Golchakkar Series - The June panel of our virtual literary talk features Sharanya Manivannan, Varud Gupta, and Devapriya Roy: Graphic Narratives from India.

Survival in the pandemic continues to favour the powerful and privileged, while those in the margins face a scarcity and failure of the health care system. Aryan Somaiya and Sadaf Vidha confront this imbalance from a queer lens.

Photo Gallery: Images of a Kolkata left behind, as another Kolkata paces ahead. By Amal Shihabudeen

Now aiming to become a boxing world champion, 24-year-old Karthik Sathish spoke about the ins and outs of the sport, its growing popularity in India, his experiences in the ring, and more. By Akhila Damodadran

Narratives of pseudoscience and ‘alternative’ remedies have proven to be extremely harmful during the pandemic in India. With many refusing to take the vaccine, Shefali Saldanha argues that the worst may be yet to come.

‘I was overcome with fear and awe, witness to a power I could feel but couldn’t comprehend’. In another account of his adventures in the Garhwal Himalaya, Zachary Conrad recalls a treacherous trek to Sahastra Tal.

‘At a time when women have owned up to their narratives, are telling their stories, and forming solidarity, is it essential we enquire after male poets’ perspectives on feminism?’ Shamayita Sen discusses various aspects of the feminist struggle in her introduction to the collection Collegiality and Other Ballads: feminist poems by male and non-binary allies.

‘I missed the recklessness of youth and wanted to prove to myself that I could still test my limits—if only for a weekend.’ Unguided, unprepared, and unfazed, Karan Madhok recalls the horrors and hope from a fateful Himalayan trek to Nag Tibba.

In the crippling second wave of the pandemic, that pleasant Instagram reel is a distraction for some—and a privilege for others. Barkha Kumari dialled in the social media generation and mental health experts for their take on the dilemma of the public display of happiness.

Jhumpa Lahiri’s Whereabouts is a novel of contradictions and duality, straddling an oppressive loneliness and a contented solitude, reclusiveness and intimacy, emptiness and fulfilment. By Sohel Sarkar

Seema Pahwa’s directorial feature Ramprasad Ki Tehrvi is a realistic narrative in the face of death, peppered with grief, comedy, and epic performances by an ensemble cast. By Saurabh Sharma

‘Art starts with an idea… and eventually seems to have its own life and direction.’ Chintan Girish Modi recaps Shakti Maira’s life, art, and impact.