KOCHI: Travelogues always induce a sense of exuberance for the reader. With the number of travellers increasing in the state, people are now able to know about new places through their experiences. From a period where solo/group travelling was considered a taboo for women, now they are extensively travelling across the world. ‘Aakashathinte Chirakukal’, a book which is to be released by Pendulum Books on Sunday, features 12 travel stories by women, which is set to give a unique experience for the readers.
The book is edited and compiled by Nidhi Kurian, a writer, artist and photographer. The book features stories of Sree Parvathy, Dhanya Sanal, Aswathy Sreekanth, Ann Palee, Jolly Chirayath, Sukanyeah Krishna, Vanitha Valsa, C R Pushpa, Chithira Kusuman, Nishaa Mathew, Neelima Oby and Nidhi. “We all come from different backgrounds. Everyone will be having a unique narrative style. So all the stories will provide a fresh experience for the reader,” says Nidhi.
Dhanya is the first woman to trek the Agasthyarkoodam peak. Sukanyeah is a blogger and activist. Neelima is a doctor and a Bullet rider. “Ann is a former anchor in a channel and she wrote about her trip to Nepal. Aswathy, who is into anchoring now, has written about her trip to Bali. Pushpa is a government teacher and a wildlife photographer. After turning 40, she went to Leh for a month for mountaineering. Vanitha’s story is about her journey to the Valley of Flowers, Nishaa’s story ia about Paris, while Jolly narrates about her journey to a rural part of West Bengal, Sree Parvathy to Sonagachi and my story is about the Egyptian pyramids,” adds Nidhi.
About the book ‘Aakashathinte Chirakukal’, Nidhi says, “We want the book to be an inspiration for women. Now women have the freedom to travel as they like. But still many are hesitant. When Dhanya trekked the Agasthyarkoodam, it was a revelation for women. If we 12 can travel, why not the others? That’s the idea put forth by the book,” says Nidhi.
She says that Pendulum Books gave her the freedom to choose the writers. “To pick the writers was a huge task. It isn’t common that all those who travel write about their experiences. People like Dhanya don’t have the time owing to her busy work schedule. So I noted down the story and edited it.” It took Nidhi around five months to compile the book. “Considering that most of the books take a year or two to finish, this happened quickly,” adds Nidhi.
Writer Benyamin will release the book by handing over it to actor Madhupal. The function will also witness the launch of Nidhi’s new book ‘Asradha’, which features a collection of 84 Haiku poems in Malayalam (Haiku is a very short form of Japanese poetry). “All poems are of four lines. It was a challenging task as the poems needed to convey its meaning in just four lines. The poems deal with subjects like nature, travel, and abortion. However, after reading, Benyamin sir said that the poems have a flavour of love, ” says Nidhi. Actor Joy Mathew will release ‘Asradha’ by handing over it to Monson Mavunkal, chairman, Kosmos group.
Nidhi and the other authors are excited about the book launch. “Benyamin sir launching the book itself brings a lot of happiness to upcoming writers like us. And the function is a gathering of very close friends, which makes it more special,” says Nidhi. The launch function will be held at Sidra Pristine Hotel & Portico Halls at 4 pm.