Kohinoor finds its voice

A diamond is a chunk of coal that did well under pressure,” said Henry Kissinger. The Kohinoor, one of the world’s most famous and controversial diamonds, has passed through such pressures: written off from emperors' treasuries, survived invasions, and ended up in the Tower of London as part of the British crown jewels.

- RAKSHITHA PRIYA G

But in Supriya Kelkar’s new picture book, And Yet You Shine (Scholastic India), the diamond’s journey becomes more than a tale of theft and colonial conquest — it transforms into a story of resilience, identity, and hope. This book made its appearance in Indian shelves in July 2025, following its initial release in the United States of America.

The idea came to Kelkar, a US-based Indian origin author, while promoting her earlier book which explores colonisation. “While I was promoting