Vani talks about how thinking of individuals as being on their different journeys could help her deal with the chaos around her – and be a little kinder.
Eshwari moves to the USA to join her husband, Shankar. As they navigate their new relationship together, Eshwari has to confront a dark secret. How does she react? Vani writes the story.
Vani wonders where she can find the creativity that she seems to have lost in recent years, in the race to be ‘productive’ and ‘informed’.
Kavya is itching to step in when she realises that her domestic help Chitra is being abused at home. Vani’s story explores the funny and sometimes-murky world of ‘social work’ in the country.
Indian societies are unbelievably sensitive towards and hushed up about most discussions around sex and pleasure, but Vani Viswanathan enjoys seeing how the internet is making it a little better – especially for women.
Eight-year-old Divakar Mathew enrols in a Vishnu Sahasranamam recitation competition to try to get closer to his friends. Things don’t go as planned for him, though; Vani tells the story of a Christian boy caught in a staunchly Hindu privileged-caste environment.
A family of three moves to Bombay in the 1980s and reacts to their changed lives in the city. Vani’s story captures the thoughts of Geetha, Aarthi and Suresh.
An initiative of Point of View, a Mumbai-based non-profit, Skin Stories features ‘fresh new perspectives and urgent personal essays at the intersection of gender, sexuality and disability’. In this interview, Vani Viswanathan talks to Shreya Ila Anasuya, managing editor of Skin Stories, about the platform’s approach to sexuality, disability and gender; Shreya’s experience working with writers on their contributions; and the importance of featuring personal narratives on topics that don’t often come to the fore.
In a world she finds unpredictable, Vani talks about how being organised keeps her happy and productive. At what cost, though?