I am delighted to announce the publication of Incantations Over Water, my first graphic novel and seventh book. This book is the companion volume to my picture book Mermaids In The Moonlight; together they form my Ila duology.

“Sharanya Manivannan’s Incantations Over Water is storytelling magic — Ila the mermaid has an irresistible voice steeped in history, myth and pure wonder. Like its compelling narrator, this powerful book will call to you. A beautifully told and illustrated tale of the Kallady lagoon, and of the water that connects us all.” – V. V. Ganeshananthan

“Sharanya Manivannan’s storytelling is quicksilver, refusing — yet again — to be constrained by genre. Incantations Over Water is lyrical and experimental, invoking old lore, timeless sprites, and magic that isn’t of the obvious kind.” – Amruta Patil

An excerpt and exclusive video on News9.

An excerpt in Scroll.

An essay, “Making Up The Mermaid of Mattakalappu” in The Willowherb Review

An essay, “Ila, The Mermaid of Batticaloa” in Mermaids Monthly

“You could say that I had been working towards the Ila duology my whole life” – An interview with Suhasini Patni, Scroll

“…stunning lyricism leaping off its pages… gorgeously illustrated… Incantations over Water is an exploration about memory, home, loss, and the power of narratives. Densely researched and ecofeminist in its approach, the novel is an enthralling poetic and visual feat.” – Tasneem Pocketwala, OPEN Magazine

“Incantations puts forth a knowledge that doesn’t have to be translated or, rather, can’t be translated — which is an act of intimacy telling us to know a people instead of simply extracting their wisdom. Diving beyond Western concepts of capturing and documenting information for posterity, it takes us to the deepest corners of the ocean of knowledge, where each story can have several meanings, making the whole beautiful and wondrous.” – Sneha Krishnan, The Hindu Literary Review

“Incantations is a lyrical book, with prose that reads like poetry, and sentences that stay with you long after the pages are turned… Manivannan has illustrated the book herself, creating visuals of the lagoon and Ila that are beautiful and stirring.” – Joanna Lobo, Firstpost

“Her words and art have a hypnotic effect as they draw the readers into a world that is replete with ‘cultural history, eco-consciousness, political reality, and personal longing’. Magic surrealism meets glorious profundity, making this a novel that one would want to keep around for many years.” – Shrestha Saha, The Telegraph

“Incantations Over Water demonstrates not only the literary excellence but also the genius of Sharanya Manivannan as an illustrator”.- Saurabh Sharma, Writerly Life

“Incantations offers what you desire to draw from it and then some.” – Kannalmozhi Kabilan, The New Indian Express

…”the book is a visual delight due to its marvellous illustrations, (Manivannan’s pen has brought to life all the sea creatures, especially mermaids) as well as a treat to read, due to her poetic writing.” – Rachna Chhabria, Deccan Chronicle

“Sharanya Manivannan writes, ‘In any endeavour — in any pilgrimage, in any undertaking of the heart — always leave a votive for the ones who left no trace.’ This is what Sharanya does in her book ‘Incantations over water’. She acknowledges that this book is a votive for all her lost kin and for a history much less known.” – Pallavi NB, Deccan Herald

Virtual book launch with Karuna Ezara Parikh

A conversation with Anukrti Upadhyay for Pashyantee

A conversation with Cushy Book Club, University of Delhi

“I write and draw primarily for my own solace or pleasure” – an interview with Sukant Deepak, Indo-Asian News Service

An interview on “The Subverse”, the podcast of Dark ‘N’ Light