Nov – Dec 2023 issue
Nov - Dec 2023 issue
Welcome to the latest issue of Confluence South Asian Perspectives – the last of 2023. This year Confluence has published about 100 different pieces of work and nearly half of these were from our regular contributors. The quality of submissions and the calibre of each author make me feel very proud to be helming this publication. Several of our contributors are celebrated authors and well known for their contributions to South Asian literature. Some are exceptionally active within their community and recognised for their services in various ways. Our goal is to provide a platform where every voice, every story, and every perspective contributes to a richer, more inclusive understanding of what it means to be a part of the vibrant South Asian community. On that note, we are proud to have introduced about a dozen new authors this year. As the Chief Editor of this publication, I feel gratified that authors from different parts of the world consider Confluence as an acclaimed magazine and send their stories, poems, paintings, and articles of general interest which enrich the magazine. I thank all of them. As we navigate the complexities of an ever-changing world, I believe it is essential to amplify diverse voices and foster a deeper understanding of the multifaceted landscape of South Asia. This issue features some creative pieces and thought-provoking articles, which we hope, the readers will find riveting and thought-provoking. As a special three part series, historian Kusum Pant Joshi has written an article about the renowned political activist and poet Sarojini Naidu’s visit to the UK and her experiences. I have mentioned before that modern literature should reflect the issues that affect us on a day-to-day basis. Over a year ago, Russian occupation in Ukraine followed by the Western sanctions caused major upheavals in that region. In the last few months, there have been new developments in the Middle East. In our cover article, an accomplished writer and translator Chaitali Sengupta has described the events leading to the current conflict and has emphasised the urgent need for the international community to come together to bring an end to the hostilities and work towards extending the ceasefire in Gaza. While I hope our readers will find the entire issue an interesting read I would like to ask them to give their feedback to us too. Once again, I would like to remind all our contributors to help us by sending their submissions well before the deadline specified. Please send your work to confluenceuk@yahoo.com only. I wish all our readers, writers and well-wishers a relaxing and enjoyable end of the year holiday season and a very Happy New Year. I look forward to meeting you all in another issue in 2024.
