Artwork: Harmeet Singh

Editor Speak

November 2025

Four Years of Wise Flights

As The Wise Owl soars into its fifth year, we find ourselves filled with gratitude for this creative journey—one that has been illuminated by the brilliance of poets, writers, artists, and readers who have joined us in celebrating the written word and the visual arts.

This 4th Anniversary Edition is both a celebration and a tribute. We dedicate this issue to Keki N. Daruwalla, one of India’s most distinguished poets and writers, whose voice has shaped generations of readers and inspired countless poets. In this commemorative edition, several acclaimed poets and writers come together to honour the man and his muse.

We bring to you an archival interview where Keki Daruwalla speaks with Malashri Lal about his creative process and the sources of his inspiration—a rare and intimate glimpse into the mind of the master. Poet Sudeep Sen dedicates three of his evocative poems — Chasing the Blues: A Lexicon, Birdsong, and a Haiku Triptych — to Daruwalla. Esteemed poets Usha Akella, Sanjukta Dasgupta, Basudhara Roy, Vinita Agrawal, and Kavita Ezekiel Mendonca remember him with affection and deep admiration, reflecting on his poetry, his craft, and his enduring creative legacy.

Our cover story spotlights Violaine Fayolle, a plasticienne artiste from France whose art blurs the boundaries between form and feeling. Her work, steeped in texture, colour, and emotion, invites viewers to experience the fluid dialogue between material and imagination.

In our ‘Talking Books’ segment, we converse with Chetna Keer about her delightful book Geisha in a Gotta Patti. Through wit and cultural insight, Chetna examines the paradoxes of modern womanhood, weaving together humour, heritage, and heart.

The Poetry section is alive with verse — an eclectic gathering of voices from across the globe, each poet bringing their unique rhythm and resonance to the page. The Fiction and Creative Non-Fiction segments feature stories that linger long after reading, echoing universal emotions and truths.

In the Reviews section, we feature thoughtful critiques of The Dream Count, A Peacock’s Cry by Neena Singh, and The Body’s Politic by Ant Mac, alongside a review of the Netflix spy thriller Diplomat.

Our Visual Arts segment dazzles with the poetic lens of Sabyasachi Roy, whose photographs capture fleeting moments of beauty, and the mesmerising artwork of Shazia Sikander, whose bold compositions speak to tradition and transformation alike.

This anniversary issue is a labour of love — a rich, eclectic spread of words and visuals that celebrate creativity in all its forms. We hope you savour this edition as much as we have enjoyed curating it. Here’s to four years of wise flights — and many more to come.

With warmth and gratitude,

The Wise Owl Team

The Birth of The Wise Owl

The year was 2021. COVID-19 had upended our world and altered life as we knew it. Simple joys we once took for granted—meeting friends, shopping, watching films, being part of a crowd—had all been put on hold. I was then posted in Delhi as a senior IRS officer, managing work through the fog of uncertainty and loss.

The pandemic’s toll was deeply personal. I lost a valued member of my staff—a hardworking office supervisor and cancer survivor—to COVID. Two of my colleagues, one of them a doctor who had volunteered at a Mohalla Clinic, also lost their battles. Another dear batchmate survived, but just barely. Conversations about the fragility of life, once philosophical musings, had suddenly become real and raw.