New Writing is an initiative by Helter Skelter to promote emerging writers and poets in India; to create a space for original, fresh short fiction and poetry.

Volume One of New Writing was published in May 2012, and featured submissions based around a visual cue—a photograph depicting a telephone with its receiver off the hook. We published 15 of the best short stories and poems we received, along with original artwork inspired by each of the pieces.

For our second edition, we invited entries based on multiple visual cues. We provided writers with nine photographs of everyday objects—all submissions were required to incorporate at least three of the depicted objects.

This time around, we received a lot more interest from writers and artists alike. While this was extremely satisfying, it was also considerably more challenging to sort through all the entries and put together this collection. We hope that you enjoy reading and sharing the poems, short stories, and artwork that make up this second edition of New Writing.