Tapestry of the Mind and Other Stories

’Aneeta’s chosen medium of the short story is apt. She does not disappoint.’ -- Cyril Pereira, Former Publisher, Asia Magazine A collection of hard-hitting vignettes grounded in mental health issues set in contemporary Malaysia Meet a diverse range of protagonists from classical Indian dancers, toddlers engaging with spirits, mothers losing their children because of inequitable laws, men lacking self-worth, and divorcees mulling failed marriages, to people facing the probable stigmatization of homosexuality, narcissism, sibling rivalry, bullying, spiritual abuse, clandestine adoptions, autism, environmental disasters, and more. Tapestry of the Mind and Other Stories is the author’s literary love affair with trying to make sense of the human psyche. Like all love affairs, specific and unique cultural, ethnic, and religious differences give rise to moments of betrayal, poignancy, heartache, and much mirth in these stories. Ultimately, this haunting collection pieces together an everlasting tapestry of words rooted in brutal honesty. When viewed as a whole, it brings to light issues long avoided, evaded, or hidden.

Aneeta Sundararaj trained and practised as a lawyer before deciding to pursue her dream of writing. She has also created and developed a website called ’ How to Tell a Great Story’ . She aims to make it a resource for storytellers. Her writing has appeared in many magazines, e-zines, and journals. Some of the noteworthy book projects she’s worked on include Knowledge of Life: Tales of an Ayurveda Practitioner in Malaysia, The Banana Leaf Men, and Mad Heaven: Biography of Tan Sri Dato’ Seri Dr. M. Mahadevan. For a while, she contributed feature articles to the lifestyle section of a national newspaper. Many of Aneeta’s short stories have been longlisted and shortlisted for and won international literary competitions and awards. Her most recent and bestselling novel, The Age of Smiling Secrets was shortlisted for the Anugerah Buku 2020 organized by the National Library of Malaysia. Incidentally, edited versions of various chapters of this novel have appeared in multiple anthologies, most notably We Mark Your Memory: Writings from the Descendants of Indenture, School of Advanced Study, University of London, in partnership with Commonwealth Writers, 2018. Throughout, Aneeta continued to pursue her academic interests and, in 2021, successfully defended a doctoral thesis entitled Management of Prosperity Among Artistes in Malaysia.