As festivals bring books into public life, their true power lies in inclusiveness, oral storytelling, and regional diversity, if they overcome elitism and commercialisation.
Outlook Lens
Actively supported by the Kerala government, the Kerala Literature Festival has come to be recognised as one of the state’s major cultural events, on par with the International Film Festival of Kerala, the Kochi–Muziris Biennale, and the Thrissur Pooram.
Outlook took a deep dive in the language of Poetry with its 'Poetry as evidence Issue' in which it presented a selection of poems and verses that serve as evidence of our bleak times and lives. The below poem is the eighth in the series.
In 2026—the ‘year of analog’—how will our relationship with literary festivals evolve?
Culture, not language, binds the Hindi heartland, says Ghazala Wahab while discussing her 2025 book, ‘The Hindi Heartland: A Study’, with Outlook Editor Chinki Sinha
Latest News
Advertisement
In this memoir, based on her prison diary, Seema Azad lays bare the prison system in India
- VOICES FROM PRISON
Magazine
Magazine Home
The acquittals in the alleged Maoist-links case expose the vagueness and inhumanity of long-drawn terror litigation in India, which has also claimed lives such as that of Pandu Narote, who died in prison awaiting justice.
I realised that the more intense the sense of despair, the harder hope kicks in.
Since Independence, a number of laws have been enacted that allow preventive detention which have been widely used by all regimes against their political opponents
“The Operative Word in Mainstream Media’s Discourse For Me is No More ‘Anti-National’; it’s ‘Terrorist’”
I am enormously relieved that the separation from my only daughter, Maaysha, has ended. We can speak to each other every day.
- Scars Of 17 Years Will Remain: Aparna Purohit On Lt Col Purohit's Imprisonment In 2008 Malegaon Case
Lt Col Prasad Shrikant Purohit was arrested in connection with the 2008 Malegaon case. He was acquitted in July 2025, after a 17-year-long legal battle. A first-person account by his wife
We became victims of two things—unjust investigation and a media trial that was used as a weapon. The Media Trial was Deeply Painful.
The jail—and the treatment meted out to the accused—felt as though it belonged to another age, one in which the rule of law did not exist.
My arrest led to a nationwide and even international controversy on the security of the journalists operating in the Bastar region. Till date, many journalists in the region have either gone silent or are operating in the shadows of fear.
A Delhi district court granted Mohammad Iqbal bail in the riots case within three months. On March 18, 2025, he was discharged in the Babbu murder case, even as the riots trial continues
In Jharkhand, thousands of Adivasis have been arrested on Maoist allegations. They have spent years in prison before being declared innocent
India today has more than 4.3 lakh undertrial prisoners. A significant number of them are linked to political cases
The poet and activist was jailed in connection with caste violence that erupted in 2018 in Bhima Koregaon. He was 78 then. Though he was released on medical grounds in 2022, he is still confined to Mumbai. In this first-person account, his daughter Pavana writes about how multiple incarcerations could not break her father’s strength and soul
Women’s rights activist and professor Shoma Sen, who was arrested in 2018 for her alleged involvement in the Bhima Koregaon riots, writes how in prisons, time comes to a standstill, literally
It all comes down to one thing: compliance with the Constitution, and the freedom of expression.
More than five years after his arrest under the UAPA in the Bhima Koregaon case, former Delhi University professor Hany Babu was granted bail in December 2025. He shares his experience of prison life.
The Bhima Koregaon case is not only about those who were imprisoned. It is also about the fate of democracy itself
The systematic creation of criminal and security legislations view Adivasis as an inherently suspect class of criminals and terrorists
Death row intensifies the structured brutalities of the penal system and reminds us why the struggle against the death penalty must also include the fact of prison violence
Rupesh Kumar Singh is a journalist, currently an undertrial prisoner in Adarsh Central Jail, Beur, Patna.
Previous Magazine Issue
Advertisement
Rohini Acharya claims the RJD’s command has fallen into the hands of ‘infiltrators and conspirators’ hours before the party’s national executive meeting in Patna
The Canadian government is promoting its ‘Buy Canadian’ policy, emphasising local materials, technology and workers to reduce reliance on international trade.
Ranji Trophy 2025-26 LIVE Score, Round 6 Day 4: Check out the live score of the final day of round six of India's premier domestic red ball tournament played across different venues of the country
Sports Buzz
Advertisement
The escalation is steady, old-fashioned, and deeply satisfying if you’re someone who misses commercial thrillers that trusted audiences to keep up.
Tamang's participation in Indian Idol was pathbreaking in many ways as it opened up possibilities for young people from minority groups to imagine futures beyond government jobs.
But one can safely say that the intricate ecosystem unfurled by the Kochi Muziris Biennale 2025-2026 creates the conditions of possibility for such a material and philosophical dialogue to take place.
Daniel Lopatin’s instant-classic score might just make you levitate as Marty recklessly courts greatness
Tamang's participation in Indian Idol was pathbreaking in many ways as it opened up possibilities for young people from minority groups to imagine futures beyond government jobs.
But one can safely say that the intricate ecosystem unfurled by the Kochi Muziris Biennale 2025-2026 creates the conditions of possibility for such a material and philosophical dialogue to take place.
Daniel Lopatin’s instant-classic score might just make you levitate as Marty recklessly courts greatness
Border 2 does not redefine war cinema as its predecessor once did. It attempts to capture its nostalgia without reshaping its ethos.
The History of Sound manages to handle grief and loss with lilting grace, particularly in its refusal to dramatise pain. However, the film remains far too emotionally restrained for its own good.
The nominations for the 98th Annual Academy Awards have been announced. Here's the full list of nominees of Oscars 2026.
India’s official submission Homebound has failed to secure a nomination at the 98th Academy Awards.
The youngest of the Anand brothers, Vijay Anand was absolutely fearless and revolutionary in his style of filmmaking.
This Netflix procedural-thriller challenges the false narrative that casts lower-level officers as covetous and crooked, focusing instead on revealing similar forms of corruption among the ranks of commissioners and assistant commissioners.
From unease to outrage, dissent in Bollywood increasingly invites punishment rather than dialogue.
The backlash against Rahman is part of a larger pattern: artists, writers, academics, and journalists who warn against polarisation are cast as “anti-national”
‘Dhobi Ghat’ mirrors the rhythm of the city itself, where lives intersect, diverge and move on, leaving only fragments of intimacy behind.
No respite for Thalapathy Vijay's Jana Nayagan as Madras High Court has reserved its order on the appeal filed by CBFC challenging single judge's order to issue certification to the film.
Produced by Zubaan and directed by Anungla Zoe Longkumer, the documentary not only archives women-led community initiatives, but also offers insight into the larger socio-economic histories of Nagaland and the gendered roles embedded within it.
Over six brief episodes, HBO’s new spinoff plants us amidst Westeros’ smallfolk, gifting an instantly winsome knight-squire duo
Sitarist and vocalist Hidayat Hussain Khan speaks to Outlook at the Mahindra Kabira Festival about the new age of music, collaboration with Western artists, the importance of art and music in today’s times and his upcoming album.
Gregg Araki, Cathy Yan, Sara Dosa bring new films to the latest edition
Through Manto’s lens, Bombay and its creatures went beyond what postcards or myth-making would have us believe. On his death anniversary, here is revisiting Manto’s Bombay of underpaid writers, inflated egos, drunken nights and studios that extracted labour while pretending to nurture art.
Showbiz Trends
Advertisement
During my recent visit to Benares, I found myself walking through a city reshaped by ambition, reordered by authority, and increasingly uncomfortable with the very rituals that had sustained it for centuries
Ola's Krutrim in Crisis: Bhavish Aggarwal's Speed is Breaking India's Only AI Unicorn
Top Business News
Advertisement
Stock Market Cues This Week: Rupee Movement, Earnings, US Fed Meeting Decisions And Others Triggers To Drive Marker Sentiment
K-pop Grows Globally with South Korea, Japan, Indonesia Leading
National Tourism Day 2026: 5 Cities That Showcase India’s Diverse Cultural Tapestry
From management trainee to executive chef at Olive Bar & Kitchen, this is Chef Dhruv Oberoi’s journey with food
POPULAR
Advertisement
The luxury home living brand has come up with a 18,000 sqft flagship store at MG Road bringing its design-forward approach to furniture and collectibles
