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The View from Here: Stories and Poems of Many Indias
‘The erudite Kannada scholar and critic D. R. Nagaraj wrote, “To read fiction is to know the fate of a society through its metaphors. But quite often literature
consciously takes upon itself the responsibility of exploring the state and fate of this society…” This is precisely what the stories in this collection they
may speak of past and present, but really it is the future—that we fear and dream of and hope for—that we want to speak and hear about. And these stories we share, most through the gift of translation, live through their metaphors; the metaphors the writers and translators hold in their hands like blessings—or timely curses…’
Githa Hariharan, from her Introduction, ‘At the Pace of a Thousand Storms’
‘Can poetry be political? … The poems in this anthology tell us without doubt or “Yes, poetically political if not politically political.” And as we
finish reading these poems, we realize that politics and poetry, in their real spirit, are two ways of telling the truth, and have been engaged—and continue
to engage—in an endless conversation.’
K. Satchidanandan, from his Introduction, ‘Poetically Political’
During the seven years of its existence, from 2015 to 2022, the multilingual journal of culture Guftugu resolutely asserted India's diversity against the attempt to force fit the country into a single mould. Selected from the twenty-two published issues of Guftugu, The View from Here arms us with prose and verse that bear powerful witness to the many Indias, past and present. Twenty stunning stories and more than fifty memorable poems are, together, unflinching in their insistence on diversity, dissent and, most of all, equality.
consciously takes upon itself the responsibility of exploring the state and fate of this society…” This is precisely what the stories in this collection they
may speak of past and present, but really it is the future—that we fear and dream of and hope for—that we want to speak and hear about. And these stories we share, most through the gift of translation, live through their metaphors; the metaphors the writers and translators hold in their hands like blessings—or timely curses…’
Githa Hariharan, from her Introduction, ‘At the Pace of a Thousand Storms’
‘Can poetry be political? … The poems in this anthology tell us without doubt or “Yes, poetically political if not politically political.” And as we
finish reading these poems, we realize that politics and poetry, in their real spirit, are two ways of telling the truth, and have been engaged—and continue
to engage—in an endless conversation.’
K. Satchidanandan, from his Introduction, ‘Poetically Political’
During the seven years of its existence, from 2015 to 2022, the multilingual journal of culture Guftugu resolutely asserted India's diversity against the attempt to force fit the country into a single mould. Selected from the twenty-two published issues of Guftugu, The View from Here arms us with prose and verse that bear powerful witness to the many Indias, past and present. Twenty stunning stories and more than fifty memorable poems are, together, unflinching in their insistence on diversity, dissent and, most of all, equality.
458 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 12, 2026
About the author
Githa Hariharan
24 books20 followersHariharan was born in Coimbatore and grew up in Bombay and Manila. She obtained a BA (in English) from Bombay University and a MA (in Communications) from Fairfield University (U.S.A.).
Hariharan first worked in the Public Broadcasting System in New York and then with a publishing firm as an editor in India. She currently works as a freelance editor.
In her personal life, she, along with her husband, won the right to have the children named after her (instead of carrying the father's name); in this famous case argued by Indira Jaising, the Supreme Court agreed that the mother was also a "natural guardian" of the child.Template:AIR 1999, 2. SCC 228
Hariharan first worked in the Public Broadcasting System in New York and then with a publishing firm as an editor in India. She currently works as a freelance editor.
In her personal life, she, along with her husband, won the right to have the children named after her (instead of carrying the father's name); in this famous case argued by Indira Jaising, the Supreme Court agreed that the mother was also a "natural guardian" of the child.Template:AIR 1999, 2. SCC 228
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
February 26, 2026
The View from Here, curated by Githa Hariharan and K. Satchidanandan, is far more than a standard literary anthology; it feels like a living, breathing archive of the Indian spirit.
Drawn from the archives of the journal 'Guftagu', this collection functions as a deliberate act of "creative resistance." By weaving together twenty short stories and over fifty poems translated from a rich tapestry of languages like Malayalam, Gujarati, Bengali, and Tamil the book refuses to let the Indian experience be defined by a single narrative. Instead, it presents a kaleidoscopic view of a country defined by its diversity, its dissent, and its relentless pursuit of equality in a rapidly changing world.
What I found most striking about this collection was the visceral emotional range it demands from the reader. There is a raw honesty in these pages that often "boils the blood," as it unflinchingly mirrors the greed and social frictions we often prefer to look away from.The poetry provides a necessary sanctuary a place where the language turns from a critique of the external world to a quiet exploration of the internal self.
Ultimately, my takeaway from this book is that literature is perhaps our most powerful tool for "knowing the fate of a society." The metaphors held within these stories and poems feel like a bridge between the future we fear and the one we hope to build. I loved that the book doesn't just offer stories for entertainment; it offers them as a form of social responsibility and truth-telling. It’s the kind of book you don’t just read once and shelf it’s a collection you return to piece by piece, savoring the translations and the "endless conversation" between politics and art.
It left me feeling challenged and its immensely thought provoking.
And seeing translated malayalam literature always brings a profound sense of joy and I felt deeply connected to my roots and this book is now going straight to my mom.
A huge thank you to @simonandschusterin and @githah54 , @koyamparambathsatchidanandan for sending me this book.💖
Drawn from the archives of the journal 'Guftagu', this collection functions as a deliberate act of "creative resistance." By weaving together twenty short stories and over fifty poems translated from a rich tapestry of languages like Malayalam, Gujarati, Bengali, and Tamil the book refuses to let the Indian experience be defined by a single narrative. Instead, it presents a kaleidoscopic view of a country defined by its diversity, its dissent, and its relentless pursuit of equality in a rapidly changing world.
What I found most striking about this collection was the visceral emotional range it demands from the reader. There is a raw honesty in these pages that often "boils the blood," as it unflinchingly mirrors the greed and social frictions we often prefer to look away from.The poetry provides a necessary sanctuary a place where the language turns from a critique of the external world to a quiet exploration of the internal self.
Ultimately, my takeaway from this book is that literature is perhaps our most powerful tool for "knowing the fate of a society." The metaphors held within these stories and poems feel like a bridge between the future we fear and the one we hope to build. I loved that the book doesn't just offer stories for entertainment; it offers them as a form of social responsibility and truth-telling. It’s the kind of book you don’t just read once and shelf it’s a collection you return to piece by piece, savoring the translations and the "endless conversation" between politics and art.
It left me feeling challenged and its immensely thought provoking.
And seeing translated malayalam literature always brings a profound sense of joy and I felt deeply connected to my roots and this book is now going straight to my mom.
A huge thank you to @simonandschusterin and @githah54 , @koyamparambathsatchidanandan for sending me this book.💖
Displaying 1 of 1 review