Alcoholism has ruined many families, individuals and relationships. Its impact has not been restricted to just the physical health of the person but has often caused irrevocable harm to the mental health of the individual as well as those associated with the individual, making it as much a health hazard as a social concern. There are several states in India that ban the sale and use of alcohol and are designated dry states. Hooch tragedies are commonly reported.

Alcoholism has also been associated, in literary and cultural representations, with the persona of a rejected lover as in Devdas or as a neglected child of rich parentage as we see in the popular Bollywood movie, Sharabi. The figure of a wife-beating, abusive husband is also common in various cultural and literary representations. Glorification of alcoholism is also a trend associated with a form of pseudo-masochism.

It is also interesting to note that while there has been a taboo regarding drinking alcohol in India, it continues to exist as a social activity. There are several cultures in India that brew their variety of alcohol. Most of them are made from rice or from flowers, etc - for instance handia, apong, fenny, kallu, toddy. Indian society traditionally was one that advocated abstinence and yet also had an availability of several alcoholic drinks, sura, usually made from grains. Indian mythology also makes reference to somrasa as well.
In the proposed anthology we are seeking English translations of published stories written by women in Indian languages (except Hindi and Bangla) which address the issue of alcoholism in some form or the other. We are seeking stories which deal with alcoholism or have an alcoholic character as an integral part of the narrative and not any story with an alcoholic as a minor character. Through the proposed anthology, we are seeking to explore the ways in which women understand and negotiate with the issues of alcohol and alcoholism.

Translators need to get the required permission from the authors. Please note that the original story needs to have been published on or before 31st December 2023.

Please let us know of your willingness to be part of this project by email to shortstory.indian@gmail.com by the 31st of July 2024. Please include the following details in your email -
1. Name of the story you have decided on and its publication details.
2. The name of the author
3. The source language
4. The word count of the story
5. A 100 word synopsis of the story.

In case of any query please mail to shortstory.indian@gmail.com