Alpha Land

When the world was about to celebrate a new millennium, a magazine approached Manjula Padmanabhan to contribute an essay on the grand future of women in the new century.

Written by Paromita Chakrabarti

November 22, 2008 12:00 AM IST

2 min read

Manjula Padmanabhan on why she calls her new book, Escape, an 8220;adult8221; novel

When the world was about to celebrate a new millennium, a magazine approached Manjula Padmanabhan to contribute an essay on the grand future of women in the new century. She, instead, started on a 8220;funny-sad8221;, fictionalised diary of the last woman in India. She never did finish it and the draft remained idle in her computer for six years. 8220;Around the middle of 2006, I felt like writing a novel and it occurred to me that I could return to that tiny idea fragment,8221; says the Delhi-based writer. And that is the beginning of her new book, Escape, which she prefers to call an 8220;adult novel8221;. More of that eyebrow-raising phrase later.

The setting of Escape Picador is nihilistic, its landscape peopled solely by men 8212;generals and gypsies, peasants and station masters 8212; all intent on keeping their land women-free. Meanwhile, Meiji, the only woman, is growing up secretly at the plush estate of her three uncles, Eldest, Middle and Youngest.

While Padmanabhan is known for her affinity to science fiction, she refuses to categorise Escape as one. 8220;Actually, it surprises me to hear people speak of science fiction as they would fairy tales or something intended for young readers,8221; she says. And that is one reason she has called the novel 8220;adult8221;. 8220;I know it sounds vaguely like adult movies, but that is not the intention. The only other novels I8217;ve written have been for children. Since Escape is my first novel for adults, I needed to make that distinction,8221; she laughs.

Up next for Padmanabhan are a couple of illustrated books and even an exhibition of paintings that she has been working on for the past two years. There are also plans of a sequel to Escape.

Paromita Chakrabarti

Paromita Chakrabarti is Senior Associate Editor at the The Indian Express. She is a key member of the National Editorial and Opinion desk and writes on books and literature, gender discourse, workplace policies and contemporary socio-cultural trends. Professional Profile With a career spanning over 20 years, her work is characterized by a "deep culture" approach—examining how literature, gender, and social policy intersect with contemporary life. Specialization: Books and publishing, gender discourse (specifically workplace dynamics), and modern socio-cultural trends. Editorial Role: She curates the literary coverage for the paper, overseeing reviews, author profiles, and long-form features on global literary awards. Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) Her recent writing highlights a blend of literary expertise and sharp social commentary: 1. Literary Coverage & Nobel/Booker Awards "2025 Nobel Prize in Literature | Hungarian master of apocalypse" (Oct 10, 2025): An in-depth analysis of László Krasznahorkai’s win, exploring his themes of despair and grace. "Everything you need to know about the Booker Prize 2025" (Nov 10, 2025): A comprehensive guide to the history and top contenders of the year. "Katie Kitamura's Audition turns life into a stage" (Nov 8, 2025): A review of the novel’s exploration of self-recognition and performance. 2. Gender & Workplace Policy "Karnataka’s menstrual leave policy: The problem isn’t periods. It’s that workplaces are built for men" (Oct 13, 2025): A viral opinion piece arguing that modern workplace patterns are calibrated to male biology, making women's rights feel like "concessions." "Best of Both Sides: For women’s cricket, it’s 1978, not 1983" (Nov 7, 2025): A piece on how the yardstick of men's cricket cannot accurately measure the revolution in the women's game. 3. Social Trends & Childhood Crisis "The kids are not alright: An unprecedented crisis is brewing in schools and homes" (Nov 23, 2025): Writing as the Opinions Editor, she analyzed how rising competition and digital overload are overwhelming children. 4. Author Interviews & Profiles "Fame is another kind of loneliness: Kiran Desai on her Booker-shortlisted novel" (Sept 23, 2025): An interview regarding The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny. "Once you’ve had a rocky and unsafe childhood, you can’t trust safety: Arundhati Roy" (Aug 30, 2025): A profile on Roy’s recent reflections on personal and political violence. Signature Beats Gender Lens: She frequently critiques the "borrowed terms" on which women navigate pregnancy, menstruation, and caregiving in the corporate world. Book Reviews: Her reviews often draw parallels between literature and other media, such as comparing Richard Osman’s The Impossible Fortune to the series Only Murders in the Building (Oct 25, 2025). ... Read More

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