{"product_id":"i-am-on-the-hit-list-murder-and-myth-making-in-south-india","title":"A DIFFERENT DISTANCE: A RENGA","description":"\u003cdiv style=\"font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 1.8; color: #333; max-width: 900px; margin: auto;\"\u003e\n\u003ch2 style=\"background: #6A1B9A; color: #ffffff; padding: 15px 20px; border-radius: 8px; text-align: center; margin-bottom: 20px;\"\u003eA DIFFERENT DISTANCE: A RENGA\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eA Different Distance\u003c\/strong\u003e is a moving and intimate collection of collaborative poetry created during the unprecedented period of the COVID-19 pandemic. Through the ancient Japanese poetic form of \u003cstrong\u003erenga\u003c\/strong\u003e, poets \u003cstrong\u003eMarilyn Hacker\u003c\/strong\u003e and \u003cstrong\u003eKarthika Naïr\u003c\/strong\u003e capture a year of uncertainty, isolation, resilience and shared humanity.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 style=\"background: #2E7D32; color: #ffffff; padding: 12px 18px; border-radius: 6px;\"\u003e📖 About the Book\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn \u003cstrong\u003eMarch 2020\u003c\/strong\u003e, as the world entered lockdown to contain the spread of coronavirus, poets and friends \u003cstrong\u003eMarilyn Hacker\u003c\/strong\u003e and \u003cstrong\u003eKarthika Naïr\u003c\/strong\u003e began exchanging verses. Though they lived only miles apart, circumstances kept them physically separated, inspiring a remarkable poetic conversation during an extraordinary moment in history.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDrawing from the Japanese tradition of \u003cstrong\u003erenga\u003c\/strong\u003e, a collaborative poetry form built through alternating verses, the collection follows the themes of \u003cstrong\u003etoki\u003c\/strong\u003e (this season) and \u003cstrong\u003etoza\u003c\/strong\u003e (this session). Across changing seasons marked by the rise and fall of the pandemic, their poems explore the experiences that both separated and connected people worldwide.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe poems reflect a suspended world where uncertainty existed alongside everyday persistence. They capture moments of loneliness and solidarity, personal struggles and collective endurance. The collection touches upon illness, cancer and chemotherapy, ageing, grief over lost friends and concern for loved ones across countries including the United States, Lebanon and India.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAt the heart of \u003cstrong\u003eA Different Distance\u003c\/strong\u003e lies a profound sense of shared humanity—the recognition that despite physical separation, people remain connected by common emotions, memories and experiences.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBoth poignant and playful, this remarkable collection presents the compassionate wisdom of two poets witnessing a once-in-a-lifetime moment and transforming distance into a space of connection and understanding.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 style=\"background: #1565C0; color: #ffffff; padding: 12px 18px; border-radius: 6px;\"\u003e✨ Key Highlights\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eA unique poetic collaboration created during the COVID-19 lockdown.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eUses the traditional Japanese renga form of shared poetry.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eExplores themes of isolation, resilience, grief and human connection.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCaptures the emotional landscape of a historic global crisis.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eA blend of personal reflection and collective experience.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eA moving work for readers interested in poetry, memory and humanity.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch3 style=\"background: #8E24AA; color: #ffffff; padding: 12px 18px; border-radius: 6px;\"\u003e✍️ About the Authors\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMarilyn Hacker\u003c\/strong\u003e is an acclaimed poet and translator, and the author of fourteen books of poetry, including \u003cstrong\u003eBlazons\u003c\/strong\u003e and \u003cstrong\u003eA Stranger’s Mirror\u003c\/strong\u003e, which was longlisted for the \u003cstrong\u003eNational Book Award\u003c\/strong\u003e. She has also written collaborative works such as \u003cstrong\u003eDiaspo\/Renga\u003c\/strong\u003e with Deema K. Shehabi and the essay collection \u003cstrong\u003eUnauthorized Voices\u003c\/strong\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eShe has served as editor of the \u003cstrong\u003eKenyon Review\u003c\/strong\u003e and the French literary journal \u003cstrong\u003eSiècle 21\u003c\/strong\u003e. Her honours include the \u003cstrong\u003ePEN Award for Poetry in Translation\u003c\/strong\u003e, the \u003cstrong\u003ePEN\/Voelcker Award\u003c\/strong\u003e and the international \u003cstrong\u003eArgana Prize for Poetry\u003c\/strong\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eKarthika Naïr\u003c\/strong\u003e is a poet, playwright, fabulist and librettist known for her innovative literary works. Her acclaimed book \u003cstrong\u003eUntil the Lions: Echoes from the Mahabharata\u003c\/strong\u003e won the \u003cstrong\u003eTata Literature Live Award for Book of the Year\u003c\/strong\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eShe is also the author of \u003cstrong\u003eLes Oiseaux électriques de Pothakudi\u003c\/strong\u003e, which received the \u003cstrong\u003ePrix Felipé\u003c\/strong\u003e for ecological children’s literature. Naïr is the co-founder of choreographer \u003cstrong\u003eSidi Larbi Cherkaoui’s Eastman dance company\u003c\/strong\u003e and has played a significant role in promoting contemporary dance through initiatives such as the \u003cstrong\u003ePrakriti Excellence in Contemporary Dance Awards (PECDA)\u003c\/strong\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 style=\"background: #F57C00; color: #ffffff; padding: 12px 18px; border-radius: 6px;\"\u003e📚 Why Read This Book?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eA Different Distance\u003c\/strong\u003e is a powerful poetic record of a world transformed by uncertainty. Through the voices of two exceptional poets, the book reveals how art, friendship and compassion can bridge physical separation and help us find meaning in challenging times.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Westland Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45498976043117,"sku":null,"price":499.0,"currency_code":"INR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0702\/0445\/7069\/files\/91Mgwybvv6L._SL1500_19536618-f5aa-479c-81f1-785128e38b88.jpg?v=1784913323","url":"https:\/\/the99books.in\/products\/i-am-on-the-hit-list-murder-and-myth-making-in-south-india","provider":"The 99 Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}