I
am
Archana Painuly, an Indian living in Copenhagen, capital of
Denmark since 1997.
I am a
teacher by profession and writing is my favourite pursuit. I
teach at Hoersholm International School in Denmark. I
write stories and novels, and occasionally, articles
and poems also. My two novels have been
published;
"Parivartan"
and
"Where
Do I Belong", both in Hindi, and more than 50 stories (in Hindi and English) in a
variety of magazines in India. My stories have been published in Iliterary
magazines such as
Vagarth,
Hans,
Kathadesh, in popular
magazines of Delhi Prakashan such as
Woman's Era,
Sarita and Grihshobha,
in
other magazines such as Pravasi Sansar, Shantidoot, and
web magzines such as
Abhivyakti.
I believe
the well-known Indian writers should go beyond the literary
world and reach the masses through popular magazines, if they
want to promote Indian literature of any kind, as is the case in
the West.
Parivartan is the story of
struggles of Ratna, a women from hill state of Uttranchal, for
her survival. Her struggles are carried forward by her daughter
and grand daughters to establish their identity in the old male
chauvinistic Indian society. Parivartan was published by
Abhiruchi Prakashan, a well-known pulisher of Hindi books.
Parivratan was received very well by the readers and their
feedback motivated me to write my second novel " Where Do I
Belong". I have planned to publish Parivaratan in English
to reach to more readers and a draft version in English is now
ready.
To know more about my novel
Parivartan or
read first three Chapters,
click here.
My second
novel,
"Where Do I Belong?"
(in
Hindi) has been published by Bharatiya Jnanpith
(http://jnanpith.net/index.html) in 2009. It is story of a young
girl, descendent of an Indian immigrant in Denmark- the dilemma she
finds herself in due to cultural differences between her family
and the Danish society she lives in.
To
know more about "Where Do I Belong"
or read first three Chapters,
click here.
To know
more about my stories or read some sample stories,
click here.
More
about me:
In June
2004, Dhad Mahila
Manch, a literary and activist NGO in Dehradun organised a
function for discussions on "Parivartan" and to honour me for
contributing to the literature from Uttranchal region.
In January
2005, I was
invited by the Sahitya Academy, New Delhi to their
three-day international seminar on
Pravasi Writing and
Indian Writing in Hindi
as a representative of the
Scandinavian countries.
To read my
views on
"Expectations of Hindi writers living abroad from Hindi
Literature, and vice-versa",
as expressed during the Sahitya Academy seminar,
click here.
In August
2006, Indian Cultural Association, Copenhagen organised a cultural function 'Adbi Shaam' and
felicitated me for my contribution to the literary world.
In January 2008, my alma mater,
Mahadevi Kanya Patshala, from where I finished my pre-university
education, organised a Sahyaatik Gosthi and fecilitated me for
my contribution to the literature from Uttranchal region.