There are any number of things you can do to freak out on a Saturday evening. And then again, you can get Blafted! Which is what spouse and I did on the 17Th of this month and how! Dancing with mosquitoes, playing poker with beetles and raising a toast to a quiet, but sharply intelligent woman, who going by her bio on the web, shacks up with a rhinoceros beetle in a shot glass!
The venue, a delightfully refurbished old Madrasi House (Madras Terrance House) in a nondescript lane in the heart of Chennai was done up for a theme party. The theme being insects! You had to put on an Alice band with insect antenna fixed on it and wear bug eye wear before you were allowed to enter. The hall where the reading was to take place was canopied by larger than life, jet black cardboard cut outs of mosquitoes in various postures, hanging from the rafters. Trays of itty bitty eats that were served along with drinks had names like “Fuzzy Caterpillars” and “Hairy Fronks!” Delicious and delicately sized munchies. Mood lighting and music blasting. But the occasion was actually a reading. Done to perfection by Chennai’s newest and funkiest publishing house – Blaft.
Reading did I say? Yes, yes! That was the real occasion, and the book, entitled “Insects Are Just Like You And Me Except Some of Them have Wings” by Kuzhali Manickavel (pronounced Kurali – need to clarify this because during the first ten minutes I kept saying Koozalli!) was the reason why we were wallowing in insectdom! And, seriously, I never knew a book launch could be such fun. The publishers, a trio of young people – Kaveri, Rakesh and Rashmi - gave dramatised readings from Kuzhali’s book of flash and short fiction. Their obvious joie de vivre about ”Insects Are just Like You And Me Except Some Of Them Have Wings” was infectious to say the least. Here was a publisher that seemed genuinely excited about their author and in sync with her too!
I had already read Kuzhali’s fiction before in on-line magazines like Smokelong Quarterly and Subtropics, (which was why I was there at the first place) so I knew what to expect, but judging by the spontaneous reactions of the audience around me, I could clearly see that they were delighted. She is a writer to look forward to.
Kuzhali’s unique voice blends poker faced humour and the down right absurd with everyday mundane facets of existence, in a way that makes you giggle or guffaw, but also stop to ponder about people. Her bite sized stories present India and Indians in a totally fresh new light. You get a sense that even though she’s writing about Indian among Indians, she is able to see it all from a bug’s multi-faceted viewpoint. And in the process, surprising her readers with quirky details about her characters and settings.
Blaft Publications definitely captured the essence of Kuzhali’s writing in their launch and presentation of her book. To me, it seemed like a perfect match between writer and publisher. I am keeping my eyes peeled and antennae alert for both Blaft and Kuzhali Manickavel, and all set for another ‘blaft’ of a read!
Tags: Book Launch, Insects, Kuzhalli Manickavel
