Imayam is considered one of the most important Tamil writers today and this powerful collection of stories reveals just why that is. Whether he is depicting a lack of political morality in the novella Vazhga Vazhga, questioning whether religion unifies or divides in Tiruneeru Sami, or narrating his unique spin on Samban, a character from one our epics, Imayam’ s unsparing gaze on society gently and subtly reveals the inequalities people must live with and navigate.

Beautifully translated by Prabha Sridevan, the stories in this collection are layered, and told with deep empathy and humour.