Damon Galgut releases three books on Khasi heritage at Shillong Literary Festival

SHILLONG: Three books on Khasi heritage, culture and traditional social institutions were released by 2021 Booker Prize-winning author Damon Galgut on the opening day of the Shillong Literary Festival 2026. Authors Raphael Warjri and Adeline Swer introduced the publications and outlined their themes before Galgut unveiled the titles.

The books were Jutang Longblei: Khasi Divine Covenant, Khasi Matrilineal Clan Lineage System and Matriliny versus Patriarchy. The last title was co-authored by Warjri and Swer, while the first two were authored by Warjri.

Matriliny versus Patriarchy examines the historical and cultural foundations of the Khasi matrilineal system and the challenges it faces from changing social norms. Jutang Longblei documents Khasi myths, legends and traditional narratives in Khasi and English. Khasi Matrilineal Clan Lineage System is an international edition of Warjri's earlier work, MEI: Matrilineal Exogamous Institution, aimed at reaching Khasi communities in Bangladesh and strengthening cultural links across the border, a press release said.

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