June is inseparable from the legacy of James Joyce, a writer whose daring innovations altered the possibilities of fiction. His landmark novel Ulysses unfolds over a single day, 16 June 1904, transforming the ordinary into the epic and demonstrating how the rhythms of everyday life can contain entire worlds. Inspired by that spirit of literary exploration, this edition celebrates creativity, experimentation, and the emergence of new voices in literature and the arts.

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At its heart is a conversation with Subi Taba, an award-winning poet and writer from Arunachal Pradesh. Her award-winning book Tales from the Dawnlit Mountains carries the folklore and oral traditions of the Northeast beyond their landscapes of origin, bringing them into contemporary literary conversations. We also feature the work of Kamal Koria, whose paintings draw deeply from the people, textures, and cultural memory of Kathiawar, creating a visual language rooted in place and belonging.

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Our Visual Arts section turns its attention to the Venice Biennale 2026, where this year’s exhibitions reflected a mood of uncertainty and introspection. In his essay Beyond the Billion-Dollar Hammer, Harmeet Singh examines the realities of the contemporary art market, looking beyond record-breaking auction headlines to the forces shaping artistic value and visibility today.

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The poetry, fiction, and creative non-fiction featured in this issue bring together writers from diverse geographies and sensibilities. Distinct in voice yet connected by a shared commitment to storytelling, these works remind us that literature remains one of the most enduring forms of conversation across borders, languages, and experiences.

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In our Reviews section, our film critics turn their attention to Michael, a film that has sparked considerable debate, and to The Devil Wears Prada 2 sequel, revisiting a cultural phenomenon that continues to resonate with audiences. Our book reviewers explore The River of Blood & Dreams, a poetry collection by Abrona Aden, and offer an insightful critique of the Yearbook of Indian Poetry in English (2020-2025), the annual anthology series edited by Sukrita Paul Kumar and Vinita Agrawal.

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This month’s Wise Owl Picks feature The Nights Are Quiet in Tehran by Shida Bazyar, The Complex by Karan Mahajan, and Shakti by Ritu Sharma.

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As you move through these pages, we invite you to read unhurriedly—to pause over a poem, follow an unexpected idea, discover a new voice, or return to a familiar one. We hope this issue offers not only insight and enjoyment, but also the quiet pleasure of lingering in the company of literature and art.