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Artwork: Harmeet Singh  

Editor Speak

July 2025

Celebrating the Longest Day and the Brightest Creative Voices

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Welcome to the Litha Edition of The Wise Owl—our midsummer celebration of light, energy, and creative brilliance. As the sun reaches its highest point and daylight lingers, we shine a spotlight on emerging talent and powerful stories in cinema, literature, and art.

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This edition celebrates emerging Indian filmmakers who are winning acclaim at home and abroad. We feature Rohan Kanawade, whose sensitive and visually rich feature film Cactus Pears, set in rural Maharashtra, explores a queer relationship with rare delicacy. The film has received widespread recognition, including the Sundance Jury Award, IFFLA Popular Choice Award, and the SXSW London Grand Jury Prize. Don’t miss our in-depth interview and exclusive video conversation with Rohan.

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Also in focus is Sachin Dheeraj, whose film Testimony of Ana won the Golden Lotus for Best Non-Feature Film at the 68th National Film Awards. His poignant portrayal of overlooked lives resonates deeply in today’s world.

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In our Visual Arts section, we feature Syrian artist Alia Alkhalfah, whose works explore displacement, memory, and identity. Also showcased is the abstract portraiture of Ernest Williamson III, whose dreamlike art continues to engage audiences worldwide.

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Our Talking Books segment spotlights Neena Singh and her poetry collection A Peacock’s Cry—a lyrical journey through emotion, memory, and transformation. The Poetry section includes a sneak preview of Signing in the Air, the forthcoming collection by Malashri Lal, alongside evocative poetry and fiction by emerging and established voices. In our Review section, literary voices Jonaki Ray and Ravinder Sodhi offer thoughtful critiques, while Ramandeep Mahal dissects the short film Straw, bringing a cinematic lens to the theme of quiet disquiet.

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Our beautifully designed print editions continue to delight readers who cherish the tactile joy of reading. If you love the rustle of paper and the scent of fresh print, consider subscribing. You’ll receive a thoughtfully curated keepsake each month.

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Finally, we are thrilled to announce that The Wise Owl Lit Awards 2026 are open for nominations till 30th August. After the resounding success of our 2025 edition, we look forward to discovering new literary and creative voices. Be part of this celebration of creative excellence!

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As always, thank you for reading, sharing, and staying wise with us. Here's to midsummer light, new beginnings, and stories that shine.

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Team The Wise Owl

An EXCLUSIVE: Interview with ROHAN KANAWADE Filmmaker
whose Film Cactus Pears won the Sundance Award, IFFLA Popular Choice Award & Best Feature Film at SXSW London film festival

TWO talks to Rohan P Kanwade

                      Rohan Kanawade                 
                           Winner of Sundance Film Award
 

An Interview with A FILMMAKER HONOURED WITH GOLDEN LOTUS NATIONAL FILM AWARD

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             Sachin Dheeraj Mudigonda                 
             Winner of Golden Lotus National Film Award
     
 

An Interview with A Renowned SYRIAN artist 

Alia 2

                                  Alia Alkhalfah                 
                                                      A renowned Syrian Artist
     
 

Interviews From the Wise owl Archives

Yael Van der Wouden

Award Winning Writer 
Winner of 
2025 Women's Prize for Fiction 

Yael van der Wouden

TALKING BOOKS

A Peacock's Cry

NEENA SINGH

Rachna Singh, Editor, The Wise Owl talks to Neena Singh about her haiku collection 'A Peacock's Cry.'

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FICTION &
NON FICTION

Glasses and Notebook

REVIEWS

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Visual Arts

The Wise Owl Picks

Books and Potted Plant

The Wise owl takes note of some outstanding Reads

Our Daily Segment

poetry

The Daily Verse

Our Weekly Segment

THe WEEKLY YARNS.

The WEEKLY YARNS

To enjoy poetry everyday  and stories once a week, take a look at The Daily Verse and The Weekly Yarns. If you have a yen to share your poetry and stories with our readers, just send in your submissions to editor@thewiseowl.art

The Wise Owl Events 
The Wise Owl Literary Awards 2025
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The 1st edition of The Wise Owl Literary Awards 2025 was a resounding success. Catch some glimpses of the Event

The Wise Owl Literary Soiree 2025
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The Wise Owl Literary Soiree 22nd June 2025 showcased the multi-faceted Sangeeta Gupta & Neena Singh

The Wise Owl Publications
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The Far Away Mountain

(February 2024)

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(September  2024)

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Conversations with poets, writers and artists at The Wise Owl Studio 

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Conversations with Award-Winning Writers

To enjoy conversations with creative luminaries like Roger Frappier, Raghu Rai, Audrey Magee, JR Thorp, ai Li  click the button below

Conversations with Award-Winning Writer
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