Editorial: ULR Issue 10, The Body

Dear Readers,

It’s with incredulous joy, and the biggest bunch of apologies that I write this message to you.

Incredulous because we’ve reached the tenth issue of Usawa. Our journey since the inception in 2018 has been rock-strewn to say the least. Every issue that went live somehow felt like the last one we could ever manage. However, support from our mentors and the literary community, finding the right editors, and your constant support kept us going. We placed one foot in front of the other, we kept our heads down; we stumbled, dusted ourselves, got back to the warmest reception a magazine could hope for. This journey is yours as much as it is team Usawa’s – this tenth issue is truly a present.

Apologies for the delay – this unforgivably long delay, yet again, in bringing out the issue. We’re truly sorry. And we’re working on ensuring that this doesn’t happen ever again.

And joy at our new website. We hope that it will bring ease and convenience to readers, contributors, and editors. We thank our technology partners, HMI tech, and our webmaster, Ameer, for this platform that they’ve provided.

There’s more news to share but I’ll take to social media for those, because right now, dear readers, all I want for all of us to do is to savour this thought-provoking, beautiful issue on the body. The cover image is a photograph of Bharti Kher’s Pieta, and every literary piece in this issue will challenge our most closely held ideas about our bodies, and our relationship with other bodies.

May 2024 bring us closer to a more equitable, more peaceful world. May 2024 be filled with love and good health for each one of us.

With gratitude and affection,
Yours,
Smita