Saaransh Mishra. Unassuming. Each word is measured. The flamboyant, aggressive legend on the badminton court is 'Shy' off the court—a moniker he carries as a badge of love. A nickname, his now husband, the equally famous Australian rugby star Brendon Marsh, gave him when they first met. Did we get the scoop on how they met? Maybe. Maybe not. We spoke to them about the reality of living as queer athletes. Thirteen years since that eventful evening at the Wembley Arena and the

No, not the cricket pitch. This one is for books. Anyone who has ever written a book would have come across terms like pitch, logline, and blurb. They are beasts to be tackled by every writer. So what are they? Pitch : Before a book is published, a pitch is a summary of the manuscript included in the query package sent to literary agents or commissioning editors at publishing houses. The objective is to inform, intrigue and generate interest. This pitch is usually around 50

Yeah, we have all heard this, but a book cover is what our eyes see first. A good cover makes a book stand out at a bookstore or book fair. "Your cover only has around 3 seconds to catch a browsing reader’s attention. You want to stand out and make them pause and consider, and read the blurb.” ― Eeva Lancaster, Being Indie: A No Holds Barred, Self Publishing Guide for Indie Authors Book covers are as varied as the genres and topics of the books they cover (pun intended). Of

You have written a book or a song, or maybe you write poems. How do you ensure that your work is not distributed without your knowledge...

We set up the bookstall and had a ball. Buoyed by the success of our bookstall at the Resident Welfare Diwali Fair in 2022, a group of...

"Hey, it is going to be okay." Brendon places his hand on my thigh, stilling the foot tapping. His warmth across the blue jean fabric...

"Jon, why the hell are we here? It's Valentine's day in two days, and I am yet to buy a gift for Emily." Jason calls from the kitchen,...

"He has been like this for a week." The muffled voice seems familiar. Is it my nephew, Harish, or my son-in-law Ramesh? The faces and...

So exasperating. Who needs a cactus when you have the bumbling botanist for a cousin? The lingering three dots confirm my suspicions....

A paperback or hardcover on display at a book store, library, or book booth is an aspiration for every author. However, if you have...

What LGBTQ+ representations have you grown up with? The earliest one I can recall was my brush with the trans community in Delhi during a...

Flames. Heat. The stench of burning flesh surrounds me; one name echoes. AMBA. Sweat trickles down my forehead; my heart pounds against...

I am the bespectacled nerd. Nondescript. Blink, and you miss—nothing to write about, ignored all the time. The only reason people turn...

"Why are you smiling?" "Hey, stop giggling." Ever heard people complain along these lines while you are immersed deep in your book....

Think of a sports romance book. What comes to your mind? Even if you haven't read one. (as yet) Sinfully hot, sweaty, grumpy, and...

The rain is relentless. I hear it thrumming on the metal roof and running down the broken pipe into the mud. I moisten my cracked lips...

We all surf the internet, from the first rays of the Sun to the darkness of midnight. Swipe left and right or type away with might. The...

Come here my child, let me wrap you, For you are unique, no matter how one sees you, Let their minds flounder living in their cocooned...

Expressions of spring in myriad blooms. Swaying in the gentle breeze under the Sun. The unsynchronised dance speaks of co-existence in...