Monthly SALTA Book Club


Led by Dr. Kusum Knapczyk
Facilitated by author SJ Sindu

Read the story here: Patriots’ Day, it is part of SJ Sindu’s collection “The Goth House Experiment and Other Stories.”

Join us for SALTA’s monthly Book Club—a welcoming space for readers and lovers of South Asian literature to engage with powerful contemporary voices. This month, we are excited to feature SJ Sindu.

About the Author
SJ Sindu is a Tamil diaspora writer and the author of two acclaimed literary novels: Marriage of a Thousand Lies (winner of the Publishing Triangle Edmund White Award) and Blue-Skinned Gods (an Indie Next Pick and Lambda Literary Award finalist). Sindu has also written two graphic novels (Shakti and Tall Water), a short story collection (The Goth House Experiment, winner of The Story Prize Spotlight Award), and two award-winning hybrid chapbooks (I Once Met You But You Were Dead and Dominant Genes).

Sindu holds a PhD in English and Creative Writing from Florida State University and serves as co-editor for Zero Street, a literary fiction series featuring LGBTQ+ books published by the University of Nebraska Press. Sindu is currently an assistant professor at Virginia Commonwealth University.

Meeting Details
Date: Sunday, January 25, 2026
Time: 1:00–2:00 PM Eastern Time
Platform: Zoom
Register by: January 20, 2026, 12:00 PM EST via [Google form ]

Session Flow
• Welcome and Introduction
• Author Overview
• Group Discussion: Themes, Characters, Language
• Reflections and Q&A

We look forward to reading and reflecting with you!

Monthly SALTA Book Club– Hindi-Urdu

Hope you are enjoying the semester.

SALTA Book Club Invitation
Led by Dr. Kusum Knapczyk

Join us for SALTA’s monthly Book Club, a space for readers and lovers of South Asian literature to explore powerful contemporary voices. This month, we feature Jayanti Ranganathan, known for her evocative storytelling across novels, serials, screenplays, and podcasts.

About the Author

https://hindi.matrubharti.com/jayantiranganathan3937/stories
Jayanti Ranganathan has worked with DharmyugSony Entertainment TelevisionVanita PatrikaAmar Ujala, and Hindustan Newspaper. Her novel Shadow is being adapted into a film titled Chapter 2.

जयंती रंगनाथन विगत तीन दशकों से मीडिया और लेखन में सक्रिय हैं। मुंबई में ‘धर्मयुग’ और ‘सोनी एंटरटेनमेंट टेलीविज़न’ में काम करने के बाद दिल्ली लौटीं तो ‘वनिता पत्रिका’ की पहली संपादक बनीं। उसके बाद इन्होंने ‘अमर उजाला’ में फ़ीचर संपादक का पद सँभाला और लंबे समय तक ‘हिंदुस्तान अख़बार’ में एक्ज़ीक्यूटिव एडिटर के पद पर कार्य करने के बाद वह इसी संस्थान से बतौर सलाहकार संपादक जुड़ी हुई हैं।

मीडिया लेखन के साथ ही उपन्यास, सीरियल, पटकथा और ऑडियोबुक लेखन में निरंतर सक्रिय और कई पुरस्कारों-सम्मानों से नवाज़ी जा चुकीं जयंती के उपन्यास ‘शैडो’ पर ‘चैप्टर 2’ नाम से फ़िल्म भी निर्माणाधीन है।

चर्चित पॉडकास्टर : एचटी स्मार्टकास्ट और Spotiy पर नियमित पॉडकास्ट #लवयूज़िंदगी और #मेरीमम्मीकीलवस्टोरी।

List of Jayanti Ranganathan’s books:

शैडो (Shadow) – एक थ्रिलर उपन्यास जिसमें मयंक की कहानी है जो अपनी कल्पना की नायिका काव्या की तलाश में निकलता है। [www.amazon.in]

मैमराज़ी – बजाएगी पैपराज़ी का बैंड (Mamrazzi) – छोटे शहर की रोमांटिक कॉमेडी।

औरतें रोती नहीं (Auratein Roti Nahin) – महिला जीवन पर आधारित एक संवेदनशील रचना।

मेरी मम्मी की लव स्टोरी (Meri Mummy ki Love Story) – एक हल्की-फुल्की पारिवारिक कहानी।

30 शेड्स ऑफ बेला (30 Shades of Bela) – फेसबुक पर एक सामूहिक लेखन प्रयोग से जन्मा उपन्यास।

गीली छतरी (Gili Chatri) – एक कहानी संग्रह।

एक लड़की दस मुखौटे (Ek Ladki Das Mukhote) – महिला किरदारों पर आधारित कहानियाँ।

भाग सनी भाग (Bhaag Sunny Bhaag) – बच्चों के लिए उपयुक्त एक हल्का-फुल्का उपन्यास।

शुगर डैडी (Sugar Daddy) – एक रहस्यमयी थ्रिलर जिसमें हत्या और रिश्तों की उलझनें हैं।

बॉम्बे मेरी जान (Bombay Meri Jaan) – एक संस्मरणात्मक उपन्यास।

रूह की प्यास (Rooh Ki Pyaas) – एक कहानी संग्रह।

एफ. ओ. ज़िंदगी (F.O. Zindagi) – जीवन की उलझनों पर आधारित उपन्यास।

आसपास से गुज़रते हुए (Aaspaas Se Guzarte Hue) – एक उपन्यास।

ख़ानाबदोश ख़्वाहिशें (Khanabadosh Khwahishen) – एक उपन्यास।

कामुकता का उत्सव (Kamukta Ka Utsav) – एक संपादित कहानी संग्रह।

मिडिल क्लास मंचूरियन (Middle Class Manchurian) – एक कहानी संग्रह जो भारतीय मध्यवर्ग की सोच, स्वाद और जीवनशैली को दर्शाता है।

Meeting Details
Date: Sunday, November 9, 2025
Time: 12:00–1:00 PM Eastern Time
Platform: Zoom
Register by: November 5, 2025, 12:00 PM EST Google form 

This month’s Reading
A selected story by Jayanti Ranganathan (link will be shared after registration)

 लाइन के बाहर (जयंती रंगनाथन)

Line ke baahar ( Roman script)

Session Flow

  • Welcome and Introduction
  • Author Overview
  • Participant Reading
  • Group Discussion: Themes, Characters, Language
  • Reflections and Q&A

We look forward to reading and reflecting with you!

Teaching Assistant Professor in Hindi-Urdu

The Department of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill invites applications for a renewable three-year appointment as Teaching Assistant Professor in Hindi-Urdu language, beginning July 1, 2026. We are seeking a skilled language instructor with a commitment to a proficiency-based approach to language teaching.

The Teaching Assistant Professor will teach six language courses per academic year, from introductory to advanced levels, and will actively collaborate in Hindi-Urdu program development and activities and perform other departmental service.

This position requires a master’s degree in Hindi, Urdu, or Hindi-Urdu, in linguistics focused on teaching Hindi-Urdu as a second language, or in a related field. Native or near-native proficiency in Hindi-Urdu and English, as well as strong proficiency in both Hindi (Devanagari) and Urdu (Nastaliq) scripts are required. The position also requires familiarity with the methods and technologies used in teaching Hindi-Urdu as a second language at the university level, particularly in the US.

Qualified candidates should submit an online application at https://unc.peopleadmin.com/postings/307610. Required application materials include: 

  1. A letter of application outlining the candidate’s teaching philosophy. 
  2. Curriculum vitae. 
  3. Sample syllabus for a one-semester first-year language course. 
  4. Unedited teaching video of a 50-minute language class, in standard MOV or MP4 format, downloadable from a shared link.
  5. Names and contact information for two professional references, who will be contacted to submit letters of recommendation.   

Applicants may also submit course evaluations. 

Monthly SALTA Book Club

Hope you are enjoying the semester.

SALTA Book Club Invitation
Led by Dr. Kusum Knapczyk

Join us for SALTA’s monthly Book Club, a space for readers and lovers of South Asian literature to explore powerful contemporary voices. This month, we feature Jayanti Ranganathan, known for her evocative storytelling across novels, serials, screenplays, and podcasts.

About the Author

https://hindi.matrubharti.com/jayantiranganathan3937/stories
Jayanti Ranganathan has worked with Dharmyug, Sony Entertainment Television, Vanita Patrika, Amar Ujala, and Hindustan Newspaper. Her novel Shadow is being adapted into a film titled Chapter 2.

जयंती रंगनाथन विगत तीन दशकों से मीडिया और लेखन में सक्रिय हैं। मुंबई में ‘धर्मयुग’ और ‘सोनी एंटरटेनमेंट टेलीविज़न’ में काम करने के बाद दिल्ली लौटीं तो ‘वनिता पत्रिका’ की पहली संपादक बनीं। उसके बाद इन्होंने ‘अमर उजाला’ में फ़ीचर संपादक का पद सँभाला और लंबे समय तक ‘हिंदुस्तान अख़बार’ में एक्ज़ीक्यूटिव एडिटर के पद पर कार्य करने के बाद वह इसी संस्थान से बतौर सलाहकार संपादक जुड़ी हुई हैं।

मीडिया लेखन के साथ ही उपन्यास, सीरियल, पटकथा और ऑडियोबुक लेखन में निरंतर सक्रिय और कई पुरस्कारों-सम्मानों से नवाज़ी जा चुकीं जयंती के उपन्यास ‘शैडो’ पर ‘चैप्टर 2’ नाम से फ़िल्म भी निर्माणाधीन है।

चर्चित पॉडकास्टर : एचटी स्मार्टकास्ट और Spotiy पर नियमित पॉडकास्ट #लवयूज़िंदगी और #मेरीमम्मीकीलवस्टोरी।

List of Jayanti Ranganathan’s books:

शैडो (Shadow) – एक थ्रिलर उपन्यास जिसमें मयंक की कहानी है जो अपनी कल्पना की नायिका काव्या की तलाश में निकलता है। [www.amazon.in]

मैमराज़ी – बजाएगी पैपराज़ी का बैंड (Mamrazzi) – छोटे शहर की रोमांटिक कॉमेडी।

औरतें रोती नहीं (Auratein Roti Nahin) – महिला जीवन पर आधारित एक संवेदनशील रचना।

मेरी मम्मी की लव स्टोरी (Meri Mummy ki Love Story) – एक हल्की-फुल्की पारिवारिक कहानी।

30 शेड्स ऑफ बेला (30 Shades of Bela) – फेसबुक पर एक सामूहिक लेखन प्रयोग से जन्मा उपन्यास।

गीली छतरी (Gili Chatri) – एक कहानी संग्रह।

एक लड़की दस मुखौटे (Ek Ladki Das Mukhote) – महिला किरदारों पर आधारित कहानियाँ।

भाग सनी भाग (Bhaag Sunny Bhaag) – बच्चों के लिए उपयुक्त एक हल्का-फुल्का उपन्यास।

शुगर डैडी (Sugar Daddy) – एक रहस्यमयी थ्रिलर जिसमें हत्या और रिश्तों की उलझनें हैं।

बॉम्बे मेरी जान (Bombay Meri Jaan) – एक संस्मरणात्मक उपन्यास।

रूह की प्यास (Rooh Ki Pyaas) – एक कहानी संग्रह।

एफ. ओ. ज़िंदगी (F.O. Zindagi) – जीवन की उलझनों पर आधारित उपन्यास।

आसपास से गुज़रते हुए (Aaspaas Se Guzarte Hue) – एक उपन्यास।

ख़ानाबदोश ख़्वाहिशें (Khanabadosh Khwahishen) – एक उपन्यास।

कामुकता का उत्सव (Kamukta Ka Utsav) – एक संपादित कहानी संग्रह।

मिडिल क्लास मंचूरियन (Middle Class Manchurian) – एक कहानी संग्रह जो भारतीय मध्यवर्ग की सोच, स्वाद और जीवनशैली को दर्शाता है।

Meeting Details
Date: Sunday, October 19, 2025
Time: 12:00–1:00 PM Eastern Time
Platform: Zoom
Register by: October 15, 2025, 12:00 PM EST Google form 

This month’s Reading
A selected story by Jayanti Ranganathan (link will be shared after registration)

काली टाई वाली औरत

Session Flow

  • Welcome and Introduction
  • Author Overview
  • Participant Reading
  • Group Discussion: Themes, Characters, Language
  • Reflections and Q&A
  • Next story – लाइन के बाहर (जयंती रंगनाथन)

We look forward to reading and reflecting with you!

 

Monthly SALTA Book Club

September 2025 Session: Writer Pratyaksha

You will be delighted to know that members of our reading group wanted to read more stories by Pratyaksha. That is why we will continue this month with her story “Dilnawaz tum bahut acchi ho.”

Her poems are here https://hindicentral.com/hindi-listening/2025/09/2240/

Session Details
This will be a one-hour online meeting held on Zoom.
Date and Time: Sunday, September 21, 2025, 1–2 PM Eastern Time
Led by: Dr. Kusum Knapczyk
Language: Hindi (with English support if needed)
Kindly register using the Google form by September 17, 2025, at 12:00 PM EST to receive the meeting link.

About the Writer
Pratyaksha is a leading voice in contemporary Hindi literature. Her work spans short stories, novels, and essays, and is known for its poetic language, psychological insight, and emotional honesty. She often writes about memory, gender, tribal life, and the inner lives of women navigating complex social realities.

She has received several prestigious literary awards, including:

  • हंस कथा सम्मान
  • इंडो-नॉर्वेजियन सम्मान
  • सोनभद्र कथा सम्मान
  • कृष्ण बलदेव वैद फेलोशिप
  • संगम हाउस राइटर इन रेजीडेंसी
  • वनमाली विशिष्ट कथा सम्मान

This month, we are reading the story

Invitation to Participate in International Hindi Olympiad

Dear SALTA members,

I am sharing this information on behalf of Rabindranath Tagore University, Bhopal.

The university is organizing the International Hindi Olympiad from September 14 (Hindi Day) to September 30, 2025 (World Translation Day). The event is open globally, and the first phase has already begun with the release of the Olympiad poster in many countries.

You are kindly requested to register your institution on the Vishwarang website: https://www.vishwarang.com. Registration is free. You can also register your students and faculty members. Students may register directly as well.

The website includes syllabus details, practice materials, and sample papers. After registration, participants will receive a content book. The registration fee has been reduced from 10 to 5 US dollars, and payment can be made in your local currency.

Please encourage your students to participate.

Call for Abstracts: International Conference on Storytelling and Technology

Dear colleagues,

Greetings! We are pleased to inform you that the University of Hawai‘i is organizing an international, interdisciplinary conference titled “Storytelling and Technology: Hindi-Urdu and South Asian Language Learning Innovations.” The conference will be held on December 10–12, 2025 at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, in Honolulu, Hawai‘i.

With its leadership and expertise in Project-Based Learning, Less-Commonly Taught Languages, and Creative and Performance-Based Learning, the University of Hawai‘i is inviting scholars and educators, students and teachers from around the world who are advancing innovative approaches to teaching and learning South Asian languages.

This year’s theme is Storytelling and Technology. From age-old oral traditions to minute-long Instagram reels, stories and storytelling remain central to how we connect with one another, make sense of the world, and understand ourselves. A language, far beyond its “utility” in the “real world,” creates a world of its own, and learning the language becomes an act of inhabiting that world, of rediscovering ourselves in it. Storytelling, thus, is not just a pedagogical tool but a genuine and meaningful way to learn a language, in which creative self-expression motivates the learning process.

Today, as technology evolves at a rapid pace, we find ourselves not waiting for it to meet our needs, but rather racing to keep up. Language learning is no exception in this context. With this in mind, the University invites educators, scholars, students, artists, and others working on language learning and teaching. The presentations may reflect in interdisciplinary ways on the intersection and combination of storytelling and technology as language teaching mode, method, and manner. Participants are encouraged to tell their stories from the classroom, from their own research and students’ work; workshop their lesson plans and experiments, share their successes, and present new directions. The University is also working toward publishing selected papers in an edited volume. Please see the full Conference Description and CFP

The conference is free to attend, but participants are expected to make their own travel and lodging arrangements.

We request you to please continue supporting this effort to help expand the learning and teaching of Hindi and South Asian languages as heritage languages in the USA.

Hindi-Urdu and South Asian Language Learning Innovations

The deadline for abstract submission is September 7, 2025.

We look forward to an engaging and enriching conference in beautiful Honolulu. The location and dates of the conference might help you escape cold winters in your region and combine work and pleasure. However, if you are unable to come in person, we will be happy to welcome you online via Zoom.

Sincerely,
Sai Bhatawadekar, Professor of Hindi-Urdu, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa
Email: saib@hawaii.edu

Hindi Language Teaching Opportunity at the University of Chicago

The Department of South Asian Languages and Civilizations at the University of Chicago is seeking a qualified instructor to teach first- and second-year Hindi for one year. This full-time, in-person position will run from January 2026 through December 2026, covering the leave of a faculty member.

We welcome applications from candidates with a strong background in Hindi language instruction and a passion for teaching. The position offers a vibrant academic environment in the heart of Chicago.

Application Deadline: September 18, 2025
Apply Here: https://apply.interfolio.com/171413

Please share this opportunity with colleagues or contacts who may be interested.

Monthly SALTA Book Club

Hope you are enjoying the (hopefully) slower pace of the summer semester.

We’re excited to invite you to SALTA’s inaugural Book Club initiative, led by Dr. Kusum Knapczyk. The SALTA Book Club is a space for readers, thinkers, and lovers of language to come together and celebrate the voices shaping contemporary South Asian literature. Each month, we will explore the work of one remarkable writer.

We begin in August with the evocative and powerful storytelling of Pratyaksha. Details for the first meeting are available in the attached flyer.

Book Club dates for the fall semester are given below: 

  • Sunday, August 17, 2025, 12–1 PM Eastern Time 
  • Sunday, September 21, 2025, 12–1 PM Eastern Time
  • Sunday, October 19, 2025, 12–1 PM Eastern Time
  • Sunday, November 9, 2025, 12–1 PM Eastern Time
  • Sunday, December 7, 2025, 12–1 PM Eastern Time

Kindly register using the Google form by August 15, 2025, at 12:00 PM EST to receive the meeting link.

We look forward to reading and reflecting with you! 

Monthly SALTA Book Club – August 2025 Session: Writer Pratyaksha

We are delighted to welcome you to the very first session of our Monthly SALTA Book Club, a space for readers, thinkers, and lovers of language to come together and celebrate the voices shaping contemporary South Asian literature. Each month, we will explore the work of one remarkable writer. For August, we begin with the evocative and powerful storytelling of Pratyaksha.

Her stories are tender, layered, and unafraid to explore the silences between words—touching on memory, tribal life, identity, gender, and the quiet (and not-so-quiet) struggles of everyday life, including the complexities of office culture and corruption.

Session Details
This will be a one-hour online meeting held on Zoom.
Date and Time: Sunday, August 17, 2025 at 12:00 PM EST
Led by: Dr. Kusum Knapczyk
Language: Hindi (with English support if needed)
Registration Deadline: Please sign up by August 15, 2025 at 12:00 PM EST to receive the Zoom link.

About the Writer
Pratyaksha is a leading voice in contemporary Hindi literature. Her work spans short stories, novels, and essays, and is known for its poetic language, psychological insight, and emotional honesty. She often writes about memory, gender, tribal life, and the inner lives of women navigating complex social realities.

She has received several prestigious literary awards, including:

  • हंस कथा सम्मान
  • पहल सम्मान
  • कथाक्रम सम्मान
  • अन्तर्राष्ट्रीय इन्दु शर्मा कथा सम्मान
  • राजस्थान पत्रिका का जनकवि सम्मान
  • इंडो-नॉर्वेजियन सम्मान
  • सोनभद्र कथा सम्मान
  • कृष्ण बलदेव वैद फेलोशिप
  • संगम हाउस राइटर इन रेजीडेंसी
  • वनमाली विशिष्ट कथा सम्मान

Suggested Readings for August
We encourage you to read the following stories before the session. These are available online and offer a beautiful entry point into Pratyaksha’s world:

From NYU Virtual Hindi (retrieved July 10, 2025):

From Samalochan (retrieved July 10, 2025):

From Hindi Samay (retrieved July 10, 2025):

Session Flow

  • Welcome and opening remarks (5 minutes)
  • Introduction to Pratyaksha’s life and work (5 minutes)
  • A short reading by one of the participants (10 minutes)
  • Group discussion (30 minutes)
    • Themes, characters, language, symbolism
  • Reflections and Q&A (10 minutes)
  • Closing and preview of our next featured author: Mamta Kalia (5 minutes)