I’m so pleased to have my flash fiction piece ‘Mended and Precious’ featured in ‘KINTSUGI: Flash Fiction First – Volume 1’ edited by Abha Iyengar.
There are 13 flash fiction pieces by different writers, both new and established, curated in this book. While all the stories are on the theme of Kintsugi, the Japanese art of melding and repairing broken objects with gold lacquer, the way each writer approaches the topic is unique.
Abha Iyengar has declared three honourable mentions and two prizes for the best stories.
The first story ‘Come Lie Down Beside Me’ by Aakshat Sinha got an honourable mention. It’s about how touch can evoke such different sensations, depending on whether it is consensual or not. The story is inspired by the artwork of Sangita Datta.
The second story is the one I wrote – ‘Mended and Precious’ – it’s about finding love when you are broken.
The third story ‘Snow Days’ by Anushree Bose got second place in the contest. It’s about a couple that moves in together during the lockdown.
The fourth story is ‘Line Break’ by Gayatri Lakhiani Chawla and I loved how it ended. I don’t want to spoil it for those who haven’t read it yet, so I won’t mention why I loved it.
‘Strangers’ by Kinshuk Gupta was an interesting read since the story reveals how we look at the world through the lens of our own past experiences and schema and how sometimes we misjudge people due to that. This story got an honourable mention.
‘The Broken Glass’ by Ramya Srinivasan also got an honourable mention. The story comes with a twist.
‘Hemingway’ by Sandeep Narayanan also comes with a twist at the end.
‘Sequins’ by Saritha Rao Rayachoti is about how all of us are broken and how some of us manage to feel whole again. The story won the first place in this competition.
‘Golden Touch’ by Smeetha Bhoumik is about a family, a surprise and a reunion.
‘An Artist’s Life’ by Subhana Sawnhy is about a marriage between Meera and an older man, how it plays out and how Meera finds herself again.
‘Scars to Be Embraced’ by Vaishali Saxena is a story about sexual abuse, which is written in an epistolary form.
‘Never Again’ by Vandana Jena is about Sujata, an older woman who reclaims her life.
‘Slap’ by Vijayalakshmi Sridhar is a story of domestic abuse and how the victim learns to leave.
All the stories are about healing and hope. I recommend this anthology to readers looking for comfort and hope during these turbulent times.
The book is available here and is free for kindle unlimited subscribers. Do read it and leave a review on Amazon. Even a line will do:)
