I read Paul Kalanithi’s essay in The New Yorker in January, and pre-ordered When Breath Becomes Air. The book arrived last month, but I couldn’t muster the courage to read it. Although I was reading a lot of books that affected me deeply, I still shuddered at the mere thought of reading Kalanithi’s memoir, only because […]
Watching Shakun Batra’s Kapoor & Sons (Since 1921) is like reading a book you are slowly but surely falling in love with. A book that you read curled up in a window seat on a rainy day, with a cup of tea by your side, hoping that the story will never end because it makes you taste […]
Many years ago when Javed Akhtar along with Shabana Azmi was touring the country to present the stage adaptation of Shaukat Azmi’s book Kaifi Aur Main, I had asked him at a press meet if the Ganga Jamni tehzeeb he represented so beautifully would fade away after him along with a few remaining voices […]
Pan Macmillan India has announced the release of bestselling author Jeffrey Archer’s much-awaited new novel from the Clifton Chronicles series, Cometh the Hour (Paperback at Rs 599). Archer continues his storytelling magic to create characters of spellbinding substance, and readers can count on his surprising twists and shocking conclusion. Here, just when the end seems too tidy, […]
Evocative, sensuous poetry from a colourful and controversial 16th century poet-saint has now been translated in full for the first time. Penguin presents Madho Lal Hussein’s ‘Verses of a Lowly Fakir, ’ a book with timeless verses that offer a glimpse into a world riven with political conflict and religious acrimony, churning with debate about […]
Bhisham Sahni (1915–2003) was an iconic writer who transformed the landscape of Hindi literature. Sahni was fluent in several languages—Punjabi, Hindi, Sanskrit, Urdu and English—and his oeuvre encompassed a wide range of literary forms: novels, short stories, plays, essays. Tamas, his best known novel, won the Sahitya Akademi Award in 1975 and was subsequently adapted […]
Ashokamitran, born in 1931 in Secunderabad, is one of the most distinguished contemporary Indian writers. In a prolific career that began in 1955, he has written over 250 short stories along with two dozen novels and novellas, in addition to a steady output of columns, essays and book reviews, earning him a central place in […]
H is for Hawk by Helen Macdonald (Vintage Books) is an award-winning (the Samuel Johnson prize for nonfiction, the Costa Book of the Year prize) story of healing with a hawk. It is not a new release but it has long transcended the time barrier. It is the kind of book that you buy and keep […]
I finished reading Elizabeth Gilbert’s Eat, Pray, Love last night, and I wrestled with my thoughts to decide if I should really blog about the book. I did not want to write about it because, when so many people have already read the book, how is my little opinion going to change the course of the world? But […]
The conference room was cold. Maybe, it seemed colder because I was waiting to be interviewed by two editors. I had applied for the role of a reporter/sub-editor at a popular newspaper. My brain was almost ready to shut down, for I had already written a long test that checked my understanding of ‘affect’, and […]
It’s funny how the city grows on you and makes you a part of her, no matter how hard you resist. The chaos swirling in the air grabs you in a vice-like grip and slowly but surely saps everything within until you join the hollow-faced endless crowd of humanity. Their listless eyes looking to the horizon, dragging […]
The ethereal kashmir has been a bone of contention between two very unhappy neighbours. But its lush green meadows, snow filled valleys, warm kangris, hospitable people and delicious cuisine keep drawing travellers despite the tension. I did this trip independently with a friend without a tour package, guide or private taxi. Here are some useful […]