04/09/2026
BOOK SESSION NEXT WEEK
Join us for an evening steeped in Goan history, identity, and powerful storytelling as we dive into the newly released translation, Leslie's Broken Guitar Strings!
Set in the 1970s and 80s within the sleepy island village of Jua (Santo Estevão), Goa, the novel follows Leslie, an easygoing young musician who turns daily village moments into song. When a sudden job opportunity in Kuwait beckons, it becomes his family's ticket out of poverty. His mother sets her sights on an arranged marriage with Gemma, an educated, ambitious young woman determined to dictate her own path. However, their lives are upended entirely by the historic Iraqi invasion of Kuwait, bringing deep, simmering local tensions at home to a sudden, dramatic head.
We are incredibly privileged to host both the author and the translator to unpack this rich narrative.
Hema Naik is an award-winning pioneer of contemporary Konkani literature. Known for her fierce stance against feudalism and patriarchy, she has dedicated her career to bringing the complex realities of class, gender equity, and regional Goan identities to light. She was also a foundational figure in the historic Konkani language agitation movement and founded the Apurbai Prakashan publishing house.
Augusto Pinto is a prominent literary critic, satirist, and retired English professor from Mapusa. He has translated numerous classic Konkani works to make them accessible to a wider global audience. He chose the title Leslie's Broken Guitar Strings (originally published in 1997 as Bhogdand) to deeply evoke the precarity and emotional distress felt by families torn by migration during this era.
Come be a part of this immersive conversation published by the national academy of letters, the Sahitya Akademi!
Date: Saturday, September 12th
Time: 5:00 PM onwards
Venue: The Dogears Bookshop
Bring your friends, your questions, and your love for local Goan literature. See you there! For more inquiries, drop a message on Instagram or on WhatsApp at +91 99229 74479. We ship worldwide!
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