmy Pillai
I wish to convey my gratitude for the courtesy you have shown. You effort is timely, attractive and useful for both readers and authors. This is a Western recipe served for Indian readers.
Your writing is very impressive and I liked use of several words in your text e.g. WordMaverick. The blog asserts your writing talent. A stone idol already exists inside the crude stone, an artisan only chisel out the extra stone and bring out the idol. Similarly, you possess a hidden talent that need only small carving. Furthermore, I found that you have a good aesthetic sense and marketing skill as well.
I wish to volunteer some gift coupons in the form of copies of my book.
With best wishes
Ajay
Thank you much Dr. Kansal. You are too kind with your words and actions too
I will get in touch with you about the copies.
reshmy, we spent years together, how come we didn’t know what we had in common? books! You’re doing a good job, I keep following your posts. nice.
Guess corporates never let the lovable reader come out, its always the tough facade. Thank you mam, your words on this…..I just cannot explain how much they mean to me.
I have linked back my contest here.
http://manjulikapramod.wordpress.com/2012/11/08/write-a-small-aerogramme-win-a-book/
Yayy !! Thank you .. How do I connect with you for same ?
Please check your mail that you have listed on your blog. You have the details in there. Get in touch with me in case of any queries.
Oh !! It went in my spam folder !! Replying now…
Hey, I just have one doubt…….how exactly am I supposed to enter the contest?
Do you wish to enter as a reader or a reviewer?
As a reader
Just follow my reviews every month. Some of them are debut book reviews and they are accompanied by a question. Answer that and you stand a chance to win the book displayed for the month on this page. More details under – ‘What is in this for you’ & ‘What’s fun without rules’ tabs on this page.
Good luck!