New book offers insider account of Naga world

New book offers insider account of Naga world
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New Delhi: New book gives readers an insider glimpse of the Naga world through stories based on resilience among people in the face of Indo-Naga conflict, Naga myths and folktales.

"The Last Light of Glory Days: Stories from Nagaland", published by Speaking Tiger, is written by Kohima-based teacher and author Avinuo Kire. It will hit the stands this month.

The ten short stories, written in two parts - 'The Disturbance' and 'New Tales from an Old World', claims to describe a world that is as breathtaking as it is shattering -- the one where "military occupation and magic co-exist".

"I wrote this book simply for the love of stories; particularly, stories about ordinary people who have quietly lived extraordinary lives without ever realising that they have. Although a modest collection, I hope that the book will give readers an insider glimpse of the Naga story -- our history, perspectives, belief systems, our experiences," Kire, who earlier also authored authored an anthology of short stories "The Power to Forgive and Other Stories", told PTI.

While 'The Disturbance' has three interconnected stories based on the events of the Indo-Naga conflict from the late 1940s-90s, 'New Tales from an Old World' carries seven standalone stories that weave together Naga folk legends with everyday life.

According to publishers, the volume, which is both "a political declaration and author's personal love-note to her land", is an exquisite unravelling of the tired tropes that cast Nagaland as "another undistinguishable piece in the Northeast".

"Together they form a compassionate and fiercely political book from Nagaland. Will appeal to those interested in the cultural-politics and contemporary fiction of Nagaland," they added.