Our bestselling novel by the brilliant Champa Bilwakesh is now available on Kindle. Support women writers! Read this incredible story of resilience, dance, and independence! Read an excerpt here: “A Love Song of a Dance” in Asterix Journal
Read Review Here in Warscapes: “On Devadasis, Dance and Desire” by Arpita Mandal
Desire of the Moth: A Novel by Champa Bilwakesh
Set in a time of great conflicts and painful consequences as India shakes off its colonial
chains, this novel traces the life of one woman as she discovers the meaning of her own liberation.
Thus begins Sowmya’s transformation in the city by the sea, Madras, which is in the grip of its own political and social changes while India is struggling to seize its independence from the imperial British Raj. Here she learns the beauty of dance from Mallika, and the sweetness and agony of falling in love with a married man.
The cinema brings unimagined opportunities and all the power and riches that she could desire, but it also consumes her relentlessly. When a letter arrives, Sowmya begins her quest to regain everything that had been lost when she once lived in that small village tucked into a little bend of the Kaveri river.
Cover Art: “Devika Rani” by Chitra Ganesh
Champa Bilwakesh was born in India. She earned her MFA from the Warren Wilson Program for Writers. Her story “The Boston Globe Personal Line” was published by Kenyon Review, Fall 2005. Nominated for the Ploughshares Emerging Writers issue, it won honorable mention in the Pushcart Prize XXXI. It has been translated into Italian for the online magazine, El Ghibli. Her other works have won prizes in the Katha short story contest by India Current, San Jose, and published in the online journal, Monsoon Magazine. She lives in Andover, MA where she produces TV shows for the community channel.
Listen to Champa Bilwakesh read from her book:
I had no idea. Proud of you.
Shubha is over the moon with pride for her Mom. Love it.
Peter, so nice of you to take notice! Thank you. A very sweet and humbling moment for me.
Great, I didn’t know you were a writer, well, how could I. Have just read n commented on some of ur posts on IIN. I wish ur book does well. My elder son is a budding writer.
Thank you, Raghu. My best wishes for your son.
Hi Champa,
Congrats on your novel! Looking forward to reading it. Curious to know about your previous work and where I could get hold of them.
Good luck,
Prasanna Sarma.
Thank you, Prasanna. My short stories have appeared in various publications. My hope is to get them together and produce a collection. Some day!
Looking forward to reading it. Keep us posted when it comes out!
Hey, Moazzam!
You will hear from me for sure!
Looks great, Champa. I look forward to reading it. Hope you do a NYC tour!
Denton, doing NYC would be my dream! thank you.
Champa– Jane and I are very excited about this book and eagerly await its publication! As your friends and neighbors we are thrilled for you about this great achievement. We will be at the readings!
Looking forward to getting a copy!
I have started reading your book and it is amazing! Best wishes for your book.
-Nate