Spotlight On: Wingless Dreamer
By Mollie Gregory-Clark, Priyanka Joshi, Isobel Jones and William Swift
Wingless Dreamer is a dynamic and innovative publishing company based in Mumbai, India that specialises in anthologies. Founded in 2019 by Indian author Ruchi Acharya, it has become a global forum to support emerging writers from around the world. It has hosted a variety of themed writing contests throughout the years to procure creative and unique submissions including poetry, fiction and artwork while bypassing the obstacles of traditional publishing. The winning submissions are then published together as anthologies.
Wingless Dreamer has developed into a creative and uplifting community that welcomes non-native English-speaking authors, Black authors and Indigenous People of Colour, those who identify as members of the LGBTQIA+ community and other marginalised voices. It has grown to be a well-known publisher championing authors from all walks of life.
New/Upcoming Releases
Dreamer’s Chronicles, Edited by Ruchi Acharya
Edited by Ruchi Acharya, Wingless Dreamer’s founder and Chief Executive Officer, Dreamer’s Chronicles is an anthology that brings together the best poetry and short story writing from the press’s summer submissions. Plumbing the depths of everything from the rawest of emotions, to the precarity of life, to spiritual beliefs, this anthology promises an intense, ethereal journey through the human psyche. Dreamer’s Chronicles is described as having been written “for literary lovers, by literary lovers” so, if you’re in the market for a rich and varied book that will transport you to evocative new worlds, then this may be the anthology for you!
Muses of Eliot, Edited by Mrunal Rajadhyaksha
When it comes to literary influences, you can’t get much more noteworthy than T.S. Eliot – a Nobel Prize-winner and one of the great Modernist poets of the 20th century. In Wingless Dreamer’s Muses of Eliot anthology, released 4 August 2023, selected writers draw inspiration from the poetic master, demonstrating how Eliot’s words continue resonating with creatives a century after they were written. Aiming to bridge the gap between past and present, the writers in this anthology enter into dialogue with some of Eliot’s most famous works, including The Waste Land, and relate them to their current experiences. The result is an innovative, contemplative reflection on both literature and life itself that’s not to be missed.
Unheard Phantoms, Edited by Esha Shukla
Filled with thrilling tales, dark characters and shocking twists, Unheard Phantoms is another of Wingless Dreamer’s summer anthology series, this time edited by literature student Esha Shukla. With writing that blends the most intriguing elements from science fiction, fantasy and thrillers, Unheard Phantoms is a gripping read that will keep you hooked from the first page. The anthology explores a vast array of foreboding themes: paranormal events, psychological disturbances and the darker side of human nature. So, as spooky season approaches, why not immerse yourself in the mysterious world of Unheard Phantoms?
Bestsellers
Wingless Dreamer’s bestsellers are without a doubt a reflection of the community the publisher serves, suggesting the desire for underrepresented voices to be published has been taken into the hands of the communities themselves. There is no one bestselling author. As an anthology publisher, Wingless Dreamer publishes concepts.
Zooming in on the two most popular anthologies, Dreamer’s Chronicles and The Petal Pages are representative of who Wingless Dreamer is as a publisher. Dreamer’s Chronicles, rocketing straight from new releases to the top of the publisher’s bestselling list, focuses on the joys of a spiritual existence. Dreamer’s Chronicles shines a positive light on humanity. As a bestseller, there is tangible evidence that both the collected authors and the reader yearn for depictions of joy.
Second in sales to Dreamer’s Chronicles, The Petal Pages is an expression of queer joy. Where many books can feature the pain of queer existence, The Petal Pages showcases “the unapologetic expression of authentic selves.” Wingless Dreamer’s bestsellers are a mark of success for their message as an anthology publisher – serving the desire for community and not community trauma. This showcase takes the first step in what is missing from the way we deal with collective grief: creating a community that is proud. Without pride, the process of dealing with this inherited trauma becomes an oppression of identity.
As clearly evidenced in these bestselling pages, a community of authors believes in the celebration of identity – and the reader agrees. As a competition-based publisher, Wingless Dreamer not only serves the reader but also encourages the poet to explore the light and believe in the beauty of their identity. Dreamer’s Chronicles and The Petal Pages sit at the top of Wingless Dreamer’s sales, showing that readers will flock to positive expressions of identity.