Unique new book fast-tracked for worldwide release today

DEMAND for a unique new book has fast-tracked its publication to today (30 January)… 12 days ahead of schedule.

After six months of writing and production the clamour for Asian Voices was so great that its publisher released it worldwide as a Kindle e-book this morning, rather than wait for the scheduled 11 February launch.

The paperback version of the book will be published next week – also well ahead of schedule.

Divided by partition, war and politics, but united by creativity, brilliance and common humanity, Asian Voices has brought together 20 emerging writers from across South Asia to shine a light on their diverse societies.

In 37,000 words, across more than 250 pages and two dozen images, these contributors paint graphic pictures of love, beauty, loss, patriarchy, disease and death in their respective countries of India, Pakistan and Afghanistan.

From cool Kabul in the north, through Karachi and Kolkata to the searing heat of Hyderabad in the south, their tales in poetry and prose are compelling.

The writers include an artist from Lahore, an engineer from Mumbai, a psychologist from Delhi, a social reformer from Jaipur, two 12^th grade school students, plus many more.

The project has been pulled together by a retired British newspaper editor.

Most of the writers have, until now, only seen their work published on social media or in short order paperbacks.

They are effusive in their excitement about this new book.

Nitika Das, a student from Jodhpur explains: “This book is the output of one dream shared by 20 writers.

“I believe everyone in this world is a writer, everyone has a story to tell… everyone knows how to put it into words. All we need is a pen and some blank paper.”

Fahmida Shaikh, an oceanographer from Bhiwandi believes that the diversity of the individual writers helped shape the book: “As individuals we are all so very different; different cultures, ages, nationalities and genders, but as writers we have been able to form an incredible bond that reflects the many ways that, as humans we have common needs, hopes, dreams and hearts.”

Sakshi Walia, an English Literature student from Amity University in New Delhi adds: “Together, I believe our words are shining a blinding light on the reality of being human, in a world of seeming chaos.”

Pratik Arti Prakash, an electronic engineer from Mumbai sees a common theme: “You could use all the milk in the world to paint it white, still deep down the canvas is black. We learn from everyone but mostly fail to learn from ourselves.”

Agathaa Shelling, a 12^th grade school student from Ahmedabad completes many sentiments: “For all that has lived the ruins, it is art. The people, the poetry and the words. It’s beautiful how, the boundaries have embraced love so beautifully.”

Fellow writer and interior designer Pratibha Aasat from Hyderabad in southern India says: “All our words are powerful emotions expressing varied feelings, the silent whispers of hearts, connecting every soul and thoughts, so vivid that they represent a complete lived life… to last in the memoirs forever.”

Nic Outterside from Wolverhampton, England is the editor and publisher of Asian Voices.

“I have edited many publications over the years,” says Nic, “But none has been as challenging and exciting as this. I am very lucky to have so many amazingly talented and beautiful people contributing to this hugely diverse project.

“I hope all the readers get as much pleasure reading this book, as I did editing it.”

Minnie Rai, a writer and 26-year-old refugee from Kabul, who now lives in London, sums up the ethos of Asian Voices: “We don’t become by knowing… we become by doing.

“It is in the present we live and share diversity from within outwards. Through love and death we learn the language of war within us that separates us from the truth that sits beside our heart. When we share that truth, we become one… Asian Voices,” she adds.

Asian Voices – an anthology of new poetry and prose from India, Pakistan and Afghanistan is available from Amazon at £3 a copy (280IR).

UK

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Asian-Voices-anthology-Pakistan-Afghanistan-ebook/dp/B07N7HY1VZ/

India

https://www.amazon.in/Asian-Voices-anthology-Pakistan-Afghanistan-ebook/dp/B07N7HY1VZ/

Rest of the World

https://www.amazon.com/Asian-Voices-anthology-Pakistan-Afghanistan-ebook/dp/B07N7HY1VZ/

 

Poetic homage to the greatest LP of all- time now available in paperback

A POPULAR poetic homage to Nobel prize-winning songwriter Bob Dylan is now published worldwide in a slim-line paperback.

Blood in the Cracks by award winning writer Nic Outterside was first released as a Kindle e-book last September, to rave reviews.

The book tips its hat both lyrically and stylistically to Dylan’s critically acclaimed album Blood on the Tracks – originally released in 1975.

Nic describes his own work as a “lifetime labour of love”.

“It’s almost a journey’s end,” he says. “The works of Bob Dylan are the soundtrack to my life.

“I was a mere teenager when I first discovered his music, his words of truthful vengeance and his vignettes of love and theft.

“For me Blood on the Tracks, remains a lyrical and poetic touchstone. And my soul is forever wrapped within its entire 51 minutes and 42 seconds.

“Overtly autobiographical, the LP is full of tales of a lover relating a series of unrelated events, set in a mythical America. Like a series of impressionist paintings of life the tales are without geographical or chronological boundaries.

“Over 10 iconic songs, Dylan alludes to heartache, deception, anger, regret and loneliness. It’s a world-weary, nostalgic and ultimately a poetic Bob Dylan; and that is what makes Blood on the Tracks so timeless.

“The poetry is in each and every song,” adds Nic.

“So to create my own poetical homage to that album – in places borrowing the patterns of some of Dylan’s songs – is a true labour of love and a dream come true.”

Blood in the Cracks is now available worldwide in paperback at just £3.99.

United Kingdom: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1794666001/

Canada: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/1794666001/

Germany: https://www.amazon.de/dp/1794666001/

France: https://www.amazon.fr/dp/1794666001/

Italy: https://www.amazon.it/dp/1794666001/

Rest of the world: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1794666001/

It is also still available on Amazon Kindle e-book at just £1.70

www.amazon.co.uk/Blood-Cracks-Nic-Outterside-ebook/dp/B07H4S3DSM

Notes:

1. Nic is an award-winning editor, journalist and writer. Among more than a dozen awards to his name are North of England Daily Journalist of the Year, Scottish Daily Journalist of the Year and Scottish Weekly Journalist of the Year. In 2016 he was awarded an honorary doctorate in written journalism.
2. You can buy Nic’s first poetry book The Hill – Songs and Poems of Darkness and Light on Amazon Kindle, priced at just £1.43 at: www.amazon.co.uk/Hill-Songs-Poems-Darkness-Light-ebook/dp/B07CNZ75MZ
3. You can still buy the First Edition paperback The Hill – Songs and Poems of Darkness and Light at £1.99 with £1.80 for UK post and packing via Ebay at: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/The-Hill-Songs-and-Poems-of-Darkness-and-Light-Nic-Outterside-Paperback/223163293082?hash=item33f5919d9a:g:3O0AAOSwdjha6DvY:rk:1:pf:1
4. Nic’s second book: Another Hill – Songs and Poems of Love and Theft is priced at £2.20 on Amazon Kindle at: www.amazon.co.uk/Another-Hill-Songs-Poems-Theft-ebook/dp/B07CXYJTV4/
5. The full story behind his first book of poetry can be listened to here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o2N2X7t7awo

New book explores love, death, religion and rape in South Asia

A UNIQUE new book is set to take South Asia by storm as it addresses burning issues such as love, death, rape and religion in the developing sub-continent.

Divided by partition, war and politics, but united by creativity and common humanity, Asian Voices has brought together 20 emerging writers from across the region to shine a light on their diverse societies.

In 37,000 words, across 260 pages, the contributors paint graphic pictures in poetry and prose of issues which divide and unite people in their respective countries of India, Pakistan and Afghanistan.

The book is divided into 10 sections: Darkness, Light, Love, Loss, Heaven, Hell, Life, Death, War and Peace.

And it is within these sections that the diverse Asian Voices can be heard.

With an infant mortality rate of 4.4% in India and 6.1% in Pakistan (the UK rate is 0.28%) and an adult death rate of 31% and 21% respectively (UK rate 10.3%) – an even higher rate in war-torn Afghanistan – it is hardly surprising that the issue of death features strongly.

Mortality is dealt with sensitively by the Asian Voices writers in at least three sections of the book.

This extract on coping with grief by Lahore based writer Shahreen Iftikhar is an example:

“They say, there are five stages of grief;

I got stuck in denial, with no reasons to heal.

Is this what life is; scribbles on an empty sheet?

Making no sense, just filling the voids of our being?

I said to myself: ‘To Hell with all this grieving and the misery.

It’s time for me to let go of all the tragedies.’

All I had to do was believe.

That is all it took for me to heal.”

 

All countries in South Asia live under different degrees of social patriarchy and this is reflected in the treatment of women.

Rape is the third most common crime against women in India.

According to the National Crime Records Bureau 2013 annual report, 24,923 rape cases were reported across India in 2012. Out of these, 24,470 (98%) were committed by someone known to the victim. And many more rapes go unreported.

Similarly, physical abuse, house-arrest imprisonment and even bride-burning (now illegal) also go largely unreported.

One of the Asian Voices writers, Janvi from Jaipur has already made a name for herself in calling out for social reform.

This extract speaks volumes:

And then one day we decide to raise our voice 

But again, this society shut us by claiming it as useless noise.

The politicians and the media cry that they worship women and cow!

Is this a way of worshipping? But How?

As our wails grow louder and louder about the demons residing in our own town 

They paint henna on our hands and send us off to an unknown place, looking like a clown.

Wondering that this was not the life that we were destined to live, we decide to put an end

And here you go, creating loads of new monsters and making it Trend.

We are sacrificing ourselves from centuries just so that you know

And here you go, treating us again like the trash that you throw. 

We’ve had enough, being the sacrificed Goddess 

Next time we’ll turn this country into a bloody mess.

 

Religion also resonates within the pages of the book.

India is home to at least nine recognised religions, and while Islam dominates in Pakistan, there are also significant minorities of Christians, Hindus and Ahmadi, and even more diversity in Afghanistan.

So the sections on Life, Heaven and Hell deal with each writer’s views of spirituality and faith.

This piece by 16-year-old Shaheeba from Sibsagar touches many pulses:

How could she survive further?

When her life resided in this heart rate.

Though not here, but in Heaven

They merged to a single soul

Whenever their love tale was evoked

It started raining

Dripping all with pure love.

This flooded the river of love

Which immersed both the fragments of the hamlet

With the virtue of love.

There was love everywhere

Flowing in the winds of hamlet

Residing in the lifeless soil

Felt in the arms of the mother

And in the oneness with God.

Some souls are united in Heaven.

Some stories are plenary despite being partial.

 

The one thing which binds all the writers together is the eternal subject of Love.

For centuries the Indian sub-continent has given birth to some of the world’s greatest love poets. And they continue to emerge as we enter 2019.

This poem by Agathaa Shelling of Ahmedabad, explores that deepest of all human emotions:

You’re the sanctified sacrament in the shrine of love. I’ll devour you and I’ll become pious forever.

Yes, I’m an atheist and there’s only one religion that I practise. That’s love. And there’s only one deity from whom I receive my hymn… it’s you.

And if this is not love. I don’t know what it is. A little bit of fall in your summer. A little bit of rains in your spring. Sunshine in your winters. And a chilly gust of wind in scorching heat.

“There was once a king of verses. Power were his words. Mightier than any sword. And then there was a queen of metaphors. Deep were her rhymes. Deeper than any ocean.

He weaved a tiara out of his words and she sharpened his sword out of hers.

And that’s how they announced their love, with poetry.”

 

Minnie Rai, a writer and 26-year-old refugee from Kabul, who now lives in London, sums up the ethos of Asian Voices: “We don’t become by knowing… we become by doing.

“It is in the present we live and share diversity from within outwards. Through love and death we learn the language of war within us that separates us from the truth that sits beside our heart. When we share that truth, we become one… Asian Voices,” she adds.

 

• Asian Voices will be published in both paperback and Kindle e-book in February.