Tibet is one of the most beautiful countries on the planet. Ice-covered mountains and thousands of feet above sea level- this is the picture of Tibet we draw in our minds when someone takes its name before us. However, there is also a different picture- a picture of the agony of the unfortunate Tibetians. China took over Tibet in 1720 and since then China has been forcefully ruling over Tibet. Several Tibetans have been forced to seek refuge in several parts of the world including India. Old Demons New Deities is a collection of these intense cries and Tibet's stories of rebellion. Some stories are in English, and a few have been translated from Chinese and Tibetan.

Old Demons New Deities has been edited by Tenzin Dickie. She was born as a refugee, but her creativity and knowledge have made her a jewel for India and the USA.

After graduating in English literature from Harvard University and pursuing a master's degree in Fine Arts from Columbia University, Dickie has kept himself engaged in literature in each way.

Numerous Tibetan and Indian warriors are fighting to restore Tibetan political rights. Activists have raised these topics on various international platforms. However, no one could change that these people do not have a country of their own.

Many writers worldwide are expressing continuous agony and pain in various literary forms. They had already established their mindscape in the international community of creative and socially conscious individuals. One such creation is Tenzin Tsundue's When It Rains In Dharamsala.

This poetry book Tenzin Dickie to the core. She realised that the book had electrified her.

"I read the book, I was electrified and then I began writing a poem. It was not just that I knew the rains of Dharamsala; it was that I knew Tsundue, who was much like me. I had always been a reader, but that was the first time I thought maybe I could be a writer as well," Dickie said.

Besides contributing to the growth of Tibetan literature, Old Demons New Deities also aims to spread the agony and pain of the Tibetians to international audiences.

Tenzin Dickie is a creative writer concerned with the social issues and agony of a not geographically connected country. However, she is carrying the country on her head and mind. This is reflected profoundly in the books and stories that Dickie have compiled, translated, and edited.

Every story of Old Demons New Deities presents a variety of political conspiracies and the pain of the shattered people of Tibet. The storytellers do not have their soil, but their words spread the fragrance of the soil. There is no alternative to reading the actual stories in this book to realise the power of words and bond to their soil.

ALSO READ | Till The End Of Time: A Love Story To Fall In Love With