Panther’s Paw: A Publisher fighting for Anti-Caste Literature
Panther’s Paw Publishing, a small autonomous house, is dedicated too bringing forward critical voices and perspectives frequently enough marginalized in mainstream publishing. Founded with a vision to blend personal narrative with socio-political commentary, the press has quickly become known for its striking book designs and commitment to anti-caste literature.
Initially,author Samos envisioned a collection of personal essays reflecting his upbringing in Orissa,alongside analytical pieces on social and political issues.He struggled to integrate these two elements until encouraged by Yogesh to simply begin writing. This led to a productive period of creation from 2020 to 2022.
A defining characteristic of panther’s Paw’s publications is their visually arresting covers.The design consistently aims to reflect the content’s radical nature.For example, ‘milk of Equality, Soured,’ a compilation of B.R. Ambedkar’s writings,features an image of an overturned milk can,referencing the conventional vessels used by milk vendors. Similarly,’Cinema’ by Maitreya utilizes a stark design - a predominantly black cover punctuated by a thin white strip resembling flames.
Several titles showcase innovative typography. ‘Untouchable Goa’ employs a vertically oriented, calligraphic font for the word “Goa,” while ’Unwinding a Death Spiral’ visually represents its title with a fragmented spiral design. ‘From Subjugation to Emancipation,’ another collection of Ambedkar’s essays, utilizes stylized letters from the title to fill the entire cover space.
The design studio November,responsible for 20 of Panther’s Paw’s 27 covers,enjoys important creative freedom. Shiva Nallaperumal, from November, explains thay are encouraged to be as experimental and bold as the books themselves – a rare opportunity in the publishing world. nallaperumal and his co-founder, Juhi Vishnani, strive for a strong connection between a book’s content and its visual presentation, but also see their work as contributing to a broader aesthetic for the anti-caste movement.This approach is evident in titles like ’Singing/thinking Anti-Caste,’ which chronicles the history of Dalit musicians in Maharashtra. Its cover features a title rendered in handmade linocuts, and a collection of 32 portraits of Ambedkar eschews a title altogether, presenting a powerful, naturalistic image of the leader.
Despite its artistic success and critically important mission, Panther’s Paw faces significant financial challenges. Maitreya, the publisher, has taken on numerous roles – including logistics, layout, distribution, and publicity – to minimize expenses. However,sales remain low,and new obstacles continue to emerge.
The relocation from Mumbai to Nagpur during the pandemic proved detrimental. Maitreya expresses disappointment with nagpur’s lack of support for literary endeavors and its slow response to the cultural contributions Panther’s paw offers. Further compounding the difficulties, the publisher was recently asked to vacate its office, library, and warehouse space by the welfare trust in Nagpur, leaving a substantial inventory of unsold books stored in Maitreya’s and friends’ homes, effectively becoming a financial burden.
To address these issues, Maitreya launched a fundraising campaign in August, offering four titles (including two forthcoming) for approximately ₹2,000, aiming to secure funding for the next five years. He estimates a monthly corpus of ₹50,000 would allow the press to continue publishing anti-caste literature without constant budgetary concerns.
As of Saturday, the campaign had received only 85 orders against a target of 1,200. Maitreya notes the disparity between the success of books on caste published by mainstream, Savarna-owned publishers and the struggles faced by Panther’s Paw, attributing this to the pervasive influence of caste and the disproportionate effort required for Dalits to achieve recognition.