Wayel Kati: The Quest Of The Seven Guardians

From the heart and hills of Manipur, the story revolves around seven guardians ‘chosen’ to retrieve the scissor of justice, the Wayel Kati. None of them know much about the quest except for Laiba, the nine-year-old head priest. Dark creatures, who until now existed only in tales and ancient memories, have begun to invade the human realm. With the world at the brink of collapse, the guardians struggle to find their true selves, their purpose and deliver their one divine task. Will they succeed in their pursuit, or will the journey lead them to another gruelling quest? Crafted beautifully with words and illustrated with vivid imagination, the book delves into the themes of nature worship and environment preservation, as well as human inclination towards magic, myth and fantasy as a means to cope with reality.

Linthoi Chanu is a striking new voice in the landscape of Manipuri literature that has traditionally been populated by older voices. This young writer brings her fresh perspective to the stories from Manipur and is sure to bring a change in the way the region is perceived.

Considering the near invisibility of children’s literature from the North-East, this is perhaps one of the most important works of Indian young-adult literature of recent times.

The author says that most of her inspiration comes from the very few works of Manipuri literature that were accessible to her during her childhood. It was also mostly in oral format or radio dramas. As an assistant professor for literature she finds her writing endeavors complementary to her day job and loves the aspect of discussing language, people and ideas.

Nothing would have stopped me from writing this book. I knew that I know very less and would need years of dedication and commitment just to string up even a basic readable plot in order to present a wholesome and genuine taste of what Manipuri folklore and mythology feels like. As an optimist, I always see the grand events that could happen if someone opens a portal into our rich diversity of culture and people. Such a thought would fire up any artistic passion in anyone and in my case, it is writing, she adds as she talks about her inspiration to write this book.

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