Mysticeti's Diary
Preview
This book brings together work first published in Mysticeti’s online journal between 2021 and 2025—letters from artists, journal entries, essays, and short stories. Many of these pieces began as first drafts. Some were written by people publishing for the first time; others by artists and writers discovering new ways of expressing themselves.
Mysticeti began as a small online journal with very little that literary journals are expected to have. There were no themes, no submission windows, no masthead, and no reputation to speak of. It was simply an invitation to share stories.
Slowly, submissions began to arrive: first drafts, journal entries, essays, artwork, and stories that had never been shared before. Over time, it became clear that people were looking for more than a place to publish. They were looking for a place where their work would be read with care—a place that replied, edited thoughtfully, and believed the story mattered more than the journal.
Since then, Mysticeti has grown into a community of writers, artists, educators, and readers. Much of it is still built the same way it was in the beginning—independently, patiently, and one story at a time.
This collection is a record of the conversations, memories, and reflections that people chose to share. It is also a celebration of the relationships that grow through writing, reading, and listening to one another.
Like the whales that gave Mysticeti its name, we hope to continue travelling, listening, and finding one another along the way.
Email us to be notified when the print edition is released.
Preview ~
Contributors ~
Aayesha Ejaz is an illustrator, graphic designer, and storyteller from New Delhi. Her work draws on personal narratives, food, and animals—capturing everyday moments with warmth and quiet humour.
Aman Kumar Bavariya is an artist from Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh. His work focuses on monochrome paintings, exploring colour values, perspective, and the subtleties of everyday life.
Ananya Surana is a writer and researcher with a focus on literature, film, gender, and sexuality.
Ankita Rajasekharan designs art and nature-based learning experiences for children and adults. She loves documenting her reflections through writing and illustrations.
Anubhab Roy is a writer and journalist based in Bangalore. When he isn’t reading or bathroom singing, his present concerns include missing Nimboo and negotiating with the culture he has left behind in Bengal, sometimes hiding and sometimes seeking.
Ching Ching Yang is a medical professional from Taiwan who enjoys travelling and exploring different cultures.
Devin Osorio takes inspiration from Dominican culture and folkloric traditions, including a strong emphasis on textile patterns. These cultural influences merge with biographical details from Osorio’s lived experience, yielding paintings that function as secular reliquaries, commemorating a life lived between cultures.
Dhyani Parekh is a designer who works across public, private, and nonprofit sectors, using creative methodologies to build meaningful solutions with diverse teams. Outside of work, she loves swimming, running, exploring arts and crafts, and is an avid solo traveler.
Isha Jain is a writer from Delhi, India. She runs her own Substack, ‘The Indian Story’ where you can find more of her fiction and personal essays.
Jishnnu B creates visualisation, illustrations and immersive narratives
Lubna Aslam is a visual artist based in Lahore. Her practice explores interpretations of existence through a multidisciplinary lens.
Pratik Tushar is an artist, musician, and architect based in Bangalore. He works with pen-and-ink sketches, focusing on spontaneity and everyday observation.
Rushalee Goswami lives in Kolkata and works on communications and outreach at a Goa-based social science research collective. She likes writing, reading, audiovisual filmmaking, and taking long walks. She is an alumna of Jadavpur University and Jamia Millia Islamia.
Sidhant Kumar is an artist whose work explores environmental concerns through mythology, cultural immersion, and the use of sustainable materials across media like photography, installation, and performance.
Shreya Shah is a writer and educator based in Mumbai. She works with Harper’s Bazaar India, and contributes to Cosmopolitan India and Brides Today. Her work has previously appeared in publications like Verve and Vogue India. She also shares book recommendations through her blog, Tea Time Tales.
Shilpa Sivaraman is a museum professional focused on visitor experience, inclusive design, and socially innovative solutions. She creates accessible and engaging experiences across art, design, and cultural institutions.
Shivani Tipari is an illustrator, storyteller and urban sketcher based in Pondicherry. Often found seated along Pondicherry’s footpaths, she captures the city and its inhabitants within the pages of her sketchbook.
Srishti Sareen is a chef trained at the Culinary Institute of America who has worked in Michelin-starred kitchens including Per Se and The Modern in New York. She runs Gogi, a project creating intimate dining experiences.
Stuti Sareen is a writer, educator, curator, and founder of Mysticeti and Kauri. Her work brings together art, storytelling, and community through publishing, creative learning, and public programmes.
Tejal Sharan has studied graphic design at the National institute of Design, Ahmedabad. She loves illustrating images from her mind and believes in the power of visual storytelling in everyday life.
Tarang Mohnot is a writer and journalist with a deep love for the outdoors. She’s happiest under gloomy skies, oversharing with strangers, and budget-travelling her way across the globe. Her writing often explores themes of adventure, hiking, and the human connections she encounters along the way.
Vishakha Singh is an artist whose abstract, expressive figures draw from her surroundings and personal experiences, creating space for contemplation and connection.
Vrinda Chopra is a scholar and essayist who works at the intersection of space/place, self-hood and social change. She is interested in re-reading and re-writing stories of social change across the formal and informal economy in the Global South, to imagine a world otherwise.