About ChaiCopy
If there's one thing that’s constant about the life of a student, it’s the need for a hot beverage at all times of the day. But what beverage do you choose? On one hand, we have the joy of a conversation over a hot cup of tea. On the other, we have the rush of energy that you get from the steaming mug of coffee.
Well, a few students in 2017 bonded over their mutual love for both beverages and their appreciation for books, and launched ChaiCopy in a small college in the small town of Manipal (where both chai and coffee are a necessity).
Since then, ChaiCopy has sought to provide creative people like writers, artists, photographers with a platform where they can showcase their voices, imagination and ideas. We have seen many works pass through our door that capture elements of varied Indian perspectives, whether it be an outsider looking in, a lost urban youth, or any other member of the global community that construct their own Indian perspective by using both sides of the proverbial coin.
As a bi-annual publication of the Manipal Centre for Humanities, ChaiCopy publishes work twice a year that both creates and challenges these perspectives. Each issue of the literary journal is split into two sections, each embodying the assigned nature of their respective beverage:
- Chai Expressions: this section features Poetry, Short Fiction and Flash Fiction; this keeps the artistic spirit alive, enabling each piece to remain as unique and wonderous as a cup of tea from your favourite tapri.
- Kaapi Sessions: this section features Creative Non-Fiction, Photo Essays and Visual Art; like coffee itself, this section shows us the range of human existence- from bitter and concentrated memories, to sweetened and open experiences, all punctuated with a jolt of freshness that only coffee can provide.