"It was a wonderful experience interacting with you and appreciate the way you have planned and executed the whole publication process within the agreed timelines.”
Subrat SaurabhAuthor of Kuch Woh Pal
The Desert Stories is a collection of short stories that celebrates storytelling. It pays homage to a period when stories and their lessons were ubiquitous, for all the phases of life. It takes traditional stories from monotheistic religions and presents it with a twist. In doing so, it blurs the differences between them and attempts to retell the positivity of life. The stories begin with characters posing various questions from the usual walk of life, these questions then lead to the story within. The collection blends parables, Sufi thoughts, and philosophies in the narration eventually acting as a poetic medicament for harsh reality. Often, the endings are not noisy and dramatic, but tranquil and serene. The stories compel us to linger on to contemplate the aftermath. Each story is a journey within.
Abu Bakr
Abu Bakr considers himself fortunate in hailing from the south of the Indian subcontinent and in a time when it was easier to be syncretic. During childhood, he has had the privilege of imbibing Biblical parables from his school and Islamic tales from his home. The magical tales of One Thousand and One Nights were his regular bedtime stories. He grew up to be a rapacious reader. The works such as Herman Hesse’s Glass Bead Game, the question-and-answer narrative style of Khalil Gibran had profound influence on the author. Later, when he went on to be a mental health professional and engaged with students, he began to appreciate the simplicity of The prophet, The Book of Mirdad and Siddhartha. Traveling to various countries served to develop the perspective of commonness of empathy transcending socio-cultural and religious boundaries. His current work reflects his unique journey.
