Editor's Note

We, at Out of Print, are humbled and proud to be celebrating our first anniversary. In this issue we feature work by one of India's foremost literary figures, Kannada author U R Ananthamurthy. Apoorva, translated by Deepa Ganesh, explores the extraordinary or uncanny encounter between a woman and a man who are on opposite sides of a profound point in their respective marriages, where one partner contemplates death as the singular solution to a dying relationship. We are proud too, that we feature a second translated work, The Cow by Pakistani writer Firdaus Haider. The story, which allegorically examines the female condition, is translated by Nighat Gandhi. Gandhi, whose own writing appeared in our first issue, is sensitive to the lyrical nature of the original Urdu.

Three other stories, while individual in their pace and energy, expose the complex and sometimes brutal layers of character and society, whether they be physical, emotional or moral that influence human interaction. Annie Zaidi's, Sujata, follows the thoughts of a young woman, who goes to all lengths to survive. Sri Lankan writer, Sharanya Mannivanan writes with intensity and honesty in The High Priestess never Marries. In Eyes Like Yours by Roshna Kapadia, we witness a marriage ceremony through the voices of the different participants.

It is a great pleasure to feature contributions by friends of Out of Print, writers beyond the middle stage, Chandrahas Choudhury and Murzban Shroff. The latter's Mind over Matter is written in a light-hearted tone, which does not in the least obscure his scathing commentary on individual and systemic corruption. And Dnyaneshwar Kulkarni Changes His Name by Choudhury leads us to a wonderfully uplifting ending after describing a man's enervating private battle with daily life and bureaucracy, some aspect of which is reflected in our cover art.

A grateful thank you to the authors and artists who supported Out of Print through its first, and in our view, extremely successful year.

We hope you will enjoy reading.

The cover design by Yamuna Mukherjee contains work from the Bureaucratics series by Jan Banning, and images from a piece of Kalamkari or crafted-by-pen fabric depicting stories from Hindu mythology.

Jan Banning was born in The Netherlands in 1954, of Dutch-East-Indies immigrant parents. His work, rooted in both art and journalism, has been exhibited in museums and galleries and published widely in books, magazines and newspapers. The central concern in his work is the theme of state power (and its abuse); Banning has produced series on the long-term consequences of war and the world of government bureaucracy.

The image used in Out of Print of the typeroom in the Finance Department of the Old Secretariat in Patna, Bihar, is from his series Bureaucratics, a comparative photographic study of the culture, rituals and symbols of state civil administrations and its servants in eight countries on five continents. His website is www.janbanning.comand he is represented by, among others, the agency, Panos, London, UK.

Selected stories may contain language or details that could be viewed as offensive. Readers below 18 are cautioned to use discretion. Views expressed are those of the authors and not necessarily supported by Out of Print.