Writing from the Solitary: An Anthology on Loneliness, edited by Priyanka Sarkar and Semeen Ali, collates twenty-three voices pondering over the feeling of loneliness. Featuring poems, essays, and short stories, the collection brings the daunting subject into the foreground: not as something that needs to be resolved, rather to be deliberated upon.

It is often said that we are born alone and die alone. Yet, throughout life, most of us strive to challenge this reality by forming connections: through work, family and friendships. The pandemic, with its enforced isolation, brought the complexities of loneliness into sharp focus. For some, it turned out to be an ordeal. For others, however, this solitude was a blessing, offering relief from the pressures of socialisation and creating time and space to pursue personal passions. Writing from the Solitary captures the diverse experiences of loneliness, in a tapestry of voices from some of the most prominent writers and thinkers of our time.

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