Nilanjana S Roy
@nilanjanaroy.bsky.social
Otter of books
Black River: https://tinyurl.com/blackriver-india
https://tinyurl.com/blackriver-roy
Novelist, FT columnist, professional cat herder
Black River: https://tinyurl.com/blackriver-india
https://tinyurl.com/blackriver-roy
Novelist, FT columnist, professional cat herder
“This is not just my victory, but a chorus of voices often left unheard. A thousand fireflies lighting a single sky, brief, brilliant and utterly collective.”
~ Banu Mushtaq in her acceptance speech.
#InternationalBooker2025 #internationalbooker
~ Banu Mushtaq in her acceptance speech.
#InternationalBooker2025 #internationalbooker
May 21, 2025 at 11:44 AM
“This is not just my victory, but a chorus of voices often left unheard. A thousand fireflies lighting a single sky, brief, brilliant and utterly collective.”
~ Banu Mushtaq in her acceptance speech.
#InternationalBooker2025 #internationalbooker
~ Banu Mushtaq in her acceptance speech.
#InternationalBooker2025 #internationalbooker
The @financialtimes.com editorial board on the west's shameful silence on Gaza.
(Proud to be a small part of this paper.)
(Proud to be a small part of this paper.)
May 7, 2025 at 4:51 AM
The @financialtimes.com editorial board on the west's shameful silence on Gaza.
(Proud to be a small part of this paper.)
(Proud to be a small part of this paper.)
Small notes: Tim Berners-Lee in 1999:
"Inventing the WWW involved my growing realisation that there was a power in arranging ideas in an unconstrained, weblike way.The Web arose as the answer to an open challenge, through the swirling together of influences, ideas, & realisations from many sides."
"Inventing the WWW involved my growing realisation that there was a power in arranging ideas in an unconstrained, weblike way.The Web arose as the answer to an open challenge, through the swirling together of influences, ideas, & realisations from many sides."
April 28, 2025 at 2:42 PM
Small notes: Tim Berners-Lee in 1999:
"Inventing the WWW involved my growing realisation that there was a power in arranging ideas in an unconstrained, weblike way.The Web arose as the answer to an open challenge, through the swirling together of influences, ideas, & realisations from many sides."
"Inventing the WWW involved my growing realisation that there was a power in arranging ideas in an unconstrained, weblike way.The Web arose as the answer to an open challenge, through the swirling together of influences, ideas, & realisations from many sides."
"We are facing a global crisis," says the artist and graphic novelist Badiucao. "The outcome is either autocratic empires dividing the world or World War III."
A generation of dissidents and exiles turn to the graphic novel/ memoir — my column for the @financialtimes.com.
archive.is/6fxlR
A generation of dissidents and exiles turn to the graphic novel/ memoir — my column for the @financialtimes.com.
archive.is/6fxlR
April 28, 2025 at 2:22 PM
"We are facing a global crisis," says the artist and graphic novelist Badiucao. "The outcome is either autocratic empires dividing the world or World War III."
A generation of dissidents and exiles turn to the graphic novel/ memoir — my column for the @financialtimes.com.
archive.is/6fxlR
A generation of dissidents and exiles turn to the graphic novel/ memoir — my column for the @financialtimes.com.
archive.is/6fxlR
Watching One Hundred Years of Solitude, spooling the episodes out slowly so as to let the memory of the book return.
Many years ago, GGM set conditions for film-makers: the entire book must be filmed, but only one chapter, two minutes long, was to be released each year, for one hundred years.
Many years ago, GGM set conditions for film-makers: the entire book must be filmed, but only one chapter, two minutes long, was to be released each year, for one hundred years.
December 15, 2024 at 2:10 PM
Watching One Hundred Years of Solitude, spooling the episodes out slowly so as to let the memory of the book return.
Many years ago, GGM set conditions for film-makers: the entire book must be filmed, but only one chapter, two minutes long, was to be released each year, for one hundred years.
Many years ago, GGM set conditions for film-makers: the entire book must be filmed, but only one chapter, two minutes long, was to be released each year, for one hundred years.
Love it when something human breaks through the algorithm. "Sunny and beautiful."
December 8, 2024 at 5:38 AM
Love it when something human breaks through the algorithm. "Sunny and beautiful."
+ UNESCO estimates that roughly 2.2 million books are published each year.
Perhaps AI will trigger even more empty productivity. But when I imagine the centuries of writing, this strange communion with pen, paper, keyboard, I wonder what else is at work.
Why do you write? Why does anyone write?
Perhaps AI will trigger even more empty productivity. But when I imagine the centuries of writing, this strange communion with pen, paper, keyboard, I wonder what else is at work.
Why do you write? Why does anyone write?
December 6, 2024 at 9:11 AM
+ UNESCO estimates that roughly 2.2 million books are published each year.
Perhaps AI will trigger even more empty productivity. But when I imagine the centuries of writing, this strange communion with pen, paper, keyboard, I wonder what else is at work.
Why do you write? Why does anyone write?
Perhaps AI will trigger even more empty productivity. But when I imagine the centuries of writing, this strange communion with pen, paper, keyboard, I wonder what else is at work.
Why do you write? Why does anyone write?
The human relationship with writing is so strong, and hard to measure in numbers.
The National Mission for Manuscripts estimates that India has ten million manuscripts. That doesn't include lost, destroyed, uncollected manuscripts.
All those minds from the past, placing their faith in writing.
The National Mission for Manuscripts estimates that India has ten million manuscripts. That doesn't include lost, destroyed, uncollected manuscripts.
All those minds from the past, placing their faith in writing.
December 6, 2024 at 9:03 AM
The human relationship with writing is so strong, and hard to measure in numbers.
The National Mission for Manuscripts estimates that India has ten million manuscripts. That doesn't include lost, destroyed, uncollected manuscripts.
All those minds from the past, placing their faith in writing.
The National Mission for Manuscripts estimates that India has ten million manuscripts. That doesn't include lost, destroyed, uncollected manuscripts.
All those minds from the past, placing their faith in writing.
Back to typing with a cat batting at my hands.
(Second one is lying across the keyboard. This should be fun... for them, if not your humble writer, and is an accurate answer to the question: "Why haven't you finished the next book?")
(Second one is lying across the keyboard. This should be fun... for them, if not your humble writer, and is an accurate answer to the question: "Why haven't you finished the next book?")
December 5, 2024 at 10:18 AM
Back to typing with a cat batting at my hands.
(Second one is lying across the keyboard. This should be fun... for them, if not your humble writer, and is an accurate answer to the question: "Why haven't you finished the next book?")
(Second one is lying across the keyboard. This should be fun... for them, if not your humble writer, and is an accurate answer to the question: "Why haven't you finished the next book?")
Cat Chaos Day.
One Rosebudded two Zoom meetings. Passively resisted arrest in a Gandhian manner while piteously mewing SOSes.
One spent the morning stuffing her pet mice into the gap in the spines of books. (Goodbye, Proust.)
And one has executed long slashes across my draft chapter printouts.
One Rosebudded two Zoom meetings. Passively resisted arrest in a Gandhian manner while piteously mewing SOSes.
One spent the morning stuffing her pet mice into the gap in the spines of books. (Goodbye, Proust.)
And one has executed long slashes across my draft chapter printouts.
November 27, 2024 at 10:20 AM
Cat Chaos Day.
One Rosebudded two Zoom meetings. Passively resisted arrest in a Gandhian manner while piteously mewing SOSes.
One spent the morning stuffing her pet mice into the gap in the spines of books. (Goodbye, Proust.)
And one has executed long slashes across my draft chapter printouts.
One Rosebudded two Zoom meetings. Passively resisted arrest in a Gandhian manner while piteously mewing SOSes.
One spent the morning stuffing her pet mice into the gap in the spines of books. (Goodbye, Proust.)
And one has executed long slashes across my draft chapter printouts.
Goddamn.
(And thank you. Completely unexpected. It feels great, and unreal, to see Black River among books I've loved, read, reviewed.)
(And thank you. Completely unexpected. It feels great, and unreal, to see Black River among books I've loved, read, reviewed.)
November 26, 2024 at 2:00 PM
Goddamn.
(And thank you. Completely unexpected. It feels great, and unreal, to see Black River among books I've loved, read, reviewed.)
(And thank you. Completely unexpected. It feels great, and unreal, to see Black River among books I've loved, read, reviewed.)
For crime and noir fiction readers — a grazing board.
A small selection: from hard-hitting, dirty realist rural crime (Hurda, by Atharva Pandit) to Mughal-era detectives (Madhulika Liddle), gritty big city crime (Anita Nair, me) to light-hearted romps (Unmana, Samyukta Bhowmick).
#Indianwriting
A small selection: from hard-hitting, dirty realist rural crime (Hurda, by Atharva Pandit) to Mughal-era detectives (Madhulika Liddle), gritty big city crime (Anita Nair, me) to light-hearted romps (Unmana, Samyukta Bhowmick).
#Indianwriting
November 23, 2024 at 7:52 AM
For crime and noir fiction readers — a grazing board.
A small selection: from hard-hitting, dirty realist rural crime (Hurda, by Atharva Pandit) to Mughal-era detectives (Madhulika Liddle), gritty big city crime (Anita Nair, me) to light-hearted romps (Unmana, Samyukta Bhowmick).
#Indianwriting
A small selection: from hard-hitting, dirty realist rural crime (Hurda, by Atharva Pandit) to Mughal-era detectives (Madhulika Liddle), gritty big city crime (Anita Nair, me) to light-hearted romps (Unmana, Samyukta Bhowmick).
#Indianwriting
Another set of readings: the AQI is at 1320, not 710.
The joy.
The joy.
November 18, 2024 at 4:30 AM
Another set of readings: the AQI is at 1320, not 710.
The joy.
The joy.
I also miss breathing. Delhi's AQI today.
November 18, 2024 at 4:00 AM
I also miss breathing. Delhi's AQI today.
The only thing I have in common with Austen: we'd have been the ones at the back of the ballroom, casting a beady eye on the ton and cackling behind our hands.
"Miss Blackford is agreeable enough. I do not want people to be very agreeable, as it saves me the trouble of liking them a great deal. "
"Miss Blackford is agreeable enough. I do not want people to be very agreeable, as it saves me the trouble of liking them a great deal. "
November 17, 2024 at 9:49 AM
The only thing I have in common with Austen: we'd have been the ones at the back of the ballroom, casting a beady eye on the ton and cackling behind our hands.
"Miss Blackford is agreeable enough. I do not want people to be very agreeable, as it saves me the trouble of liking them a great deal. "
"Miss Blackford is agreeable enough. I do not want people to be very agreeable, as it saves me the trouble of liking them a great deal. "
I miss letter writing; there is no romance in collecting hard drives. Jane Austen, to her sister:
"Mrs. F. A. has had one fainting fit lately; it came on as usual after eating a hearty dinner, but did not last long.
I can recollect nothing more to say. When my letter is gone, I suppose I shall."
"Mrs. F. A. has had one fainting fit lately; it came on as usual after eating a hearty dinner, but did not last long.
I can recollect nothing more to say. When my letter is gone, I suppose I shall."
November 17, 2024 at 9:43 AM
I miss letter writing; there is no romance in collecting hard drives. Jane Austen, to her sister:
"Mrs. F. A. has had one fainting fit lately; it came on as usual after eating a hearty dinner, but did not last long.
I can recollect nothing more to say. When my letter is gone, I suppose I shall."
"Mrs. F. A. has had one fainting fit lately; it came on as usual after eating a hearty dinner, but did not last long.
I can recollect nothing more to say. When my letter is gone, I suppose I shall."
Catsquash.
(Everyone has individual baskets, but no: it's got to be one giant billi ball on the sofa.)
(Everyone has individual baskets, but no: it's got to be one giant billi ball on the sofa.)
November 17, 2024 at 5:18 AM
Catsquash.
(Everyone has individual baskets, but no: it's got to be one giant billi ball on the sofa.)
(Everyone has individual baskets, but no: it's got to be one giant billi ball on the sofa.)
Gurnah's reminder:
"Words will not rebuild destroyed schools and hospitals or end detentions or continued injustices taking place in the world. But there are times when words are all we have - words and sympathy and understanding of our comparable experiences, our shared humanity.”
"Words will not rebuild destroyed schools and hospitals or end detentions or continued injustices taking place in the world. But there are times when words are all we have - words and sympathy and understanding of our comparable experiences, our shared humanity.”
November 16, 2024 at 9:17 AM
Gurnah's reminder:
"Words will not rebuild destroyed schools and hospitals or end detentions or continued injustices taking place in the world. But there are times when words are all we have - words and sympathy and understanding of our comparable experiences, our shared humanity.”
"Words will not rebuild destroyed schools and hospitals or end detentions or continued injustices taking place in the world. But there are times when words are all we have - words and sympathy and understanding of our comparable experiences, our shared humanity.”
+ I persuaded the squirrel to return to their tree, which they did after one last lunge at a terrified cat. We do not cat-shame, so cat will remain unidentified. (He hid behind a cushion. I cannot even.)
At some point, the squirrel took a break to snack on a para from Afterlives — hence Gurnah.
At some point, the squirrel took a break to snack on a para from Afterlives — hence Gurnah.
November 16, 2024 at 9:05 AM
+ I persuaded the squirrel to return to their tree, which they did after one last lunge at a terrified cat. We do not cat-shame, so cat will remain unidentified. (He hid behind a cushion. I cannot even.)
At some point, the squirrel took a break to snack on a para from Afterlives — hence Gurnah.
At some point, the squirrel took a break to snack on a para from Afterlives — hence Gurnah.
"My shadow that no one’s attending to, bleeding black blood through its memory now, and forever.”
~ Obit, Mosab Abu Toha, from his new collection, Forest of Noise
~ Obit, Mosab Abu Toha, from his new collection, Forest of Noise
November 15, 2024 at 5:48 AM
"My shadow that no one’s attending to, bleeding black blood through its memory now, and forever.”
~ Obit, Mosab Abu Toha, from his new collection, Forest of Noise
~ Obit, Mosab Abu Toha, from his new collection, Forest of Noise
Black River made it to Amazon's list of the best mysteries of 2024 — kind of chuffed because this was my first shot at crime fiction. Still shuffling sideways into being a crime writer, learning the ropes of the genre, but glad for the encouragement.
#writinglife #crimefiction
#writinglife #crimefiction
November 15, 2024 at 4:57 AM
Black River made it to Amazon's list of the best mysteries of 2024 — kind of chuffed because this was my first shot at crime fiction. Still shuffling sideways into being a crime writer, learning the ropes of the genre, but glad for the encouragement.
#writinglife #crimefiction
#writinglife #crimefiction
Please take a ginger cat (that would be JennyAny) as a token of appreciation for Blue Sky's nicer features.
November 14, 2024 at 6:54 AM
Please take a ginger cat (that would be JennyAny) as a token of appreciation for Blue Sky's nicer features.
+ So, the Booker.
Percival Everett's James and Samantha Harvey's Orbital were the two books on a strong shortlist that were most powerfully resonant, for me.
'James' will tower over American literature for years to come; bleak, funny, the novel as an act of reclamation and resistance.
Percival Everett's James and Samantha Harvey's Orbital were the two books on a strong shortlist that were most powerfully resonant, for me.
'James' will tower over American literature for years to come; bleak, funny, the novel as an act of reclamation and resistance.
November 14, 2024 at 5:32 AM
+ So, the Booker.
Percival Everett's James and Samantha Harvey's Orbital were the two books on a strong shortlist that were most powerfully resonant, for me.
'James' will tower over American literature for years to come; bleak, funny, the novel as an act of reclamation and resistance.
Percival Everett's James and Samantha Harvey's Orbital were the two books on a strong shortlist that were most powerfully resonant, for me.
'James' will tower over American literature for years to come; bleak, funny, the novel as an act of reclamation and resistance.
"...and in these moments is the thought: without that earth we are all finished. We couldn't survive a second without its grace, we are sailors on a ship on a deep, dark, unswimmable sea."
~ Orbital, Samantha Harvey
~ Orbital, Samantha Harvey
November 14, 2024 at 5:23 AM
"...and in these moments is the thought: without that earth we are all finished. We couldn't survive a second without its grace, we are sailors on a ship on a deep, dark, unswimmable sea."
~ Orbital, Samantha Harvey
~ Orbital, Samantha Harvey
Joined the exodus.
(I'll need a little settling-in time to get used to civil discourse all over again.)
(I'll need a little settling-in time to get used to civil discourse all over again.)
November 13, 2024 at 7:05 PM
Joined the exodus.
(I'll need a little settling-in time to get used to civil discourse all over again.)
(I'll need a little settling-in time to get used to civil discourse all over again.)