Review of Pomegranates

A few years ago I had the pleasure of reading Priya Sharma’s Ormeshadow, a dark story about family secrets. So when she asked me to read Pomegranates, I didn’t even hesitate. This time, the author has written a dystopian tale that weaves together themes of global warming and climate change with well known characters from Greek mythology. This was such a surprising story, beautifully constructed and written, and I can’t recommend it highly enough, especially if you are a fan of the Greek gods. 

Books, Bones & Buffy

My huge thanks to Tammy Sparks for reviewing my novella for her website. You can read the full review here.

Contemporary Gothic Reading Group 2023

The Manchester Centre for Gothic Studies runs a regular Contemporary Gothic Reading Group.

This year there will be four sessions, each online, ticketed, and free to attend.

I am very excited that my short story collection in one of the four books featured.

Tickets are available from eventbrite. The session should last approximately 90 minutes.

Our first session will take place on the 31st of May, when we will discuss Priya Sharma’s award-winning collection of short stories All the Fabulous Beasts (2018). This session will take on board the entire collection but will place special emphasis on ‘The Crow Palace’, ‘The Ballad of Boomtown’ and ‘Fabulous Beasts’. We are also delighted to announce that the author has agreed to join us for the last third of the discussion and will be happy to take questions from attendees.

RATIONALE

These free sessions, which we run in the summer months, give us a chance to explore the prominent role of the Gothic in modern and contemporary culture. Come along for a relaxed conversation among enthusiasts and avid readers.

FORMAT

The session will be led by one of our postgraduate Gothic researchers and will take place online over Teams (the link will be made available after a ticket is booked). There is no need to prepare questions or reviews. Please just turn up on the day ready to chat about the book.

AUDIENCE

This reading group is open to everyone, but please note that regular attendees tend to be postgraduate researchers and members of staff. For this reason, the group might not suit total beginners.

From the eventbrite page

Locus Review of Pomegranates

Priya Sharma’s latest novella, Pomegran­ates, is a lovely, layered, and luscious retelling of the story of Persephone and Demeter, unfolding against the backdrop of climate change and patriarchal violence. While Greek mythology has been in vogue at least since the success of Rick Riordan’s bestselling Percy Jackson books, Sharma’s novella sits closer to books like Margaret Atwood’s The Penelopiad, Madeline Miller’s Circe, or Natsuo Kirino’s The Goddess Chronicle, all of which employ a detached, feminine voice in rewriting myth and registering tragedy.

Archita Mittra writing for Locus

Read the whole review here.

My thanks to Archita Mittra for her review.

Available direct from PS Publishing in ebook and hardback.

The Art of Ravi Amar Zupa

Ravi Zupa considers books the best way to experience art. He has spent decades studying books about the art, mythology, religion, and history of cultures from across geography and time. Entirely self-taught, Zupa looks to works by German Renaissance printmakers, Flemish primitives, abstract expressionists, Japanese woodblock artists, and Mughal painters for inspiration. He also frequently incorporates religious iconography from Europe, Asia, and Pre-Columbian Latin America with revolutionary propaganda from around the world. With a distaste for ironic art or the thoughtless appropriation of culture, he integrates seemingly unrelated images in search of something universal. Zupa does not create any of his art digitally; everything comes from his own hand.

From Ravi’s Website

I love these, especially the print of Hanuman. It’s from a story from The Ramayana. When Lakshmana lay dying from battle wounds, his only hope was a herb that grew in the Himalayas.Being so swift, Hanuman was sent to fetch it. Unsure of what plant to bring, Hanuman brought back the entire mountain, saving his friend.