English

It’s the calm before the storm.

Crown Prince Aditha Karikalan is riding hell-for-leather towards Kadambur to honour Ilaiya Rani Nandhini’s kind invitation—while Vandhiyathevan is hurrying in the same direction, hell-bent on thwarting their meeting. Mandhakini Devi is abducted by ruffianly unknowns towards Thanjavur—while Poonguzhali, her niece, is hastening thither, to rescue her aunt. Peril threatens Sundara Chozhar, confined to his sickbed and at the mercy of Pandiya assassins—while Ilaiya Piratti strains every nerve to protect her father.

Will all three succeed in their quests? Will Arulmozhi Varmar recover from his ague? Will Aniruddhar’s schemes and stratagems save the royal family? Will Azhwarkkadiyaan’s efforts bear fruit? And lastly … will Chozha Nadu be free of the tangled web of conspiracies?

Azhagiyasingar's tales consist of both mental trauma and stunning twists. And all of them speak of the writer's own individual creativity. It is indeed remarkable that the author's creativity comprises so many dimensions. Some of the stories are very short. 

It is clear that Azhagiyasingar is very much bothered about both the present and the future. A streak of pain seems to run through his gentle teasing humour. 

                                 -Ashokamitran

When we listen to Tchaikovsky’s symphonies, we can visualize snow falling gently on to the
ground. All of Tchaikovsky’s fans have attested to this fact. Similarly while reading Sathana’s
tales, I could feel the ice and slowly drifting snowfall. Such stories have not appeared in Tamil earlier. Each one of these stories in this book is
easily worthy of being converted into world cinema with their themes and incidents. The
stories vividly unspool in front of our eyes even as we are reading them.
-Charu Nivedita

Author: Sathana 
Genre: Literature and Fiction
Publishing House: Zero Degree Publishing
No. Of Pages: 102
Language: English

A collection of Plays

Author: Elangovan
Genre: Film/ Drama/ Music
Publishing House: Zero Degree Publishing
No. Of Pages: 258
Language: English

One of ZDP’s aim is to introduce to the world some of the finest specimens of our literature. We take great pride in introducing our series ‘Boundless and Bare’, of which the first would be Thanjai Prakash, who is known for his bold, feminocentric stories.

Author: Thanjai Prakash
Genre: Literature and Fiction
Publishing House: Zero Degree Publishing
No. Of Pages: 172
Language: English

Set during the Chola period in Southern India, Bhuvanapathi, a young Brahmin in Kanchi, nurtures an unquenchable desire to take on a perilous journey to Kasi, in order to earn fame and wealth. Having mastered all the survival skills, he sets on this journey to Kasi after his marriage. His greed makes him commit all forbidden sins during his stay in Kasi and top to it all, he lusts for another woman, Navagnani and lures her to marry him, lying that his first wife was dead.

Time goes by and Bhuvanapathi, now wanting to reap the benefits of his Kasi trip, plans to head back to Kanchi. His only problem – his second wife and her younger brother Sivagnani, who wants to go with him. Unable to stop them, he takes them along, all the while trying to make an evil plan to get rid of them. Bhuvanapathi’s male supremacy stoops low and does the unthinkable when they reach Thiruvenlangadu. Little did he know that a woman’s curse can span across births. What happens next and how the legend of Pazhayanur Neeli came to be, is a riveting read.

Author: Balakumaran
Genre: Literature and Fiction
Publishing House: Zero Degree Publishing
No. Of Pages: 348
Language: English

Shadow of the Palm Tree is set in Goa, India’s very own Shangri-la. It opens with a heart-rending tragedy: the death of a mother at her own hands. Yet the shadow of sadness cast on the Abreus took shape in the 1700s when the family converted to Christianity and joined the most lucrative enterprise of Christian Europe: the slave trade. From the day Imaculada, a traditional healer from Mozambique, entered the Abreu home, her family and theirs were fated to be entwined in a dark dance of intimacy. After their mother’s death, the Abreus flee from the penumbra of their collective grief becoming an inadvertent metaphor for the diasporic nature of the Goan community. As Goa gains independence, family equations are realigned once again. Claudinha, a descendant of Imaculada, flees Goa and the Abreus to take refuge with the Siddhis, a primitive tribal group. There is now no one left to deflect Imaculada’s malevolence. Will her prophecy finally be fulfilled? Richly told and profoundly moving, Shadow of the Palm Tree is a story of identity and survival, love and sacrifice, forgotten history and cultural conflicts.

Author: Vatsala Mendonca
Genre: Literature and Fiction
Publishing House: Zero Degree Publishing
No. Of Pages: 264
Language: English

Nirmal Kumar is a movie star whose perfect image and seemingly perfect life a dangerous predator is hell-bent on ruining. While on a cosy vacation, his life is turned upside-down when he becomes the sole suspect in a gruesome murder. With everything at stake, can Nirmal Kumar prove his innocence and recover from his fall from grace?

Author: Pattukkottai Prabakar
Genre: Crime/Thriller/Mystery
Publishing House: Zero Degree Publishing
No. Of Pages:186
Language: English

Everything that happens in life teaches us something. You just have to have an eye for the details. When that observation sharpens there are so many lessons that unfold. Some that change our core for good.

Everything you read in this book is my personal experiences and as you run through the pages I am sanguine that your personal lessons will unfold too. Looking forward to your lessons from you to you.

Author: Sujatha.V
Genre: Non-Fiction
Publishing House: Zero Degree Publishing
No. Of Pages: 122
Language: English

A transporting tale set around the shifting power dynamics of viciously aggressive investors who enter a nation to maraud it's resources and will stop at nothing to make money. A stunning meditation on human nature and survival instincts, this novel poses intense moral questions. Discover a world of love and deception as it weaves through the extraordinary world of magical realism.

Author:  Saravanan Chandran
Genre: Literature and Fiction
Publishing House: Zero Degree Publishing
No. Of Pages: 188
Language: English

Beginning with Timur, Sultan Ghazni who invaded India seventeen times at the head of a large army, plundering the country of its great wealth, to the last Mughal Emperor Bahadur Shah, banished from the country by the British – details and descriptions of every incident and each king astonish and exhilarate us.

The approach is direct, simple and unambiguous. From Timur to Bahadur Shah it is one engaging account. The book should find a place in every household, as an authentic account of ourselves. A flawless portrait.

–THE HINDU

Madhan while explaining historical events uses modern similes…

In spite of being a cartoonist in his previous avatar, Madhan did not caricature the Moghul Emperors and their subjects. I am so pleased he did not sit on judgement as a south Indian non-Muslim writer.

–KAMAL HAASAN

Author: Madhan
Genre: History, Non-Fiction
Publishing House: Zero Degree Publishing
No. Of Pages: 396
Language: English

With new possibilities in storytelling, The Final Solitude exposes the injustice that prevailed during Emperor Aurangzeb’s rule in a fictional small kingdom in Eastern India, called Satgarh.
Interspersed with fantastical tales, this allegorical novel brings to light the torment and the trouble people faced during the lunatic king Pishada’s fascist regime.

Author: S. Ramakrishnan
Genre: Literature and Fiction
Publishing House: Zero Degree Publishing
No. Of Pages: 292
Language: English

Sword of Slaughter finds us at an exciting cliffhanger following the end of Book 2 – have Vandhiyathevan and Arulmozhi Varmar truly been saved? What of their fate in the land of their birth, Chozha Nadu? Are the Pazhuvettarayars truly stirring the country in a revolt against their favourite prince? Why does the alluring Nandhini Devi insist on meeting allies within crumbling palaces? Why does Madhuranthaka Thevar ride his stumbling horse through fields, on a rainy night? And why does Vanathi, that shrinking, timid violet, leave her charming mentor to go on a solitary journey?
Then, there are our old and trusted friends, whose fates are also unclear: is Sundara Chozhar still bedridden? What of the canny Anbil Aniruddhar and his cunning disciple, Azhwarkkadiyaan? And what of the light of the Chozhas, Princess Kundhavai herself? Read on, to find out.

Author:  Kalki
Genre: History
Publishing House: Zero Degree Publishing
No. Of Pages: 424
Language: English

Whirlwinds, the exciting second part of Kalki R Krishnamurthy’s historic magnum opus Ponniyin Selvan, our hero Vallavarayan Vandhiyathevan’s adventures continue as he rides into marshy quagmires, befriends a mysterious girl, becomes the object of intense suspicion by the wily Pazhuvettarayars – and meets the hero of his dreams.
Meanwhile, Kundhavai Piratti, princess of the Chozha empire is thrown into confusion and outrage, while the beautiful but poisonous Nandhini Devi weaves more deceitful webs to ensnare her enemies. She will stop at nothing to bring about the downfall of the Chozhas … but will the scions of that royal clan escape in time?
Read on to find out as the epic continues.

Author:  Kalki
Genre: History
Publishing House: Zero Degree Publishing
No. Of Pages: 482
Language: English

Ponniyin Selvan is Kalki R Krishnamurthy’s magnum opus, set in 10th century Tamil Nadu, exploring the early life of Emperor Rajaraja the 1st. It might have been written more than 60 years ago, but this saga is timeless, reeling in readers with a gripping plot interwoven with intrigue, conspiracies, mystery, romance and adventure. Fresh Floods is Book 1 of a total of five volumes.

Who is the rightful heir to the ancient Chozha throne? Will Madhuranthakar—son of the eldest son—or Aditha Karikalan—the grandson of the younger—wear the crown? And will justice prevail in this struggle for power?

Follow our young, enthusiastic hero Vallavarayan Vandhiyathevan on his fascinating journey, as this historical fiction based on real characters and incidents unfolds at a spell-binding pace, delving deep into human tendencies, desires, personal motives, political ambitions and the fight to gain power at all costs.
Author:  Kalki
Genre: History
Publishing House: Zero Degree Publishing
No. Of Pages: 454
Language: English

Shyamala returns to Kannamangalam with her friend Raghav in the hope of finding tranquillity and musical inspiration. However, she finds herself in an embroilment with an enigmatic Bairagi who is haunting the village and derailing the lives of its inhabitants. The reason? He is desperately trying to acquire the flute of Krishna through her. The village becomes a hotbed of religious debate when death and disappearance crop up unexplained along with a claim that Shyamala is a reincarnation of Draupadi. Can peace and normalcy be restored in the celebrated haven of intrigue? And how? Through faith in the unseen or through rational thought and action?

Author: Indra Soundar Rajan
Genre: Non-Fiction
Publishing House: Zero Degree Publishing
No. Of Pages: 381
Language: English

The ideal combination of satirical ammunition launched at political powers, vivid descriptions of travels in Paris, witty movie reviews, appreciation of dogs and the under-appreciation of the Tamil writer, Unfaithfully Yours, is the very essence of Charu Nivedita’s raw perception of this world. A collection of articles, essays, blogs and interviews, the book presents Charu’s bold and unapologetic take on various subjects, at a single glance to the reader.

Author: Charu Nivedita
Genre: Non-Fiction
Publishing House: Zero Degree Publishing
No. Of Pages: 218
Language: English

The on-screen offerings of Hollywood and Europe have coloured the popular perspective of cinema- what it is and what it should be- to such a great extent that the film contributions of Latin American directors remain largely uncharted. This book, with its compelling insights, intends to put the stylistically groundbreaking, exceedingly true to life and aesthetically mesmerizing Latin American cinema on the map and establish it as the “Third Cinema”.

Author: Charu Nivedita
Genre: Film/ Drama/ Music
Publishing House: Zero Degree Publishing
No. Of Pages: 112
Language: English

Fifty Parsi portraits include:
The city father assassinated in broad daylight.
The aristocratic sisters owing allegiance to the British Monarchy, fifty years after independence.
The principal who bent all his principles for a masseuse.
The accountant who organised tax raids on his own clients.
The Thumri humming high priest of Navsari.
The magician who was stripped by his maid.
The con-man who met Marlyn Monroe through time travel.
The renowned forensic expert who hypnotised roosters.
The stud who fathered half a village in Pune.
The serpent avatars with their Bollywood glitz.
The serial philanderer who seduced countless domestics behind a water tank.
include The City Father assassinated in broad daylight
The Aristocratic Sisters owing allegiance to the British monarchy, fifty years after Independence
The Principal who bent all his principles for a masseuse
The Accountant who organised tax raids on his own clients
The thumri humming High Priest of Navsari
The Magician who was tricked by his maid
The Conman who met Marilyn Monroe through time travel
The renowned Forensic Expert who hypnotised roosters
The Stud who fathered half a village in Pune
The Serpent Avatars with their Bollywood glitz
The Serial Philanderer who seduced countless
domestics behind a water tank
RAUNCHILY RAMBUNCTIOUS

BIZZARELY BAWDY REAL LIFE TALES MORE FANTASTIC THAN ARABIAN NIGHTSSECRET LIVES OF UNFORGETTABLE BAWAS
“Desai is a master of comic delivery.”HINDUSTAN TIMES

“His articles laced with subtle wit, wisdom and affection,
offer deep insight into the Parsi way of life which is rapidly disappearing.”
INDIAN EXPRESS

Author: Berjis Desai
Genre: Non-Fiction
Publishing House: Zero Degree Publishing
No. Of Pages: 232
Language: English

In this A to Z on Parsis: How Parsis convert the dirtiest swear words into terms of endearment
Pesi, who got the Pope himself to intercede to reduce the volume of bells rung at St.Joseph’s Church, Dadar
Maku Macbeth’s OCD which compelled her to change her undergarments five times a day.
The inside story of famous Parsi murderers
Men who believe why have a wife when you have your Mummy.
Parsi mediums communicating with the dead to obtain indigestion remedies

Author: Berjis Desai
Genre: Non-Fiction
Publishing House: Zero Degree Publishing
No. Of Pages: 294
Language: English

A terrorist group is out to eliminate a pilot, a brigadier and a deserter who turned the tables on them during a hijacking a few years ago. Connections, histories, and secrets surface when a filmmaking duo looking to make their commercial debut start probing into the hijacking story. At the same time, a copilot gets embroiled in trouble with a gangland and the Malaysian police after incurring the wrath of his lover’s father.

Can this whole cast outwit the people who are after their blood?

Author: Pattukkottai Prabakar
Genre: Crime/Thriller/Mystery
Publishing House: Zero Degree Publishing
No. Of Pages: 266
Language: English

Man Manqué is a memoir and social commentary detailing the life of a Parsi-American man who grew up in post-independence Bombay and migrated to the United States at the turn of the twenty-first century. In the opening scene, the protagonist begins his ascent up Lone Mountain in Las Vegas, Nevada, contemplating the lifetime of disabling mishaps and toxic relationships that have driven him to undertake his solitary climb to the top of the mountain where he is resolved to answer what Camus deemed the “only one really serious philosophical question.” In the chapters that follow, he recounts a series of vivid stories about his childhood in the Parsi colony of Homiyar Baug, adolescence rife with sexual angst, and, finally, adulthood in which he faces the perfect storm of personal and professional betrayal, financial ruin, disillusionment with Parsi culture and Zoroastrian religion, and unresolved trauma from the past. The memoir is characterized by ironic overtones, and, at times, unfiltered dialogue that captures the raw human emotion of the characters. What sets this book apart from other written accounts of everyday Parsi life—and what sets the man, himself, apart from quite possibly all of Parsi society—is an unapologetic disregard bordering on intellectual contempt for all people and institutions that shroud malicious intention with social prudence. As author and storyteller, Lakdavala wields his dual cultural identity as a unique vantage point from which to adroitly paint an unapologetic and bitingly cynical picture of both Parsi and American culture and politics. And much else.

Author: Zend Lakdavala
Genre: Non-Fiction
Publishing House: Zero Degree Publishing
No. Of Pages: 184
Language: English