A Tapestry of Colours 1: Stories from Asia

by Anitha Devi Pillai (Editor), babitha marina justin (Contributor), Raymund P Reyes (Contributor)

This book comprises stories from Southeast Asia, South Asia and East Asia, written especially for young adults.

This specially curated anthology of short stories from Asia explores the human spirit and lives of the common man separated by time, space and culture, and yet united in the human spirit to overcome the difficulties that they face in life. It provides an insight into the rich and diverse landscape of Asia, as well as heritage and cultural practices. It also challenges pre-conceived notions of biases and beliefs about other cultures and opens up room for discussion on the differences that define the human race.

A Tapestry of Colours 2 encourages readers to reflect on their own values, perspectives and identities, and reflect on how their own experiences, beliefs and actions Impact society.

200 pages, Paperback

Published June 1, 2021

About the author

Anitha Devi Pillai (Ph.D.) wears many hats. She's an author, academic, translator and poet. She currently teaches writing pedagogy and writing at the National Institute of Education (Nanyang Technological University, Singapore).

Some of her 2020 publications are an English translation of Kamaladevi Aravindan’s historical Tamil novel, titled ‘Sembawang' (Marshall Cavendish International Asia), an anthology of short stories titled 'A View of Stars: Stories of Love' (Marshall Cavendish International Asia) which she co-edited with Felix Cheong and a non-fiction book titled 'The Story of Onam' (Indian Heritage Centre, National Heritage Board, Singapore).

She is currently working on her own collection of short stories and editing an anthology of short stories for young adults. Both books are slated to be released in the latter half of 2021.

Reviews

[Resham Premchand · Rating 4 out of 5]

The title says it all- it is a tapestry of stories that share diverse experiences and emotions. The story Itterasai of Maureen Tai caught my attention because of the raw emotions shared.
Definitely, worth a read!

[Illakiyaa · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good book for beginner writers. The tips at the end the short stories are very useful.

[Maureen Tai · Rating 5 out of 5]

Full disclosure: I am biased as I am a contributor to this anthology but I did not know who else would be featured. While all the stories are fascinating facets of Asian lives and experiences, Sachiko Kashiwaba's "Mirror, Mirror" (translated by Avery Fischer Udagawa) is exquisite. Kashiwaba is a literary giant in her home country and her short story is a quirky, compelling read about gender roles in Japan. Highly recommended for short story fans, especially younger creative writers looking to embark on their own short story writing journeys.

[Siva Kumar]

Nice collection of stories, finding Subi and swimming resonated with me. On to book 2 in the series.