A Calendar Too Crowded is Sagarika's first foray into fiction - an attempt to introduce people to human rights, gender studies and sustainable development through stories. The author brief and book synopsis is attached herewith and you can read more about the book at the FB page - https://www.facebook.com/
About the Author:
Sagarika Chakraborty, born in Kolkata, studied law at National Law University, Jodhpur and
is currently studying management at Indian School of Business, Hyderabad.
Her projects and numerous articles on diverse subjects—corporate governance
principles with special emphasis on emerging and transition economies, globalization,
ethics, monetary economics, religion—have been published in Indian and international
publications. She has presented papers on E-Governance, corporate law principles, sexual
harassment, asset pricing models at international conferences and global forums in
Sydney, Glasgow, Korea, Wellington and Washington D.C. Her paper on E-Governance in
India, has been appreciated in the ‘Working Paper series’ of the World Bank and she has
also won the ‘Best Economic Crisis—Paper Award’ at the World Summit on Economic
Financial Crisis and International Business, 2009, held at Washington D.C. Looking into
her contribution in the domain of policy work she was recently awarded Fellowship by the
Royal Society of Arts, UK.
Apart from delving into serious research work, she has also written light fiction/poetry for
various online and print media, and is an avid salsa enthusiast. This is her first book.
QUOTES FROM EMINENT READERS:
ASHWIN SANGHI :
"Sagarika's writing is gut-wrenching. It reaches deep within and makes you
wonder why deep-rooted gender biases persist. A Calendar Too Crowded is not for the
fainthearted but is certainly a work that needs to be read, particularly by someone like me
who has personally experienced the power of Shakti and the sacred feminine."
VINAY PATHAK :
Actor Vinay Pathak, when told that the story “Sisters by Choice” had drawn inspiration
from his struggle of adoption picked up the book and gave reviews on two stories.
Sisters by Choice: “Got my book in mail today. And the first story I read was sisters
by choice. I can't begin to tell u the emotional journey it took me onto. Needless to say
very well written. The emotional quotient u arrived at was very poignant n touching.
Naked: The prose has a poetic and a poignant mystique that gives the reader a whole
lot to ponder....
DILEEP JHAVERI
“Inspite of witnessing all that we have failed to acknowledge, is observed in detail by
Sagarika. She has read fears hidden behind, apparently placid security of middle class
mind. But, she transcends time and class with changing narrative styles, sharpness
of statements, satire, surprises, sensuality and sense of history and mythology. As a
woman she confronts life and as a human being conquers death!”
ALAKNANDA ROY
“We all wanted to just come and see if Sagarika is really 27 after reading the book.
It gave us shivers and yet we couldn’t put it down. The way she connects the life of a
woman from pre natal stages to death is not only wonderful but gives us the solace
that young writers like her are there who shall guide the society.”
A Calendar Too Crowded
By
Sagarika Chakraborty
A Calendar too Crowded is a collection of 25 short stories and poems, where the concept
revolves around the celebratory days on the calendar we follow, where a large number
of important days are dedicated to women or life in general where women play a major
role. The attempt is not to highlight how in January, there’s a day in India dedicated to girl
children, or how April has come to be officially declared as a month against sexual abuse
throughout the world. The attempt is to delve deeper and analyze whether it is merely
enough to rely on statistics and be complacent in the knowledge that the numbers indicate
a better society in the making, or whether there is an urgent need to look beneath the
covers and realize that despite all such dedicated days, there are 300 odd days when there
is nothing special that life has to offer. Where each day is still an unending drudgery, where
womanhood is cursed and trampled upon.
It is also an attempt to look into houses where everything looks picture perfect on the
surface, but there are blatant cases of domestic violence and gender inequality that have
been swept under the carpet for fear of tainting the family name and image. The attempt
is to bring forth the bruises hidden beneath each lavishly draped body that need to be
highlighted even on days which are not dedicated to campaigns against domestic violence.
All the voices that have found expression in this book through their stories are nameless,
because no name would justify a voice which represents millions. They transgress all
boundaries of geography, religion, age and caste to become one voice— the voice of
womanhood.
Each and every voice in these stories can be connected to any woman you see around you
and they seek to say that all women deserve to be happy every day of the year, because
every day in the calendar of every woman’s life is precious, just like yours.
Highlights of the book:
• The book revolves about the central theme of womanhood and is the first of its kind
where the entire lay out has been based on the theme of a calendar.
• The stories are spun around the days attributed to women and children – Mother’s
Day, Women’s Day, National Day for Girl Child
• The book at ISB Hyderabad was launched by Ashwin Sanghi – Ashwin while lauding
the efforts that has gone into making of the book also felt that he related to the
theme of the book. He emphasized that “Both my two novels revolve around the
theme of Shakti/Nari and somehow thus the very fact that here too women on the
whole is the centre and the effort is to showcase the drudgery they go through, yet
the strength they retain, makes me feel connected to it”.
• The book was jointly launched at ISB, Hyderabad on January 11th 2012 by Ashwin
Sanghi and Dean , Ajit Rangnekar
• The book is also set for a special mention at the upcoming Hyderabad Literary
Festival, 2012 (January 17, 2012)
Release Type: Print, Soft Cover
Price: Rs. 295
Binding: Soft Cover
Imprint: 1st Edition
Genre: Fiction
Page Extent: 189 pages
Pub Date: January 2012 (Niyogi Books, New Delhi)
Territory: Indian
- (Label) Promotion
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