U-Turn and Other Stories

U-Turn and Other Stories unravel the lives of Kashmiri-speaking people, set against the socio-cultural backdrop of the land. There are stories that reflect the deteriorating environment of the valley, the plight of the minority community as well as the resolve of the younger generations to rise above the divides. From love at first sight between two youngsters from different worlds, colliding on a bus journey, to an archeological longing for Kashmir’s glorious past, there is hardly an aspect of the contemporary life in the valley and its environs that has not been explored by the author. In equal parts brooding and light-hearted, despondent and hopeful, these tales bring out the life and times of the people of Jammu and Kashmir in their manifold shades and echoes. About the Author: Gauri Shankar Raina is a well-known writer and broadcaster. He worked at Doordarshan as Senior Producer and produced iconic programmes like ‘Aaj Savere’, ‘Evening Live Show’ and ‘Kitabnama’ which became popular in social and cultural circles for their professional competence. While working in audio-visual media all these years, he continued writing short stories and plays and translating the works of eminent Kashmiri writers into Hindi. His books have been published by prestigious publication houses like Sahitya Akademi, National Book Trust, Bharatiya Jnanpith and Vani Prakashan. About the Translator: Pankaj Bhan taught English language and literature in a Delhi University college. Besides teaching, he has been editing, translating and writing on areas of literature and literary criticism. His translation of Babu Devaki Nandan Khatri’s classic Chandrakanta and his critical work analysing the image of India in Ruth Prawer Jhabvala’s long string of India-centric novels were well received. In 2005, he took the initiative in setting up an NGO called ‘Kasheer Foundation’ devoted to highlighting the culture and heritage of Kashmir. Presently, he edits Miraas (meaning ‘heritage’), a quarterly journal in English. Read more