The Other People

Members of the transgender community from across the country throng the village of Koovagam annually, celebrating the vibrant ritual of the warrior-god Aravan's wedding ceremony. Amit Kiran Samanta has something to hide from his family. Jhulan, armed with the strength of her convictions, plunges into intriguing relationships culminating in her pulsating bonding with Ananya. The Face, a dubious gay person of secret identity, is a fascinating accident waiting to happen. The narrative unfolds through dark childhoods, obsessive lives and the ups and downs of curious liaisons. Striking use has been made of irresistible human vulnerability. Mysterious blackmails and murders are followed by sacrifices and suicide. This gripping novel is all about the passion and anguish of people born in wrong bodies, their struggles and joys, their ugliness and sheer beauty. Alternative sexuality, claiming its territory, has been handled with fresh courage and moving gentleness. The story transcends the predictable.

Sudipta Chatterjee, a civil servant, had won an award for her first novel Sandcastles in the national level eAuthor contest organized by Oxford Book Store and Rupa. She is a versatile writer with several of her stories, kids' tales, poems, translations, travelogues and articles published by Writers Workshop, Unisun, Penguin (Puffin), Papyrus, Telegraph and The Statesman. She has won other awards for her writings and her English translation of Tagore's Africa received a literary prize from Sahitya Akademi.