Short story by Jamie Alter: ‘It was an exciting thought, at once devious and thrilling. In his thirty-nine years in the postal service, Bisht had not once opened someone else’s mail. But suddenly, the notion of taking this mysterious package home made him tingle.’

Obama listens to Prateek Kuhad and DIVINE signs with Nas. What’s next? Ady Manral writes about how musicians and artists around India can contribute to the rapidly growing indie scene in the country. 

A short film from Mussoorie Writers, featuring Bill Aitken reading from his 1994 book, The Nanda Devi Affair

‘It is as if the book-eaters have seeped in through cracks and crannies, like succubae swarming up from the hellish bowels of the earth itself.’ - A short story by Rahul Kanvinde

Looking back at the ups and downs, and dangers and desperation, of the Lucknow rock scene - by Prateek Santram

Past and present, real and unreal, urban and rural, and life and death clash to present Mehsampur, Kabir Singh Chowdhary’s unforgettable film out of the Punjabi heartlands. A review by Karan Madhok

Interview: Rajat Ubhaykar, author of Truck De! India, speaks about humanising India’s truck-drivers, their contribution to the Indian economy, and the excitement and dangers of life on the road - by Kamakshi Ayyar

True Stories of excellence – Jamie Alter reviews She Dared: Women in Indian Sports by Abhishek Dubey and Sanjeeb Mukherjea

Jurish Nath writes about using theatre to shape the lives of children and young adults in Pune

A short film from Mussoorie Writers, featuring Stephen Alter reading from his 2016 novel, The Rataban Betrayal

Presenting: The Chakkar’s Top 10 favourite Hindi films of the 2010s - by Karan Madhok and Prateek Santram

“I feel a lot of things in the mountains, but gratitude is what I feel the most.” In his first ‘Pardesi Pahadi’ column, Zachary Conrad writes about an unforgettable hike for a glimpse of the majestic Nanda Devi