RAJI WRITES

The South Asian Literature and Art (SALA) festival presented its 6th edition Global Gaze, South Asian Soul on September 26-27 at Menlo College in Menlo Park, CA. As usual, there were stellar speakers, warm reconnections with previous attendees and old friends, stylish attire to admire, and tasty Indian fare with cups of steaming chai. I interviewed some speakers / authors at the Festival - Nobel laureate Venki Ramakrishnan, filmmaker Nandita Das, tech executive Kamini Ramani

Swallowing the Sun is many things. An ode to freedom-fighters, glimpses of whose hard-fought victories would bring to younger readers born long after the independence movement the cost of resistance. A potboiler with breathless romances and swashbuckling encounters with fearsome Chambal Valley dacoits. A feminist anthem, depicting strength and courage in its female characters, despite opposition and setbacks typical of the early 20th century. Swallowing the Sun (Pippa Rann