One Billion Rising !

Hi all,


First of all, thank you so much for your overwhelming response to our closure mail. The immense affection that we have received through your mails, your kid’s letters and so many of you personally visiting us to tell us that you are going to miss us!

Thank you, we at twistntales feel genuinely touched and moved. However, the decision stays.

We will be working till end Feb. However, in Feb, we will be closing from 1.30pm to 4pm.

Even as we are shutting shop, we have two amazing events coming up in twistntales.

1. 14th Feb, Thurs, 8pm One Billion Rising – community dance at twistntales

2. 16th Feb, Sat, 6.30pm “Revenge of the Pharoah” a Egyptian theme event, reading of the book by author, Sonja Chandrachud.



While we will send you another mail regarding the reading session on 16th Feb (meant for ages 10 to 14yrs), we are planning this as a theme event complete with belly dancing, tattoos and hair braiding for the pre-teens/ teens. And we expect all participants to come dressed in Egyptian costumes! This early announcement is to give you adequate time to get your costume ready.

Our event on 14th Feb, Thurs, 8pm:

February 14, 2013 will see over 13000 organisations around the globe coming together for the One Billion Rising campaign that demands to stop violence against women.

The One Billion Rising campaign was called into action by V-Day, an organization established by activist and playwright Eve Ensler. Activities towards creating awareness of the campaign have ramped up all over the world – over 13,000 organizations around the globe, and 176 countries have committed to participate and hold events on February 14, 2013.

In 2012, V-Day decided to launch the campaign of One Billion Rising. When United Nation reported that 1 in 3 women on the planet, that is one billion women, will face violence – beaten or raped – in their lifetime, V-Day decided to invite one billion women across the world to stand up against violence – “walk out, dance, rise up, and demand an end to this violence” on February 14th, 2013 – the date of V-Day’s 15th Anniversary. The campaign states that, “One Billion Rising is a promise that we will rise up with millions of women and men around the world to say, “ENOUGH! The violence ends NOW”.”

In India, the One Billion Rising Campaign is being worked on in more than 15 states. Organizations including women’s groups, Dalit groups, human right activists, writers, artistes including Aparna Sen, Javed Akhtar, Mahasweta Devi, Mallika Sarabhai, Mita Vasisht, Nandita Das, Rahul Bose, Rituparno Ghosh, Samik Bandyopadhyay, Shabana Azmi, Soumitra Chatterjee and Usha Uthup, and men and women and children have participated in the events that form the run up to February 14.

The One Billion Rising Campaign was launched in India in Delhi when Sangat, Jagori and the Jamia Outreach Programme along with over 36 women and community collectives/groups came together at the Jamia Millia Islamia University on November 24, 2012. The Minister for Women and Child Development, Delhi, Ms. Kiran Walia partnered the effort.

On February 14th, 2013, one billion women and those who love them are invited to walk out, rise up, dance, and strike to demand an end to violence against women and girls.

On 14th Feb 2013, at 8pm, twistntales will join with activists around the world for ONE BILLION RISING, the largest day of action in the history of V-Day, the global activist movement to end violence against women and girls.

Be there to dance with us. The One Billion Rising Videos along with the community dance, will happen at twistntales. And we will take the ONE BILLION RISING pledge.

So, wear your dancing shoes and come. And men, yes, we want to see you in large numbers!

From the team at,
twistntales

Happy 2013 and bye bye !!

Hi all,

Best wishes for 2013 and greetings for Makar Sankranti. Uttaraayan brings with it new beginnings and it’s time to move on.

Yes, its bye bye time!

Yes, twistntales will be downing its shutters shortly.

twistntales has been part of our lives for the past 11 years and has greatly enriched our lives. Living and being part of the neighbourhood where twistntales has been supported by the local readers, authors and educationists has been amply rewarding.

It has not been an easy decision. And it is with an aching heart that I write this. And with a tremendous sense of loss for this community that we are also part of.

But it is time to move on.

We, the team at twistntales (always a motley group of corporate drop-outs, housewives, students, senior citizens) will miss seeing you at our Store. Courtships, friendships, alliances, confidences and the so so many networking opportunities that twistntales provided the perfect venue for – yes, we will miss that too! The space that twistntales created for many like minded people to meet, bond, discuss, and sometimes just drop by for a chat will be missed, also by us.

The students who have worked here – from Tejal in 2002 to Richa now have added so much special character to this place, and it is to them that I owe a big thanks ! Thankyou, Tejal, Mridula, Shradda, Nandana, Ashok, Reena, Shefali, Neha, Samar, Riyaz, Geetanjali, Aarti, Rekha, Srikant, Akash, Tia, Jahnavi, Vidya, Neena, Resh, Shama, Poornima, Kshitija, Vernen, Anushree, Sharan, Madhavi, Lijya, Shahaji, Malhar and Richa. To each one of you, all of you have had a deliberate reason to be here, to work here – whether 6 months or 2 years – but the joy and energy that you got to twistntales, has been remarkable and we will not have come this far without you 

We have had tremendous fun these past 11 years. Our reading sessions, street plays, workshops, the all night sessions with Harry Potter – each one of these events, we have had great fun creating these unique events, fun with your children and you participating in them, watching your kids grow up in “their” bookstore, the tremendous joy we have had in connecting with each one of you, twistntales has grown to be an endearing part of our lives. We know that you will miss us too, and are now preparing for the black flag demonstrations that some of you have threatened us with ;-)

And to you, our readers. So many of you, who tell us that you come specifically to Pune, to visit us, sorry, we will miss you the next time you come around. And to those who live in and around, sorry, your favorite hang-out place is about to vanish. We will be around for another month or so, before we vacate the current premises. Whether it is for a birthday gift, or a workbook for your child’s skill building, we have also had tremendous satisfaction in identifying the right set of books for you, our special bond with parents and your faith in our recommendations has been touching. Thank you.

Reading and good bookstores, we hope, will continue to be. And we do hope that the community steps in and takes an active interest in vanishing relics of our time.

But for twistntales, the innings is completed. We will have a Stock Clearance sale starting today (15/01/2013), till stocks last. We have already stopped the sale of gift coupons. Kindly redeem the coupons that you may have in your possession. Everything will be on Sale, including racks, book stoppers, gift wrapping paper etc. Please check out your requirements. The yahoogroups, the blog and the facebook pages will be deleted shortly.

We have planned a couple of events even as we sign off, and we will send you mail on the events and dates.

And we take this opportunity to thank ALL our Customers, Business Partners, Vendors, Publishers, Authors, Media, Event partners, School Principals, Librarians, Teachers, Educationists, Social Activists, Theatre persons, Musicians – so many of you with whom we have worked closely. It has been a joy, truly - collaborating with each one of you to create and fulfill your requirements.

And it has given my family and me (Janaki) some amazing friendships, complete joy and happiness but this closure will leave a huge vacuum in our lives. But as we move on, we do hope that relationships will continue to be nurtured, and we can continue to meet in this neighbourhood.

From,

Janaki and the team at,