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Appetite: New Writing from Goa | Contemporary Indian Short Stories, Poems and Essays Exploring Desire, Identity, Diaspora and Goan Culture
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
July 29, 2026
”Pride, greed, wrath, envy, lust, gluttony and sloth: all the seven deadly sins are here in Goa, plus many others the Bible could never have imagined; but also triumph and joy, and the eternal solaces of the human condition that only poetry and literature can lay bare.”
- Vivek Menezes in his introduction to Appetite: New Writing from Goa (Edited by Shivaranjana Rathore, Tino De Sa)
Appetite: New Writing from Goa can be imagined as a delectable literary feast. Through tasty slices, the readers feel closer to the sandy beaches, cashew feni and the picturesque Portuguese-style buildings. The book is a collaborative effort by Goa Writers — a writing group that comprises of writers, illustrators and artists.
We view the smallest state in India from different perspectives influenced by the time they spent in Goa. Anita Pinto reflects on her emotions while reading Vikram Seth's novel (The Golden Gate) written in verse. The short prose poem, gives a glimpse of Seth's time in Goa. Eulogy by Pragya Bhagat vividly describes how a hunger of stories was the fragile thread her protagonist held on to.
The thoughtfully curated anthology begins with the short story — Sorpotel (A Goan Pork Delicacy) by Clyde D'Souza that gives a glimpse into a stereotypical version of Goa. The Housewives of Assagao gives us a sneak peek into the lives of socialites — Rohini, Shalini, Anita and Lalita. The cuisines mentioned in the story act as a mirror to different cultural and social landscapes. The layered narratives reveal the complexities beneath Goa’s picturesque surface, offering readers a rich tapestry of its people, cultures, memories and evolving identities.
The complex characters in the stories feel pangs of hunger, a yearning to fulfill their intimate desires irrespective of whether they are sexually driven or not.
Overall, Appetite: New Writing from Goa doesn't try to defy the typecasting instead it is given space in the main course.
- Vivek Menezes in his introduction to Appetite: New Writing from Goa (Edited by Shivaranjana Rathore, Tino De Sa)
Appetite: New Writing from Goa can be imagined as a delectable literary feast. Through tasty slices, the readers feel closer to the sandy beaches, cashew feni and the picturesque Portuguese-style buildings. The book is a collaborative effort by Goa Writers — a writing group that comprises of writers, illustrators and artists.
We view the smallest state in India from different perspectives influenced by the time they spent in Goa. Anita Pinto reflects on her emotions while reading Vikram Seth's novel (The Golden Gate) written in verse. The short prose poem, gives a glimpse of Seth's time in Goa. Eulogy by Pragya Bhagat vividly describes how a hunger of stories was the fragile thread her protagonist held on to.
The thoughtfully curated anthology begins with the short story — Sorpotel (A Goan Pork Delicacy) by Clyde D'Souza that gives a glimpse into a stereotypical version of Goa. The Housewives of Assagao gives us a sneak peek into the lives of socialites — Rohini, Shalini, Anita and Lalita. The cuisines mentioned in the story act as a mirror to different cultural and social landscapes. The layered narratives reveal the complexities beneath Goa’s picturesque surface, offering readers a rich tapestry of its people, cultures, memories and evolving identities.
The complex characters in the stories feel pangs of hunger, a yearning to fulfill their intimate desires irrespective of whether they are sexually driven or not.
Overall, Appetite: New Writing from Goa doesn't try to defy the typecasting instead it is given space in the main course.
March 17, 2026
Goa is usually associated with postcards and beaches. My recent village visit just took me back to Goa but not the Goa of glamour! Appetite takes you to that Goa, the one, which is associated with memory, food, religion, and discussions.
Appetite is an intriguing word that forms the basis for an anthology. It can mean hunger, but also longing and desire.
The anthology Appetite ( new writings from Goa) , edited by Shivranjana Rathore and Tino de Sa, brings together stories, poems, and essays that traverse the many moods and aspects of Goa. Instead of presenting Goa through its postcard perfect images, the anthology presents a picture that lingers in quieter corners and kitchens.
The first thing that I noticed while going through the contents was the variety of forms that were included in the book. There were stories and poems and essays. The editors seemed to have tried to showcase Goa through many different voices. The title itself is intriguing. Titles such as Sorpotel, Eucharist, The Happy Hearts Beach Resort suggest that the anthology could traverse many different aspects of culture and emotions. Essays such as Why Is Sex a Four-Letter Word? suggest that the discussions in the book could be many-layered.
The anthology traverses many forms, as I mentioned earlier. There are poems such as Anita Pinto’s To Vikram Seth that offer moments of contemplative pause.
The charm of the anthology Appetite lies in the many different voices that have come together in one book. While each one presents a different picture of Goa, all of them together offer a picture that is layered and rich.
Appetite is an intriguing word that forms the basis for an anthology. It can mean hunger, but also longing and desire.
The anthology Appetite ( new writings from Goa) , edited by Shivranjana Rathore and Tino de Sa, brings together stories, poems, and essays that traverse the many moods and aspects of Goa. Instead of presenting Goa through its postcard perfect images, the anthology presents a picture that lingers in quieter corners and kitchens.
The first thing that I noticed while going through the contents was the variety of forms that were included in the book. There were stories and poems and essays. The editors seemed to have tried to showcase Goa through many different voices. The title itself is intriguing. Titles such as Sorpotel, Eucharist, The Happy Hearts Beach Resort suggest that the anthology could traverse many different aspects of culture and emotions. Essays such as Why Is Sex a Four-Letter Word? suggest that the discussions in the book could be many-layered.
The anthology traverses many forms, as I mentioned earlier. There are poems such as Anita Pinto’s To Vikram Seth that offer moments of contemplative pause.
The charm of the anthology Appetite lies in the many different voices that have come together in one book. While each one presents a different picture of Goa, all of them together offer a picture that is layered and rich.
April 19, 2026
I picked this up on my last trip.
Having read the books written by Michelle Mendonca Bambawala and Clyde Dsouza, I knew this was something I would like.
Its a collection, of stories, poems, and essays, written by authors from Goa.
I enjoyed reading the Essays, each one different from the other.
Goa has many stories to tell and this book contains some of them.
It would be too much to pick and choose about what I liked or did not.
Am not a poetry person, so that part was not for me.
I recommend the book, if you would like to know more about Goa, its culture, its people and way of life.
Having read the books written by Michelle Mendonca Bambawala and Clyde Dsouza, I knew this was something I would like.
Its a collection, of stories, poems, and essays, written by authors from Goa.
I enjoyed reading the Essays, each one different from the other.
Goa has many stories to tell and this book contains some of them.
It would be too much to pick and choose about what I liked or did not.
Am not a poetry person, so that part was not for me.
I recommend the book, if you would like to know more about Goa, its culture, its people and way of life.
April 10, 2026
It’s a collection of short stories and poems about appetite in all its forms: for love, for home, for memory, it made me feel oddly nostalgic for a place I was already visiting, like I was missing it while still inside it.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews