Editor's Note

We are thrilled to announce the first issue of Out of Print. It features eight exceptional stories, exceptional not only in quality but also in distinctness of content and style. As promised, we feature work we asked for that was generously given. We are also excited to include some great pieces that were submitted unsolicited.

We have Kuzhali Manickavel's intense and powerful This Is Us And This Is Us Outside. Lucinda Nelson Dhavan gives us Elevated set in the Himalayas, which opens the lungs and the spirit. 1962 by Trisha Bora takes us to the far north-east of India. A woman goes on a pilgrimage in Mridula Koshy's A Good Mother. In Ajay Krishnan's Mr Ganesan's Grief, we read about a man and his loss. Srinath Perur's Accidents of Fate describes an encounter on a road in Bangalore. Nighat Gandhi's Hot-water Bag follows a man from one woman's house to another's in Karachi. Finally, read and laugh with Mahesh Ramchandani's parody, The Fartanic Curses.

We are open to submissions so send us your work. In the meantime, happy reading!

The cover design by Yamuna Mukherjee contains a photograph taken by Clare Arni during the Madurai Meenakshi Chitirai festival and images from a piece of Kalamkari or crafted-by-pen fabric depicting stories from Hindu mythology.

Clare Arni is an architectural and documentary photographer living in Bangalore. Among other projects, she is currently involved in documenting the cultural heritage of South India and the changing landscapes of Urban India. More about her on her website—www.clarearni.com.

Selected stories may contain language or details that could be viewed as offensive. Readers below 18 are cautioned to use discretion. Views expressed are those of the authors and not necessarily supported by Out of Print.