Looking at the world through the eyes of diplomats and other stories
The thoughts and ideas of Indian diplomats who have collectively put in more than 1,150 years in the Indian Foreign Service, understanding the ins and out of wealth creation, a story of a Parsi man and an exciting tale about the battle between man and nature: this is what IANS has to offer to its readers this weekend. Take a look.
1. Book: India and the World: Through the Eyes of Indian Diplomats; Edited by Surendra Kumar; Publisher: Wisdom Tree; Pages: 460; Price: Rs.1,095.
My stories are about class and immigration: African novelist
By Madhusree Chatterjee, IANS,
New Delhi : Nigerian novelist Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, who won the Orange Broadband Prize for Fiction in 2007 for her book "Half of a Yellow Sun", paints snapshots of the roller-coaster called America in her new book, "The Thing Around Your Neck".
The collection of 12 short stories has been published by HarperCollins.
Book Review: Chasing A Mirage
It is a tragedy of the post-911 world that the field of Islamic concepts and terminologies have also fallen a victim to misunderstanding, misinterpretation, and plain hysteria. Fuelling these fears among the masses are not only rabid Islamophobes but also those who claim to be nothing of that sort but whose actions speak otherwise. Canadian TV host and commentator Tarek Fatah belongs to the latter category. He has a history of mindless criticism of things as mundane as the aversion to music to more significant ones as the introduction of Sharia-based laws in Ontario.
Capitalism, crorepatis and relationships, browse all you want
By IANS,
(IANS Books This Week)
Glittering line-up of authors for Jaipur Literary Festival
By IANS,
New Delhi : Bookworms can look forward to a carnival in January when Jaipur will play host to a galaxy of authors like Vikram Seth, Chetan Bhagat, Hari Kunzru, Micheal Ondaatje, Pico Iyer and Patrick French during the fourth edition of the Jaipur Literary Festival.
One of the most colourful events in the city's social calendar, the festival will be held Jan 21-25 at the Diggy Palace.
Stories by women, for women
From the story of Urmila, Sita's sister to life in Iran and the cruel fate of Bollywood's item girls - all these stories on the IANS bookshelf this weekend throw light on the many hues of women and, interestingly, are written by women. Take a look.
Gender empowerment must start at home: Kerala CM
Thiruvananthapuram: Gender empowerment should start from our homes to achieve our goals at the societal level, Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy said on Saturday.
"We...
Sikh detective unravels peculiar murder
By Shubha Singh, IANS,
Book: "Inspector Singh Investigates: A Most Peculiar Malaysian Murder"; Author: Shamini Flint; Price: Rs.295; Publisher: Piatkus
Shamini Flint's novel sets the scene for a new series of detective novels starring Singapore Police's inspector Singh.
A Malaysian playboy businessman is murdered and his Singapore-born ex-model wife is charged with the crime. Inspector Singh is sent to Kuala Lumpur to track the murder investigation and ensure that Chelsea Liew gets a fair trial.
An Indian who longs for India
By M.R. Narayan Swamy, IANS,
Book: "The Reverse Journey"; Author: Vivek Kumar Singh; Publisher: Frog Books, Mumbai;
Pages: 122; Price: Rs.95
Kashmir, Mao, free spirit, join forces on book shelf
By IANS,
New Delhi : The books on the shelf this week are mercurial: serious and thought-provoking, yet fun.
Why this 1949 love story is relevant in today’s times (Book Review)
By Shilpa Raina,
Title: Chander and Sudha; Author: Dharamvir Bharati translated by Poonam Saxena; Publisher:Penguin Viking; Pages: 351; Price: Rs.499
It is almost impossible to imagine...
Bikaner princess documents history of her royal home
By IANS,
New Delhi : An inner courtyard with a stunning, multi-layered red sandstone facade, verandahs lined with beautiful marble tables and imposing bronze sculptures on each one of them - the family home of Rajyashree Kumari Bikaner, an erstwhile Rajasthani princess, is a palace that has hosted the then maharajas of Travancore, Palanpur, Patiala and Gwalior.
Rana Dasgupta’s new novel about failed man, failed nation
By Madhusree Chatterjee, IANS,
New Delhi : It could well be a leaf out of "One Hundred Years of Solitude" or even "Arabian Nights", say critics. British Indian writer Rana Dasgupta's new novel, "Solo", is about the life and daydreams of a 100-year-old man.
Slated for release in India in February 2009 by Harper Collins, the book is not set in the fictional Macondo as in Gabriel Garcia Marquez's magnum opus, but in war-torn Bulgaria of the early 20th century.
Himachal’s literacy rate touches 88 per cent
Shimla : Himachal Pradesh has emerged as role model in the field of education since the literacy rate there has reached 88 per cent...
Argentine writers offer creative take on Bible
By EFE,
Buenos Aires : Several acclaimed Argentine writers presented here a new work that uses the Bible as its starting point but takes creative liberties with some of the most widely read passages of that holy text.
Jose Pablo Feinmann, Luisa Valenzuela and Juan Sasturain were among the authors that worked on the book, titled "Biblia" (Bible), with each author drawing on their respective views about theology in adapting Old Testament stories.
Dr.Ambedkar’s views on minority rights, democracy and Hindu majoritarianism
By Badre Alam & Sanjay Kumar for TwoCircles.net
Editors: Prof. Christophe Jaffrelot and Dr Narender Kumar
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Pages: 263
Price (Hardbound): Rs 850
Professor Christophe Jaffrelot...
Orhan Pamuk’s book continues to retain No.1 position
By IANS,
New Delhi : "Nine Lives: In Search of the Sacred in Modern India" by William Dalrymple jumped one position to dominate the non-fiction section of the bestseller list this week while "The Museum of Innocence" by Nobel prize winner Orhan Pamuk retained its No.1 position in the fiction category.
The top 10 in each category are:
Non-fiction
1. "Nine Lives: In Search of the Sacred in Modern India"
Author: William Dalrymple
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Price: Rs.499.00
2. "The Difficulty of Being Good: On The Subtle Art of Dharma"
Author: Gurcharan Das
Why spirit can never be conquered (Book Review)
By M.R. Narayan Swamy, IANS,
Title: Living Courageously; Author: Lipa Rath; Publisher: Power Publishers; Pages: 116, Price: Rs.250.
Fiction from troubled South Asia (Book Review)
By M.R. Narayan Swamy,
Title: False Sanctuaries: Stories from the Troubled Territories of South Asia; Author: Meenakshi Iyer; Publisher: Promilla & Co; Pages: 284; Price: Rs.395
The essence of Malayaliness – contrary images
By IANS,
New Delhi : Kerala is many things to many people. While it is "god's own country" for some because of its scenic lushness, others think it an "embarrassment that encourages constant disorder in its politics and economy".
As author Shinie Antony writes in a new anthology, "Kerala, Kerala, Quite Contrary" there exist multiple Keralas, all volubly at loggerheads with each other - left or right? Tourism brochures or environmental quicksand? Poised for a global role or rambling rhetoric?
‘Religious Identity has never been a barrier for acquiring knowledge in India’
By Syed Muhammad Raghib and Abhay Kumar for TwoCircles.net,
New Delhi: Akhlaque Ahan is an associate professor of Persian...
Book on the lethal use of pellet guns released in Kashmir; lethality of the...
By Raqib Hameed Naik, TwoCicles.net
Srinagar : Kashmir - Scars of Pellet Gun: The Brutal Face of Suppression, the book...
New novella series hits Indian book bazaar
By IANS,
New Delhi : Taking a cue from the continuing demand for short novels like John Steinbeck's "Of Mice and Men" and Franz Kafka's "Metamorphosis" more than five decades after their publication, the Tranquebar Press has launched a new short fiction - novella - series.
The series was launched Monday with a cache of four novellas - the "Nalanda Chronicles" by Kalpish Ratna, "Happy Associate" by Urja, "Peacock in the Chicken Run" by Dawood Ali McCallum and "The Beast" by Syed Muhammed Ashraf.
Erotica, healing, Ruskin Bond on book cart
By IANS,
New Delhi : The book case this weekend is packed with action and gripping titles.
Artists seeking publicity claim faking of their works: Neville Tuli
By Madhusree Chatterjee, IANS,
Jaipur : Neville Tuli, chairman and founder of Osian's Connoisseurs of Arts - the country's biggest private art auction house, feels that the lack of authentication of art works in India leads to faking while many artists also claim that their works have been forged to gain publicity.
"Works are not authenticated and art still comes without receipts. This allows room for art to be faked. Moreover, many artists like to claim that their works have been faked to seek easy publicity," Tuli told IANS in an interview.
Recent Sikh history: An inside story – IANS Book Review
By Arun Anand, IANS,
Book: "1984: Lessons From History", Author: Harminder Kaur; Publisher: Corporate Vision, Price: Rs.595; Pages: 245
India witnessed a spate of inter-linked tragic events in the year 1984 - Operation Bluestar and the assassination of prime minister Indira Gandhi by her Sikh body guards, followed by anti-Sikh riots in capital Delhi and several other parts of the country that shook the conscience and secular fabric of the country.
India was keen to retain, and not evict, IBM in 1977: Book
By Arvind Padmanabhan, IANS,
New Delhi : Contrary to the general perception that India had forced US IT giant IBM to exit the country in 1977, evidence shows that the government was not only keen to retain the company but had also held secret parleys for that with the company's top brass in the US, says a new book.
The closed-door talks with IBM were piloted by the then Electronics Commission led by senior technocrat N. Seshagiri, says the detailed account of the IBM era in the book, entitled "The Long Revolution: The Birth and Growth of India's IT Industry".
Asma Saleem wins Sahitya Akademi’s award-2009
By TCN News,
New Delhi: Prominent scholar and litterateur Mrs. Asma Saleem has been nominated for Sahitya Akademi’s award-2009 for her Urdu translated book Safar.
Sahitya Akademi, India's national academy of letters, every year selects translators of India’s 24 languages for the award. The award carries 50 thousand cash amount along and commendable certificate.
Asma Saleem
Asma SaleemMeher Fatima talks about her book on 150 patriotic Indian Muslims
By Mumtaz Alam Falahi, TwoCircles.net,
The book Celebrating India: Reflections on Eminent Indian Muslims (1857-2007) provides biographical profiles of 150 patriotic Indian Muslims, many of them unsung heroes – those who did not become party to the two-nation theory. Author Meher Fatima Hussain, Lecturer at Jamia Millia Islamia, talks to Mumtaz Alam Falahi of TwoCircles.net on her book.
What inspired you to write this book?
New education policy to be cooperative federalist: Smriti Irani
New Delhi : Union Human Resource Development Minister Smriti Irani on Friday said the new education policy which is under consideration will be cooperative...
UAE children read over million books in charity campaign
By Aroonim Bhuyan, IANS,
Dubai : The count is out. And a total of 1,323,218 books were read by children between the ages of three and 14 in the course of a two-week campaign in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) aimed at helping the education of children in developing nations.
What is that again, you would say.
Well, the idea is simple, novel, challenging, innovative and exemplary.
‘This woman suckered us’, said Nixon of Indira Gandhi: Book
By IANS,
New Delhi : "She suckered us. Suckered us.....this woman suckered us." So said an enraged US president Richard Nixon of Indian prime minister Indira Gandhi after learning that war had broken out on the subcontinent on Dec 3, 1971, and Indian forces had made a decisive push towards then East Pakistan that it recognised as Bangladesh three days later.
My book will be about optimism and positivity: Anupam Kher
By Subhash K. Jha, IANS,
Mumbai : After "A Wednesday", actor Anupam Kher's career is going great guns. He has just given the nod to British Indian filmmaker Gurinder Chadha's new movie and has also decided to write a book about his experiences as an actor, husband, father and a socially responsible citizen.
The decision to pen his thoughts was prompted after he won the lifetime Teachers' Achievement Award Nov 8.
Political overdose amid election fervour
The timing just couldn't have been better. Writers, journalists and experts are using all their political wisdom to analyse and dissect events, politicians and...
No surprises, as Bhutto, Archer again top bestseller list
By IANS,
New Delhi : There are no changes at the top of the bookrack this week as Pakistani writer Fatima Bhutto's "Songs of Blood and Sword" again holds sway over the non-fiction category, while British author Jeffrey Archer tops the fiction list with "And Thereby Hangs a Tale".
The top 10 bestsellers in each category are:
Non-fiction
1. "Songs of Blood and Sword"
Author: Fatima Bhutto
Publisher: Penguin Viking
Price: Rs.699.00
2. "Mother Pious Lady"
Author: Santosh Desai
Publisher: Harper Collins
Price: Rs.399.00
3. "Jangalnama"
Literary journey from Delhi to Afghanistan
Much has been written about Delhi, yet there is much to be written about. A book explores birds, animals and plant species adding a fresh perspective to the Indian capital, whereas another book examines the changing trajectory of Indian policy towards Afghanistan. Take a look.
1. Book: India's Afghan Muddle; Author: Harsh V. Pant; Publisher: Harper Collins; Pages: 194; Price: Rs. 450
Of Dilli, spies, tiger hunts and Ramayana
By IANS,
(IANS Books This Week)
New Delhi : Let your hair down this weekend with an exciting pile of books.
Muslim advocacy group to organize “National Social Leadership Summit” in March
By TwoCircles.net, Staff Reporter,
New Delhi: MOEMIN, an advocacy group of Indian Muslims will be organising “National Social Leadership Summit” in...
Tipu Sultan: He fought British and now Hindutva fanatics fighting him
By IndScribe
The BJP's bigotry is well-known as far as Tipu Sultan is concerned. They don't like Tipu and there are reasons.But first...
After Holocaust, next book on US election: Sam Bourne
By Azera Rahman, IANS,
New Delhi : Renowned author and British journalist Jonathan Freedland - whose pen name is Sam Bourne - plans to weave his next book around the US election campaign.
Having covered the polls this time when Barack Obama had his historic victory, he has enough matter in his hands to pad up his next bestseller.
"I am writing this in Chicago, after seeing Obama celebrate his election as president of the United States. My next novel will be set during a US election campaign," Freedland, 41, told IANS in an e-mail interview.
India has 74,000 newspapers, Uttar Pradesh leads
By IANS,
New Delhi: Bucking the global recessionary trends in the media, India, the world's most populous democracy, boasts of 74,000 newspapers - with Uttar Pradesh leading the rest of the country in promoting a diversity of views.
"More than 74,000 newspapers are registered with the Registrar of Newspapers for India (RNI)," Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Mohan Jatua said in a written reply during question hour in the Lok Sabha Tuesday.
No SC relief, for now, on admission quota in Sanskriti School
New Delhi : The Supreme Court on Monday, for now, declined to pass any order on the central government's plea seeking continuation of 60...
Sunil Gangopadhyay’s Bengali translation of ‘Romeo and Juliet’ to be released
By IANS,
Kolkata : A Bengali translation of Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet" by late author Sunil Gangopadhyay will be released at the Kolkata Book Fair that begins Jan 29, 2013.
मशहूर इस्लामिक विद्वान सिद्दिक हसन का निधन
विशेष संवाददाता। Twocircles.net
जमात-ए-इस्लामी हिंद के पूर्व सहायक अमीर प्रोफेसर के० ए० सिद्दीक हसन का मंगलवार को कोजीकोड में देहांत हो गया। वो भारत...
Stories of Akbar, marriage and space: A hearty bouquet
By IANS,
New Delhi : Here are five new books to add to your reading list this week:
1. "Akbar: The Mighty Emperor": Written by Kavitha Mandana, published by Penguin-Puffin, priced at Rs.150.
For Mughal emperor Humayun, the news of the birth of Akbar allowed him a moment of quiet joy in the wilderness of a camp he was confined to. He broke a musk pod and the fragrance wafted across the camp. The father hoped his son's fame would spread through like the scent of musk.
जामिया के 6 छात्रों का पीएम फैलोशिप के लिए चयन
आकिल हुसैन। Twocircles.net
जामिया मिल्लिया इस्लामिया के छह शोधार्थियों का प्रधानमंत्री रिसर्च फेलोशिप के लिए चयन हुआ है। इन शोधार्थियों को दिसंबर 2020...
Romancing the book in the time of rain (IANS Books)
By Madhusree Chatterjee, IANS,
New Delhi : What better time to leaf through love stories than the monsoon. Take a man, a woman, an edgy locale - sprinkle passion, mystery, a whiff of history - and you are set for some perfect reading in the rains.
Romance is the flavour of the season as new books, fiction as well as non-fiction, reveal.
"All women are in love with the idea of a manly man who has an abiding passion for a woman for a lifetime," says Toronto-based novelist Sarita Mandanna, whose new novel, "The Tiger Hills", was released in India last week.
Racy eye-opener of a book on the Maoist movement
By M.R. Narayan Swamy, IANS,
Book: "Jangalnama: Travels in a Maoist Guerrilla Zone"; Author: Satnam; Penguin Books, pp 206; Price: Rs.250
Why Bastar's tribals harbour Maoists?
This is undoubtedly India's answer to "Red Star Over China", the epoch-making story of what the then obscure Mao was up to in China's rural areas at the head of a nascent Communist party that eventually took power in 1949. When American Edgar Snow came out with the classic of a book, the world sat up and took notice.
India’s Aravind Adiga wins Man Booker Prize for White Tiger
By DPA,
London : Indian debut novelist Aravind Adiga won the Man Booker Prize for Fiction 2008 for his work The White Tiger in London Tuesday.
The 33-year-old journalist tells the "story of two Indias" in his book, praised by Booker Prize judges' chairman Michael Portillo as "being in the tradition of Macbeth with a delicious twist."
Adiga is the third first-time novelist to win the 50,000-pound ($86,000) Booker Prize, which is awarded each year for the best novel in the British Commonwealth and the Republic of Ireland.
Guru Dutt was the sun, Abrar Alvi the moon, says author Sathya Saran
By Madhusree Chatterjee, IANS,
New Delhi : Legendary filmmaker Guru Dutt and his scriptwriter Abrar Alvi were two great creative minds and opposite personalities that sparked off great ideas and motivated each other to give their best, says veteran journalist Sathya Saran who has authored a book on the late actor.
Sri Lanka peace process R.I.P.
By M.R. Narayan Swamy, IANS,
Book: "My Belly is White"; Author: Austin Fernando; Publisher: Vijitha Yapa Publications, Colombo
This is a revealing book on Sri Lanka's now dead peace process, written by one who was in the thick of it all. Austin Fernando was Defence Secretary when Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe signed the Norway-brokered ceasefire agreement (CFA) with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in February 2002. In no time, critics, dominantly from the Sinhalese majority, began to accuse the government of betrayal.
Love laced stories and emotional sagas
A woman hopelessly falls in love with a suave hotelier; her good-looking best friend enters and she realises how fickle the heart can be. Another woman finds unexpected friendship and experiences love in strange situations and a couple go through a turbulent phase of their life. All these stories reflect contemporary tales of love. Take a look at the IANS bookshelf.
Hamida Aapa ki yaaden
By Shaheer Khan for TwoCircles.net
Eminent Urdu writer Hamida Salim passed away on Sunday, August 16th at the age of 93 at her house in...
रोटी-दाल… या फिर अबीर गुलाल?
भारत…
यहां तो हर दिन होली है!
आतंकी खेलते हैं बेगुनाहों के खून से
और ‘देशभक्त’ व ‘दंगाई’ अपनों का ही
लाल रंग बेरंग पानी में बहा देते...
‘Stranger to History’ still leads bestseller list
By IANS,
New Delhi : Aatish Taseer's book "Stranger to History" continued to dominate the bestseller list in the non-fiction category for the third week while Paulo Coelho was the new author atop the fiction list, with his latest "The Winner Stands Alone". The top 10 in each group are:
Non-fiction
1. "Stranger to History"
Author: Aatish Taseer
Publisher: Picador India
Price: Rs.495.00
2. "A Better India A Better World"
Author: N.R. Narayana Murthy
Publisher: Penguin Allen Lane
Price: Rs.499.00
3. "Dreams from My Father"
Author: Barack Obama
Sam Miller’s adventure continues to lure book lovers
By IANS,
New Delhi : "Delhi: Adventures in a Megacity" by Sam Miller and "The White Tiger" by Aravind Adiga maintained their respective positions atop the non-fiction and fiction bestseller lists this week. A list of the top 10 in each category:
Non-fiction
1. "Delhi Adventures in a Megacity"
Author: Sam Miller
Publisher: Penguin Viking
Price: Rs.499.00
2. "The Inheritance: The World Obama Confronts and the Challenges to American..."
Author: David E. Sanger
Publisher: Harmony Books
Price: $20.00 (Rs.1009.00)
3. "Curfewed Night"
Author: Basharat Peer
India has come to world’s top table: journalist Daniel Lak
By Madhusree Chatterjee, IANS,
New Delhi : If 1991 was India's wake-up call, then today India is out of bed and on its way to office, says senior British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) journalist Daniel Lak.
But he hastily adds: "Metaphors aside, it means that India has arrived at the world's top table and is awaiting due recognition." His book "India Express" analyses the country's potential role as "Asia's America".
Divorce, India, partition on bookshelf
By IANS,
The book case this weekend is lighthearted and peppy - matching the mood as a new year begins.
NBT to boost tribal literature in northeast
Agartala : The National Book Trust (NBT) has taken an ambitious plan to boost tribal literature in northeast India, trust chairman Baldeo Bhai Sharma...
Extension lecture on Sir Syed held at AMU Malappuram Centre
By TCN News,
Malappuram: The Department of Law, Aligarh Muslim University Malappuram Centre organized an extension lecture on “Sir Syed Ahmad Khan, Aligarh Movement...
Jahangirabad Institute of Technology organises workshop for teachers on improving school education
Barabanki: Jahangirabad Institute of Technology (JIT) organised a teaching workshop for senior officials and headmasters of all the major schools of Uttar Pradesh to...
Book Review: Shah of Shahs by Ryszard Kapuscinski
By Shaik Zakeer Hussain, TwoCircles.net,
There is a customary semblance in all dictators: they are authoritarian, they command total submission, their rule is tyrannical and they have little, or worse, no concern for the miserable conditions of their people. The population is starving, there is rampant unemployment, corruption at all levels of government. There is drudgery, there is pain, there is humiliation, there is everything in society, that makes a man lose his sanity.
Barack Obama has three books on bestseller list
By IANS,
New Delhi : US president-elect Barack Obama has three books among the top 10 bestsellers in the non-fiction category this week in India. Aravind Adiga's "The White Tiger" stays atop the list in the fiction category.
The top 10 in the non-fiction and fiction lists are:
Non fiction
1. "Imagining India: Ideas for the new century"
Author: Nandan Nilekani
Publisher: Penguin Allen Lane
Price: Rs.699.00
2. "The Secret"
Author: Rhonda Byrne
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Price: Rs.550.00
3. "Dreams from My Father"
Author: Barack Obama
Publisher: Canongate
Books in Urdu on Tagore released
By TCN News,
New Delhi: Prof. S.M. Sajid, Vice-Chancellor, Jamia Millia Islamia released four books published as part of Tagore Research Translation Scheme (TRTS) in the Book Release Function organized by the Department of Urdu, Jamia Millia Islamia on February 28, 2014.
Not taking Sahitya Akademi award back: Bengali woman poet
Kolkata: Bengali poet Mandakranta Sen, who recently returned her Sahitya Akademi award, on Monday said the Akademi has written to her requesting she take...
Carnival of beauty, nostalgia and history
By IANS,
New Delhi : The weekend book shelf is a mix of nostalgia, history, drama and good health.
‘Leaving India…’ about fascinating journeys across world
By Shubha Singh, IANS,
Book: "Leaving India: My Family's Journey From Five Villages To Five Continents"; Author: Minal Hajratwala; Publisher: Tranquebar Press; Price: Rs.595
The Gujarati diaspora has always been much more energetic and entrepreneurial than any other migrant group from India. The 'push' and 'pull' factors of migration from India were similar - drought or bad times in the home village and the possibility of better opportunities abroad - but their entrepreneurial energies and chain migration helped the Gujarati migrant to establish himself in the new country.
Money, art, music…take your pick and read
By IANS,
(IANS Books This Week)
New Delhi : From the irrepressible Shobhaa De to a passionate defence of art by Milan Kundera, here's a stimulating pile of books to spend the weekend with.
A candid post-mortem of the LTTE
By M.R. Narayan Swamy, IANS,
Book: "The Prabhakaran Saga"; Author: S. Murali; Publisher: Sage Publishers;Pages: 362; Price: Rs.425
Kannada literary festival: Muslim authors’ exclusion draws criticism
No Muslim writers have been given a chance to participate in the poet convention, and the Byari language, which Muslims speak in coastal...
सीमांचल की ज़मीन पर साहित्य का इंटरनेशनल उत्सव
अफ़रोज़ आलम साहिल, TwoCircles.net
बिहार के किशनगंज में इंटरनेशनल लिटरेरी फेस्टिवल...! ये बात कईयों के लिए हैरानी का सबब बन सकती है. मगर ये...
How Netaji’s speech was broadcast in parliament
By IANS,
New Delhi : It was the summer of 1997. Krishna Bose, a Trinamool Congress MP and relative of Subhas Chandra Bose, was having a tough time convincing fellow MPs that Netaji's famous speech should be broadcast along with those of Mahtama Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru at the golden jubilee celebrations of India's independence in parliament.
But she was not sure how to go about it, Bose recalled at the launch of her book “An Outsider in Politics” (published by Penguin India) at the Hotel Taj Palace Wednesday night.
Car pool your way through Europe, suggests travel writer
By Madhusree Chatterjee, IANS,
New Delhi : Europe, for the first-time traveller, can be a teaser: the distances are vast, the stops too tempting and the costs mind-blowing. So how does one save a few extra euros on a summer junket? Through a car pool, says travel writer and columnist Puneetinder Kaur Sidhu.
"Try the Mitfahzentrale in Germany and then car pool your way across Europe as an alternative option. It saves cost," suggests Sidhu, whose travelogue "Adrift: A Junket Junkie in Europe" will hit the stands in April.
Writer donates 1675 edition of ‘Don Quixote’ to Argentine city
By EFE,
Buenos Aires : British writer Julian Barnes has donated to the Argentine city of Azul a copy of the first edition of "Don Quixote" translated into English and dating back to 1675.
Azul has been dubbed "Cervantes City" two years ago for actively promoting the works of Miguel de Cervantes.
The vice president of the Spanish Mutual Aid Society of Azul, Carlos Filipetti, said that the copy, which he described as a "real gem", is in "impeccable condition".
A book that chronicles Shimla’s glorious past (IANS Books)
By Vishal Gulati, IANS,
Shimla : Shimla was a nondescript hamlet with shepherd hutments that became a flourishing town with palatial bungalows and hotels. Capturing this journey is a coffee table book, with rare photographs of imperial buildings and stories of eminent personalities and events in the last 188 years.
"In 1822, the first house was built in Shimla, then a village, and it took another almost 44 years when this number grew to 290," says the book, "Har Ghar Kuchh Kehta Hai" - literally meaning 'every house tells a story'.
Change is an idea in Chanakya’s new manifesto (IANS Book Review)
By IANS,
Book: "Chanakya's New Manifesto: To Resolve Crisis Within India"
Publisher: Aleph Book Company
Price: Rs 295
Pages: 244
By Madhusree Chatterjee
The importance of the upcoming Seemanchal Literature Festival
By Zafar Anjum for TwoCircles.net
Seemanchal International Literary Festival (SILF) is the inaugural international literary event organised by Kitaab International, Singapore, in collaboration with...
Rise of religious fundamentalism the biggest issue for India, Bangladesh: Professor Anisuzzaman
Professor Anisuzzaman, president of Bangla Aceademy, Bangladesh's national language authority, was in Guwahati recently. He had been invited by the Char Chapori Sahitya Parishad...
M.J. Akbar’s book about Pakistan is bestseller
By IANS,
New Delhi : Indian journalist M.J. Akbar's "Tinderbox: The Past and Future of Pakistan" leads the non-fiction section of the bestseller list this week while
Philosophy seeped in spirituality basis of Karan Singh’s new book
By IANS,
New Delhi : Karan Singh, president of the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR), says the essence of his life is a multi-dimensional quest for the divine and this forms the basis of his new book "I Believe - A Philosophy for the Global Society".
"I Believe" is a compilation of Singh's reflections on a variety of subjects like politics, human relationships, economy, science and religion in context of the socio-cultural evolution of India as a spiritually mature nation, placed in a global environment.
No question of taking back Sahitya Akademi award: Bengali poet
Kolkata : Bengali poet Mandakranta Sen, who recently gave up her Sahitya Akademi award, on Friday refused to take it back, saying though...
No change: Nilekani, Adiga atop bestseller lists
By IANS,
New Delhi : Nandan Nilekani's "Imagining India" stays on top of the non-fiction bestseller list this week, as does "The White Tiger" by Aravind Adiga in the fiction category.
The top 10 in the non-fiction and fiction lists are:
Non-Fiction
1. "Imagining India: Ideas for the new century"
Author: Nandan Nilekani
Publisher: Penguin/Allen Lane
Price: Rs.699.00
2. "The Secret"
Author: Rhonda Byrne
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Price: Rs.550.00
3. "The Duel: Pakistan on the Flight Path of American Power"
Author: Tariq Ali
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Nobel for literature to be announced Oct 8
By DPA,
Stockholm : The 2009 winner of the Nobel Literature Prize will be announced October 8, the Swedish Academy confirmed Friday.
The announcement next Thursday will be a first by new permanent secretary Peter Englund, who earlier this year succeeded Horace Engdahl.
French author Jean-Marie le Clezio won last year's prize.
The Swedish Academy's announcement fills in the remaining blank in the Nobel week calendar - as other institutions that award prizes for medicine, physics, chemistry and peace as well as economics had earlier confirmed their dates.
Fairy tales and religious myths not good for children?
By IANS,
London : It is a form of child abuse to teach religious myths to young children who are also likely to suffer negatively by reading tales of witchcraft and wizardry like Harry Potter, argues Britain's leading atheist and popular science writer, Richard Dawkins.
Dawkins is planning to conduct research on both the themes as he believes that while fairy tales may impact on children's rationality, they should be cautioned against "unscientific" religious myths.
Hindi translation of ‘My Story… Our Story’ launched
By TwoCircles.net staff reporter,
New Delhi: ‘Parwaz,’ the Hindi version of ‘My Story… Our Story,’ the autobiography of eminent feminist and writer Flavia Agnes, was launched yesterday at a seminar in Kanpur. Noted journalist Nasiruddin Haidar Khan has done the translation.
Pakistani feminist Urdu poet and writer Fahmida Riaz passes away
By Nikhat Fatima, TwoCircles.net
Noted Pakistani feminist writer and poet Fahmida Riaz died in Lahore, Pakistan on Wednesday night at the age of 72. The...
Santhali literature is booming, but needs government help
By Madhusree Chatterjee, IANS,
Jamshedpur : Contemporary Santhali literature has taken off in a big way since it became an official language of Jharkhand in 2003, but it has not come of age because the government has not added it to the list of official Indian languages, says a pioneer of the Santhali book trade.
"Contemporary tribal literature does not get government grants - and flourishes on personal and individual enterprise," Mangal Manjhi told IANS in an interview.
Indian Muslim journalist authors first-ever book on socio-economic impacts of COVID-19
TCN News
The first-ever book covering the origins, spread and impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, ‘Behind the Mask’ by Indian Muslim journalist and author Mohammed...
New book brings alive women fighters in Indian National Army
By Nirmala George, IANS,
Singapore : They were young women, many in their teens, who had never seen India but were ready to give up their lives to fight for the freedom of a 'motherland' far away.
"Women against the Raj: The Rani of Jhansi Regiment", by American historian Joyce Chapman Lebra highlights the contribution made by hundreds of women of Indian descent, the daughters of poor rubber plantation workers in Malaya, who responded to Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose's call and volunteered to form the women's wing of the Indian National Army (INA).
Book Review: Journeying beyond Indian stereotypes
By M.R. Narayan Swamy, IANS,
Book: "Beyond the Office Window"; Author: A.K. Pande; Publisher: Konark Publishers Pvt Ltd; Pages: 178; Price: Rs.400
Music for protest: Azadi and Inqilab as the new Hindustani beats
By Najiya O, TwoCircles.net
As marches and rallies dominate the most commonly practised ways of protest, the youth are now searching new ways to protest...
Serving a generous dose of young fiction
The thrill of winning a cricket match, an emotional bond between a man and animal, an annoying elder brother and a concerned grandmother -...
Setting sail from India to China on ‘River of Smoke’
By Shubha Singh, IANS,
Book: "River of Smoke"; By Amitav Ghosh, Publisher: Penguin Books, Price: Rs.699, Pages: 558
Stuff that make Mumbai fabled
By Madhusree Chatterjee, IANS,
Book: "Mumbai Fables"; Author: Gyan Prakash; Publisher: Harper Collins-India; Pages: 352; Price: Rs.425
Northeast, spirituality, Jinnah – diversity at Delhi Book Fair
By IANS,
New Delhi : Jaswant Singh's "Jinnah - India, Partition and Independence", "The Essence of Buddha" by Japanese spiritual master Ryuho Okawa, "The Dhammapada" by Eknath Easwaran, "The Idea of Justice" by Amartya Sen and literature from northeastern India - the 15th edition of the Delhi Book Fair offers book buffs all that's new in Indian and world literature.
The poetic side of a talented actress (Book Review)
By Vikas Datta,
Book: "Meena Kumari The Poet: A Life Beyond Cinema"; Author/Translator: Noorul Hasan; Publisher: Roli Books ; Pages: 159; Price: Rs 395.
Actors have a power that many might envy - the power of essaying varied, even atypical characters and then returning to their normal lives. The problem however begins when the boundary line between reel and real life begins to blur. Meena Kumari, a legendary performer of roles of star-crossed and ultimately-doomed women, was a victim of this trend and that melancholy tinges her life - and poetry.
निदा फाज़ली उर्फ़ ‘मुझे मालूम था तुम मर नही सकते’
By सिद्धांत मोहन, TwoCircles.net
वाराणसी: निदा फाज़ली नहीं रहे. वही निदा जिन्होंने 'होश वालों को ख़बर क्या बेख़ुदी क्या चीज़ है' और 'तू इस तरह...
Of Tata, Bhabha and good old dramatic tales
By IANS,
[IANS book this week]
New Delhi : Some home truths about towering edifices and small pleasures of stories smartly told. The cache this week is a mix of serious non-fiction and fiction:
1. Book: "Tata: The Evolution of a Corporate Brand"; Written by Morgen Witzel; Published by Penguin Books India; Priced Rs.599
Faiz remembered at AMU on his death anniversary
By TCN News
Aligarh: The University Debating and Literary Club, in association with University Drama Club, University Fusion Music Club, University Western Music Club and...
A famed policeman gives in to his literary heart
By Darshan Desai, IANS,
Lucknow : He has been a police officer for over 30 years, but Vibhuti Narain Rai, well known in Uttar Pradesh for his literary works and social activism, says he has finally got the job he yearned for.
In a week's time, 51-year-old Rai will take over as vice-chancellor of the Mahatma Gandhi International Hindi University in Wardha, Maharashtra, leaving behind all the frills of being a senior Indian Police Service officer.
Amitav Ghosh tops fiction charts – again
By IANS,
New Delhi : Amitav Ghosh continues to rule the fiction category with his sequel "River of Smoke" while Henry Kissinger's "On China" is the bestseller in the non-fiction list this week.
Inside some countries and contradicting capitalism
An anthology of Sri Lankan literature, getting to know Tibet better, unraveling paradoxes about capitalism and a journalist's account of terrorism - the IANS...
Seven senior secondary students of Delhi school participate in international conference on Psychology
By TCN News,
New Delhi: Seven senior secondary students of New Horizon School, a minority unaided school, participated in an international conference on Psychology...
Windows into Pakistan: Four debut novels
By Vikas Datta
It is frequently described as the most dangerous place in the world. With suicide bombings and shootings, terrorists camping on its...
Want to study in Australia? Get details at virtual education fair
New Delhi : To facilitate 'live' interaction of prospective Indian students with faculty members and representatives of top Australian universities, IDP Education, one of...
John Updike gets lifetime honour for Bad Sex in Fiction
By IANS,
London : While renowned US author John Updike waits for the Nobel Prize, here comes the literary world's most notorious honour - the lifetime achievement award for Bad Sex in Fiction.
The annual awards, given away by the British journal Literary Review, were announced here Tuesday night.
Many British newspapers were expecting former prime minister Tony Blair's former spokesman and Labour's spin doctor Alastair Campbell to take this year's Bad Sex in Fiction award, but the honour went to Rachel Johnson, who happens to be the sister of Tory mayor Boris Johnson.
Benazir Bhutto’s book launched in Moscow
By NNN-APP,
Islamabad : Russian version of Shaheed Benazir Bhutto's book, "Reconciliation - Islam,Democracy and the West" was launched in Russia to mark the first anniversary of her martyrdom.
According to a message received here from Moscow a large number of Russian scholars, journalists, students and Pakistanis attended the function on Friday.
Dr. Tariq Chaudhry, a Pakistani businessman in Moscow, who arranged translation and publication of the Russian version of the book also spoke on the occasion.
Patna University awards Gold Medal to Arshad Madni
By Najam Gilani, TwoCircles.net,
Patna: At the convocation programme of Patna University yesterday Rajasthan Governor S. K. Singh presented Gold Medal to Maulana Arshad Madni for his distinguished performance in Arabic Literature.
Maulana Arshad Madni, vice president, Jamia Ibn Taimiya (Bihar), made distinguished performance in MA course (2003-05) in Arabic Literature.
Lessons in corporate leadership
(IANS Books This Weekend)
Whether you want to launch a new business or product, or are keen to know how to climb up the corporate...
AMU organises seminar on life and works of Ismat Chugtai
By TCN News,
Aligarh: The Women’s College, Aligarh Muslim University, is organising a two-day seminar to celebrate the works and life of Urdu literary giant...
Is insurgency in India an excuse for misgovernance?
(IANS Book Review)
By Sarwar Kashani, IANS,
Enhancing understanding of Muslim communities in South Asia
Book review: Being Muslim in South Asia
By Kashif-ul-Huda, TwoCircles.net,
History of Islam in South Asia is almost as old as Islam in Arabia. Population of Arab nations is estimated to be 370 million while more than 500 million Muslims live in South Asian countries. But Arab-centric writings on Islam have done a great disservice.
Talking environment, saving animals
Loss of flora and fauna poses a massive threat to human existence. To save and protect our environment, IANS has picked up some educational...
A veritable encyclopaedia on Lord Muruga
(IANS Book Review)
By M.R. Narayan Swamy, IANS,
Book: "Sri Muruga"; Author: Rahul Kabade; Published by: Sri Muruga Publications (Britain); Pages: 194; Price: not stated
Few humorous books come out of Africa: Nigerian author
By Madhusree Chatterjee, IANS,
New Delhi : Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani, winner of the Commonwealth Writers Prize 2010 for the best first book in the Africa region, says she has fulfilled her dream of "writing the kind of humorous book that she had always wanted to as a child".
"As a child, I read British comedies by P.G. Wodehouse and other humorous writers and always dreamt of writing funny novels I loved reading," said the Nigeria-based writer who has made waves with her novel, "I Do Not Come to You By Chance".
बिहार के गरीब स्कूल की रंगीन कहानी
TwoCircles.net Staff Reporter
बोधगया(सुजाता) - आज कोई व्यक्ति नहीं, कोई शख्सियत नहीं न कोई संस्थान जिसे हम मिसाल की तरह पेश करना चाहते हैं. ऐसे...
Yogesh Maitreya’s Flower on the Grave of Caste gives space and voice to Dalit...
By Dipankar Kamble for TwoCircles.net
Author- Yogesh Maitreya
Publisher- Panther’s Paw Publications
Cost- Rs 299
ISBN- 9788193290576
Yogesh Maitreya’s stories are not stories which we read in mainstream books....
‘Occupy UGC’ movement in Delhi sees students detained, lathicharged
By Raqib Hameed Naik, TwoCircles.net
New Delhi: The 'Occupy UGC' movement over the scrapping of non-National Eligibility Test (NET) fellowship...
Book Review: The Madrassah Challenge—Militancy and Religious Education in Pakistan
By Yoginder Sikand,
Book Review
Name of the Book: The Madrassah Challenge—Militancy and Religious Education in Pakistan
Author: C. Christine Fair
Publisher: United States Institute of Peace Press, Washington DC
Year: 2008
Pages: 143
Reviewed by: Yoginder Sikand
Akademi’s silence on writer’s killing condemnable: Sarah Joseph
New Delhi : Joining the league of writers returning their Sahitya Akademi awards in the last few days, popular Malayalam writer Sarah Joseph...
Civility against Caste: Dalit Politics and Citizenship in Western India
Title: Civility against Caste: Dalit Politics and Citizenship in Western India
Author: Prof. Suryakant Waghmore
Publisher: Sage India
Year: January, 2014
Review by: Yogesh Maitreya for TwoCircles.net,
Civility is the least discussed discourse in India. In post-constitutional Indian society, the idea of civility has formed a binary: on one hand, ‘civil society’ that has been propagated by media and resources which are dominated and owned by Brahmin-Bania associations and on the other hand, the civility which has been practice by NGOs and political organisations led by Dalits. The latter had started with the core motive of annihilation of caste and, found its genesis in the struggles of Mahatma Fule and Dr. B.R.Ambedkar in Maharashtra. The idea of civility, practiced by Dalit NGOs and political groups, is contrary to the idea of civility which Brahmin-Bania possess and propagate in India, simply because idea of civility practiced by Dalits aims at annihilation of caste; precisely, Dalit civility is the ‘Civility against Caste’. ‘Princess Diaries’, ‘Tehelka As Metaphor’ top Delhi bestseller lists
By IANS,
New Delhi : Meg Cabot's latest and the last in the series - "The Princess Diaries: Ten out of Ten" - captures the reader's attention as it debuts at the top position in the fiction list while veteran journalist Madhu Trehan's "Tehelka As Metaphor" rules the non-fiction chart this week.
Non-Fiction
1. "Tehelka As Metaphor"
Author: Madhu Trehan
Publisher: Lotus Roli
Price: Rs.595.00
2."Imagining India: Ideas for the new century"
Author: Nandan Nilekani
Publisher: Penguin Allen Lane
Price: Rs.699.00
3. "The Man From Pakistan"
Adiga, Nilekani begin New Year atop bestseller charts
By IANS,
New Delhi : The roar of the tiger is once again heard this week as Aravind Adiga retains the top spot on the bestseller list in the fiction category with his Booker Prize winning novel as does Nandan Nilekani in the non-fiction category with "Imagining India...".
The top 10 in the non-fiction and fiction lists are:
Non fiction
1. "Imagining India: Ideas for the new century"
Author: Nandan Nilekani
Publisher: Penguin Allen Lane
Price: Rs.699.00
2. "Outliers: The Story of Success"
Author: Malcolm Gladwell
Publisher: Allen Lane
Price: Rs.399.00
Hemingway’s works to be available in digital form
By IANS,
Havana : Some 3,000 documents belonging to Nobel laureate US author Ernest Hemingway, one of the 20th century's most influential writers, will be available in digital form, starting Jan 5 - thanks to a project by Cuba's Hemingway Museum here.
The collection under the project contains, apart from his literary works, unedited texts and even insurance policies taken out by the author, EFE news agency reported Wednesday.