This anthology of 22 short stories, translated from Tamil, invites readers to reflect deeply on questions of identity, belonging, and the limits of literary form.

What makes this volume stand out in the growing body of English translations of modern Tamil writing. Alongside authors from Tamil Nadu, it includes penning from the Tamil diaspora and refugee communities in Singapore, Canada, and France. While other Indian languages, such as Malayalam, also have far-reaching Diasporas, Tamil-speaking communities have produced a particularly rich body of literature shaped by intricate social and political histories.

Early Tamil migrants included farmers, indentured workers, and merchant groups such as the Chettiars. The book’s range is matched by the variety of its translators—among them N. Kalyan Raman, Janani Kannan, Yashasvi Arunkumar, Nandini Krishnan, G.J.V. Prasad, and Suchitra Ramachandran—whose collective effort maintains a uniform style despite the many authorial voices. This achievement owes much to editor Perundevi’s careful guidance.

The breadth of themes and styles here resists any fixed definition of the Tamil short story. At most, it might be said that the form avoids depicting a total picture, favouring fragments. While some critics argue that short stories tend to prioritise plot over character, many in this collection prove otherwise some dwell on emotional states rather than a narrative arc, while others weave plot and character together with precision. Tamil writers, and indeed many non-English Indian language authors, have long excelled in the short form more consistently than in the novel.