Messages From Readers And Team

Letter from the reader

Dear Editors

The Daak Journal,

I hope this note finds you well. I am writing as an avid reader who consistently enjoys perusing your insightful book reviews. Your publication has become a reliable source for discovering new literature, and I wanted to take a moment to express my genuine appreciation for the quality of your content.

What sets The Daak apart, in my opinion, is the engaging nature of your book reviews. The writers skillfully navigate through the complexities of each work, providing not only a synopsis but also a nuanced analysis that sparks curiosity. It’s evident that the reviewers are passionate about literature, and their enthusiasm is infectious.The reviews manage to strike a delicate balance between being informative and captivating. They delve into the core themes, character developments, and stylistic choices without giving away too much, creating an enticing allure for readers like myself. The carefully crafted prose in the reviews mirrors the artistry found within the books you feature.

Moreover, I appreciate the diversity of genres covered, catering to a wide range of literary preferences. Whether it’s a thought-provoking piece of fiction, a compelling non-fiction work, or a hidden gem from a lesser-known author, The Daak consistently delivers a varied and rich selection of reviews.As a reader, it’s a joy to immerse myself in your reviews, gaining valuable insights that aid in my decision-making process when selecting my next read. The Daak has become an indispensable companion in my literary journey, and I wanted to extend my gratitude to the entire team for their dedication to delivering such high-quality content.

Please convey my appreciation to the talented reviewers and everyone involved in creating The Daak. I eagerly anticipate each new issue and the literary adventures it promises.

Warm regards,

Saddam

Messages from the team

Dear TheDaak,

First of all, congratulations for making it to one year successfully. We started with 5-6 members and it has been an immense pleasure to see TheDaak growing with new people coming in and embracing it as their own, making it our own TheDaak family. It is also such a relief to know that TheDaak is in good and safe hands. TheDaak has been a great learning platform for me. It has not only added to my knowledge but has also taught me other skills; one being the use of Canva and now that I have learned it, I really enjoy designing posters and other things even for my personal use.

We started with 9 book reviews and slowly cutting across the genre we delved into a multidisciplinary approach. It is astonishing to see how TheDaak is open to creativity, ideas and discussions democratically (only if the world could also run like TheDaak, it would become much easier to live our lives peacefully). Not to forget the team members each of them (not naming them individually) are ardently hard working and are always ready to help each other which is what defines TheDaak. When we describe success, we often forget about the struggles behind the success and we also need to celebrate those struggles to celebrate the success of TheDaak. TheDaak has obliviously been through its own share of ups and downs, with some leaving, new faces joining and then some coming back to contribute their part towards making TheDaak a success. Cheers toTheDaak and cheers to all of us for being with TheDaak patiently. To believe in TheDaak, to have faith in each other despite our differences and disagreements. Cheers to our meetings, long duration of sitting together (offline and online), brainstorming on themes, and concept notes etc., I still remember when we got stuck on one of the themes where we all disagreed with each other on the issue title but we respected each other’s disagreements (firmly believes in agree to disagree).

TheDaak reading club has brought new insights and enhanced my vision towards the world. It has brought opportunities where I can also learn and interact with brilliant brains not to forget our undergrad college youngsters. Till now it has been a beautiful journey to be associated with TheDaak. I am proud of it and my fellow teammates, we make a great team. I would be lying if I would deny that it doesn’t make me proud or happy whenever someone mentions to me about TheDaak or that they have read my book review on TheDaak especially the undergrad students. Daak holds a special place in my heart and will continue to do so forever. I only wish TheDaak the best and be successful always with flying colors and nothing less for it. I wish that the world reads TheDaak and we can make a significant impact by our work and our creativity. I wish that this year too we work with all our enthusiasm and zeal.

With love and only love,

Jagriti

Dear Readers,

TheDaak is a year old now. With more than 70 book reviews published, we hope that we continue this journey for the years to come.

Reading has always been close to my heart. The warmth that it gives to me cannot be described in words. I joined TheDaak only after its first two issues were published and since then I have been a personal witness to the growth and enriching reading experience that the platform has sought to generate. The eagerness to discover new books and new topics for reading has only added to my personal growth.

TheDaak is a platform for every book lover. We try to have engaging dialogues with the readers on diverse topics. Besides, it also provides early research scholars, writers and avid readers a fair platform for voicing their own opinions.

I personally have grown with the platform both as a reader and as a researcher. It is very easy to be short sighted sometimes with the nature of books that you read. TheDaak as a platform has allowed me to read across disciplines and genres to generate my own understanding of them along with helping me to increase my knowledge pool.

From being a contributor, to being closely working with the hard working team on different issues, I personally can vouch for the amount of work and dedication it goes behind the curtains to bring out every single issue.

I cannot thank TheDaak enough to make me a part of this team. When you are engaging with something that you love and are passionate about, it does not feel like work. Rather I feel like I am at home with TheDaak.

With love

Sanjukta

In a world filled with endless content and large companies competing for attention, reading is a hobby that I deeply cherish. No matter how advance the CGI gets or how realistic a game is, nothing can beat the vivid imagination and deep attachments that a good book can create. I have always been envious of good writers. Their ability to paint a picture with words, to entertain as well as educate. To turn this dream into a reality, I started 2023 with a goal to leverage my lifelong reading habit to write. This is where I was introduced to TheDaak. 1 year, 7 issues, 80+ book reviews and countless meetings later, I am extremely proud of what me and my team have managed to achieve. What started out as a passion project for book lovers has blossomed into a platform to express creativity, learn new perspectives, and critically analyse avenues hitherto unexplored. The diverse range of voices we’ve been able to amplify is a testament to our commitment to inclusivity and the celebration of unique perspectives.

All of this has been possible by the hard work and resilience of a great team along with wonderful submissions and peer reviewers. It has been a rollercoaster of challenges, triumphs, and countless learning experiences. I am excited to push my personal boundaries and share pieces that will educate as well as entertain, especially in areas of finance and productivity.

The literary world is ever evolving, and I am confident that TheDaak will play an integral role in going beyond the obvious and helping all of us navigate the inner world of books in more reflective and creative ways. Thank you to everyone who has been a part of this wonderful journey with me. Looking forward to more learnings and continued success in the coming year!

Aditya Barthwal

As I begin to click-clack on my phone’s keyboard to curate this note for The Daak’s one-year anniversary celebrations, a plethora of feelings and memories rush through my mind, waiting to be spilled onto this word document. When I came on board nearly 8 months ago, as a wide-eyed, unversed first-year, I was utterly nervous and anxious: would I be able to fit in, in this space where people were far more experienced, well-read and mature than me? What if I mess up? In hindsight, I’m glad these concerns didn’t stop me from giving it whatever little I have.

Being a part of the team taught me how to juggle assignments, tests and work (which I always did at the eleventh hour); it made me dabble with graphic designing, something I would never have imagined myself doing; it provided me opportunities where I could exercise my creative liberty, and most importantly, it taught me that sometimes it’s okay to mess up. For there will always be someone who’ll have your back, ready to help you out as long as you’re willing to learn.

Besides the safe, non-hierarchical, non-judgmental and cooperative space The Daak has been which brings out the best in you, what I love most about the team is how much passion everyone brings to the table— be it in the hour-long online meetings where themes are decided, scrutinising every single word and making sure that nothing but the right word at the right position is used, or the pre-publication meeting the night before an issue goes out in public; a passion that I so want to inculcate in myself.

As someone with a firm belief in the power of words to make you think and bring about change, I absolutely love the conversations we’ve had so far. Some of them are simply awe-inspiring by the virtue of their cogency and conviction, some unsettle you into reflection, revisiting things you take for granted. Constructive, and critical, engagement with ideas, experiences and knowledge itself, has been my most favourite thing about the work The Daak has published so far. Only very recently, The Daak has begun its Delhi Reading Chapter, a place for everyone with a knack for reading, thinking or just being curious, to sit together and just talk. I’ve attended the two sessions held so far, and both were incredibly wholesome, enriching and intellectually-stimulating.

One of my professors rightly remarked that in a post-humanities world such as the one we’re living in, learning has to take place outside the traditional models, it’s to be a collective endeavour. The Daak for me embodies this project where everyone learns and grows together. Wishing only the best-est of things for it in the times ahead.

Pratham Gupta

Reading has been a love of mine, a passion and I think Rory Gilmore says it best, “All my life I have lived in two worlds one the real and second that of books”. It is in the second world that I have found my first love, my first heartbreak, my first best friend, my first lesson, earliest passions, new interests, excellent role models…so reading has always been the guiding light to the real world. And I now realise that to be happy all I really needed was a place to come to with all my uncollected thoughts about the myriad of books I want to read, re-read and dust off.

TheDaak came at a time when life was full of upheaval and my love for books was lost under the burden of choice to read ‘only’ for work. It brought joy back to a solemn day by bringing like-minded, passionate people on the same desk who had one thing in common- their love for reading. The team at TheDaak has been a cushion for professional and personal blows, a walking stick through stumbles in our path, a pillar of determination in periods of self-doubt and a comforting tall drink to all heart breaks. I see in TheDaak generations of readers, hoarders and book lovers through their determination and love building a community of readers engaging with their loved books, characters, and authors. We are expanding and moving forward but the love and passion for books would always constitute the heart of all the plans this team has for the coming years.

Sakshi Sharda

Dear Editors(The Daak),

I hope this letter finds you well. I am writing to you today with a heart full of gratitude and enthusiasm about my experience as part of TheDaak team. Partaking in this literary venture has proven to be an unequivocal delight, prompting me to seize this moment to convey my profound appreciation for the bestowed opportunity.

From the moment I joined TheDaak (early February 2023), I felt a sense of belonging and purpose in my academic journey that is truly priceless. The world of academia has always held a special place in my heart, and to be able to actively participate in furthering it through this journal has been a dream come true. It has given me the nuanced ability to learn and practice a critical skill of academic contribution of writing and reviewing.

TheDaak has given me the opportunity to immerse myself in the latest literary works, share my thoughts, and engage in meaningful conversations with fellow members. It has been an enriching experience. Additionally, TheDaak has not only broadened my reading horizons but has also allowed me to connect with like-minded individuals who share a profound love for the written word. Each book that I’ve had the privilege of reviewing, has been a journey in itself. I am genuinely grateful for the chance to contribute my voice to this collective celebration of literary excellence.

The camaraderie among our Daak team of participants has been one of the most rewarding aspects of this experience. The shared passion for literature has created a supportive and inspiring community that encourages intellectual growth and fosters a deep appreciation for the written arts.

I want to extend my heartfelt thanks for allowing me to be a part of this incredible (book review) journal. It has been a journey filled with intellectual stimulation, personal growth, and, above all, an unwavering love for reading. I look forward to continuing this literary adventure with TheDaak and contributing to the shared passion that binds us all together.

Thank you once again for this wonderful opportunity.

Sincerely Yours

Chhotelal

Reading and escapade have remained synonymous for me for a decade now. It was the same in my tumultuous teenage years and it’s still the same in my life as an early career researcher. It helps me escape thoughts which can potentially disrupt my life as an academic scholar and makes life a little easier.

Casual reading or reading only for the sake of reading, implying not reading a textbook essentially is perhaps considered a luxury, at least to my parents it meant so. It was hard to convey to them why I would want to read fiction and not an essay book. And there wasn’t much to spend either, at least not for buying fiction. If not for the school library, I doubt if I could have known the absolute joy of reading.

Only having some money of my own could help me reach the potential of a serious book hoarder to an extent that now my tiny room at JNU is failing me in accommodating them. The feeling of buying books that you have wanted to read for a long time is amazing. And it’s only here in JNU that I had the opportunity to be associated with TheDaak since its inception and through the reviews, had the privilege to come across books of genres that were never known to me, books that I might have never read because of disciplinary rigidities, books which I would have definitely missed but gladly didn’t. It brought to me the essence of striving to be an interdisciplinary academician.

As I look back, last year seems incomplete without the kind of work we did at TheDaak and the extent to which I had the privilege to be associated with it. At last but not the least, it has brought to me an amazing peer group who are equally or more passionate about reading, which I cherish.

Sweta

Dear Readers,

My journey with TheDaak began with a phone call from an old friend who knew how much books excite me. She narrated the idea of the project to me and I immediately volunteered to contribute for its first issue that was to be released in January, 2023. And there has been no turning back since. A year later, I am most thankful to my friend for making that call to me. TheDaak has been a platform for me to indulge in two of my favourite things- books and writing. As an avid reader and hoarder of books, over the last one year, I have had the chance to dig into the unread collection on my shelves and also add a couple of more books from thematic viewpoints.

TheDaak offered me a platform to publish my first book review before I became a part of the Editorial team, which further allowed me to get back to both books and friends from my college days. A passion project that started as a dream for this friend as an academician, it has now brought many of us to the table to discuss our favourite readings and get introduced to newer ones with each issue’s publication. TheDaak also brought me an opportunity to record and publish its podcast on Spotify. For a podcast amateur, soon I became engrossed with the technical know-how of it and actually found it very interesting to reach out to an audience through a new platform from TheDaak. This is just an example of how all members of TheDaak, including me, are learning and growing each day handling multiple roles to do what we most enjoy: engaging with books.

I would like to congratulate the entire team for this first anniversary and would like to especially thank my friend, Jigyasa, to have introduced TheDaak to me. I look forward to many more years of engagement with all of you at The Daak.

With love,

Malika

Ever since I was a child, reading has always held a special place in my heart. Books were both a fount of knowledge and an escape from the real world. It was a pleasure to lose myself in imaginative and fascinating stories. The joy of discovering new books and learning new things and stories provided me with the ultimate satisfaction. However, during my higher education, reading slowly transformed into nothing more than an academic endeavour. My choices and interests started to cater only to my academic inclinations.

TheDaak, which was started with the hope of bringing together people with a mutual love for books, reading, and knowledge, reintroduced me to the sheer joy of discovering new books and reading purely for pleasure. Not only has it rekindled my enthusiasm for reading, but it has also helped me broaden my perspective. It has emerged as a refreshing source of intellectual engagement. The variety of thought-provoking conversations and perspectives brought to the platform are a heady cerebral stimulus. I find myself venturing into genres and titles yet unexplored, with a new vigour to learn and grow.

I am thankful to TheDaak for helping me reconnect with my hobby and for helping me open up to a world of new ideas and perspectives.

Aditi Mann

Dear TheDaak Family,

As I pen down this note with a heart brimming with gratitude and nostalgia, I find myself reminiscing about the incredible journey we’ve shared over the past year. TheDaak has been more than a journal; it’s a vibrant community of passionate readers, a place where our shared love for the written word binds us together.

From delving into the realms of fiction to dissecting the nuances of non-fiction, the diversity of perspectives has enriched my reading experience. The camaraderie within our literary haven is unparalleled. It’s not just about expanding literary horizons but finding a supportive space to express thoughts on books that have left an indelible mark on my soul.

As we proudly celebrate TheDaak’s first anniversary, my heart swells with gratitude for each member of this family. Your unwavering support, constructive feedback, and shared enthusiasm have not only enriched my understanding of literature but have also made TheDaak a home away from home.

Here’s to many more years of exploring the boundless worlds that literature unfolds. May our journey remain as thrilling and inspiring as the stories we share.

With heartfelt gratitude,

Sushant K. Chakharia

TheDaak Reading Club

TheDaak Reading Group has propelled me to read responsibly. Two books in, I have started engaging with literary content in a new light. Earlier, I used to skim through books sometimes just so I could proudly proclaim that I had read it. Hurray! Now I read books quietly, I think. The excitement of talking about a book in the monthly reading session makes me want to wolf it down and remember every detail, every dialogue. The discussions help us to unpack the nuances of a book and delve deeper into finding meaning in it, meaning that varies for all of us.

As this club grows, I hope we read from genres, languages and authors we have never explored before, and in the process, broaden the horizons of our liking. I hope we are able to build a judgement free space of informed dialogue and candour in the time to come. I hope we share, share uninhibitedly and learn from each other. I hope the mystery book lovers turn to romcoms and those with a fondness for the cherished classics embrace contemporary works. From the 124 page The Vegetarian I hope we can tread to the intimidating 936 page Shantaram. I hope we move far beyond our expectations this year. It is never too late to start reading, so let us all read more than ever before.

Chetna Rani

TheDaak review