Archana Singh’s debut novel released

Chandigarh, April 17, 2026: Panjab University (PU) Vice Chancellor, Prof. Renu Vig, today released “The Rewrite Circle,” a debut novel authored by Prof. Archana R. Singh of the School of Communication Studies, during an art-lit adaptation event held at the Mulk Raj Auditorium in PU campus on Friday.
The event adapted the novel’s narrative for the stage, directed by Nisha Luthra, a prominent stage artist of the city. The performance carved out the characters' complex inner lives, bringing the written word into a surreal, lived reality.
While releasing the book and addressing a packed house of scholars and literature enthusiasts, Prof. Renu Vig stated that the event marked a pivotal moment for the University with the collaboration between two departments, the School of Communication Studies and the Department of English and Cultural Studies, to celebrate a book by our own faculty member. She added, “The feelings of parents towards their children do not change, there is always a longing for them when they are abroad, the book captures that very well. Best wishes on the release of the book and I hope everyone enjoys it.”
The novel explores the emotional journey of five Indian women from diverse backgrounds who find themselves in the USA, coping with the relocation of their children. According to Archana R Singh, the story is designed as a bridge, addressing the "empty nest" syndrome experienced by parents while acknowledging the aspirations of youth who move abroad for better opportunities.
The novel is unique, as a series of short stories come together to form a long story. “It is character-driven with strong arcs and dialogues. It has a lot that can resonate with the divided families-children abroad and parents back home,” said Singh.
A professor of media studies for 27 years, ‘The Rewrite Circle’ is the fourth in Singh’s bouquet of books. It is her first novel. “For 27 years, I’ve taught that journalism captures the facts, but I’ve realised only fiction can capture the truth. To those surprised that a Journalism teacher has written a novel, well, it’s the destination and not a departure from what I always do. There is always a lot of fact in fiction. But when a Journalism teacher writes one, the facts are vetted. The emotions are real,” said Singh.
‘The Rewrite Circle’ has been published by the Browsers, Chandigarh, and is available on Amazon and Flipkart.
Singh’s last book, ' Beyond The Hashtag: A Decade of Twitter Activism in India,' was released in 2024.
Capt. Ranjana Malik, a philanthropist and champion of women empowerment and Shri. Vijay Kapoor, a renowned theatre and literary personality, graced the book release event.
Dr Malik congratulated the author and the director with her words, "As a mother whose children are also abroad, I want to say that at a certain time, you have to let the apron strings go and let the children do what they want to do. We have to accept the fact that kids will live their lives their own way."
Vijay Kapoor said, "The pertinent question is can we really change our endings? To know that, one must read the book. I congratulate the author on the release." He also presented a poem on the occasion.
The performance featured a talented cast including Roopam Singh, Ravee Pandher, Sarika Dhupar, Sharmita Bhinder, and Abha Sharma. The proceedings were conducted with poetic finesse by Annurani Sharma and overall coordination handled by Divya Sharma and technical support provided by Chetna Raghav and Sunil Sharma.