Death and Departure: Meeting Dom Moraes
Dom has described poetry as the hardest and most demanding discipline and a ferocious master.
Hard Times by Charles Dickens
‘NOW, what I want is, Facts. Teach these boys and girls nothing but Facts. Facts alone are wanted in life. Plant nothing else, and root out everything else. You can only form the minds of reasoning animals upon Facts: nothing else will ever be of any service to them. This is the principle on which I bring up my own children, and this is the principle on which I bring up these children. Stick to Facts, sir!’
A Life Well-Lived: Alice Munro (1931-2024)
As you so perfectly captured in your stories, my life has turned a page. It’s with a quiet acceptance, mirroring the strength of your characters, that I share news of my passing. At 92, surrounded by the familiar landscapes of home, I take my leave, a life well-lived life, etched in the hearts of those who cherished your words and mine.
A Miniature India: Sahityotsav 2024
Imagine listening to the most powerful poets from languages as diverse as Konkani, Dogri and Telugu read out their poetry to you. They recite the poems in their own language first, and you surrender to the cadence of their poetry, absorbing the languages as they resound across the hall!
First And Last Lines of Famous Books In Literature
A Tale of Two Cities
First Line: It was the worst of times, it was the best of times.
Last Line: It is a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done; it is a far, far better rest that I go to than I have ever known.
‘The Last Courtesan: Writing My Mother’s Memoir’ by Manish Gaekwad
This is a gritty tale that Manish Gaekwad narrates about his mother’s life. Her memoir was recorded and written in 2020 – 2022. Rekha Devi died in February the following year. It must have been extremely challenging for Manish to write her story. Yet, I believe, this writing was necessary for him to come to terms with both his mother, himself and their fraught relationship.
‘Welcome To The Hyunam-Dong Bookshop’ Is Many Books Rolled Into One
This is many books rolled into one. First and foremost, it is a book about books. It is also about bookshops, about readers, and about the process of writing and the process of reading.
Book Review: RK Narayan: The Compassionate Chronicler of Indian Life
Indradeep is deeply involved in a varied range of subjects like politics, cinema, Indian music to fountain pens. He has over 10 years of experience in print and digital media, working with The Times of India and The Wire. He writes on topics such as democracy, human rights, social justice, culture and literature.
Book Review: ‘Failure to Make Round Rotis’ is An Anthem on Womanhood
Failure to Make Round Rotis: Poems on Rebellion, Resilience and Relationships is former computer engineer turned poet Mehak Goyal’s powerful debut collection of verses.
The American-English Library at Nice Tells a Tale of Cultural Bibliophilia
The English Library at Nice is the largest in Southern Europe. It has been located at the same place for the last 160 years, inside the neo-Gothic Holy Trinity English Church campus.
Soumitra Chatterjee – His Life In Cinema And Beyond: A Biography
Amitava Nag’s latest work is a book on Soumitra Chatterjee based on his long interviews with the multi-faceted genius. Nag and Chatterjee shared a relationship that reached far beyond the ‘mentor-admirer’ equation. In a chat with the author he opens up on this long relationship with one of the greatest talents West Bengal has produced in the 20th century.
Book Review: Sriniketan- A Centenary Account
This is a centenary history of the Institute of Rural Reconstruction which Rabindranath Tagore later named Sriniketan (originally known by the name Surul, a village in which the campus was located). In 1922, Leonard Knight Elmhirst went up from Santiniketan to Surul at Rabindranath’s request to initiate the actual work of the newly founded Institute of Rural Reconstruction.
Nautanki Saala and Other Short Stories
The very first story, “Does Your Cat Speak To You?” is intriguingly told in just six pages. It conveys the trauma many Hindu refugees faced in the Bangladesh Liberation War. Paromita, with large luminous eyes, long wavy hair wearing a cotton sari with a white and red border is almost desperate in her urgent search for a pinch of sindoor.
Virtue and Sexuality in Bram Stoker’s Dracula
Count Dracula’s act of turning a human into a vampire is intensely sexual. It is, perhaps, that very idea that led to the conception of an Edward Cullen or a Damon Salvatore. Biting the skin of the neck to draw blood seemed too animalistic to my preteen self to register as anything erotic.
Harnessing the Trade Winds: History of Indian Traders in Eastern Africa
Many other fascinating trivia are revealed in the book. It’s intriguing to learn how Indians helped Zanzibar become a regional commerce powerhouse by connecting Zanzibar with Bombay and other western Indian ports. Certain significant Indians, like A.M. Jeevanjee, Jairam Shewji, and Tharya Topan, who made significant contributions to the region’s growth and the defence of Indian rights, find their rightful mention in the book.
Bedtime Stories 2
Reading to one’s child can be a special bonding activity. It establishes a healthy routine of rest after a hectic day of work and play.