Previous winners of the Nobel Peace Prize since 1998
By DPA,
Stockholm : The Nobel Peace Prize is regarded as the top award for efforts towards a more peaceful world and prominent laureates include Mother Teresa (1979), the Dalai Lama (1989) and Nelson Mandela (1993).
The award is handed out by a committee of the Norwegian parliament and the winners since 1998, including the citations given by the academy, were:
2008 - Martti Ahtisaari, Finnish ex-president and veteran peace broker was awarded the prize, with the Nobel Committee citing his efforts to solve conflicts on several continents and over three decades.
Book Review: Tanazuraat: Perspective of a dissenter
Book: Tanazuraat (Perspectives)
Author: Abid Anwar
Pages: 160
Price: Rs 100
Publisher: All India Tanzeem Ulama-e-Haq
Q-25, Batla House, Jamia Nagar, New Delhi
Available at: D-64, Flat No. 10, Abul Fazl Encl.
Jamia Nagar, New Delhi 25, Mob. 09810372335
Reviewed by Manzar Imam Qasmi
Views can be as different as the number of viewers. And, as veteran journalist M.J. Akbar says, “You can’t trust a point of view.” Sure, you can’t trust any individual viewpoint. For, every one is led by his own ideas that are formed on one’s individual experiences.
Australia, India sign MoU for joint research, teaching
Hyderabad: Australia's Deakin University and the Indian School of Business (ISB) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for joint research and teaching.
They will...
‘Absolute Khushwant’ is this week’s bestseller (IANS Books)
By IANS,
New Delhi : "Absolute Khushwant" by Khushwant Singh and Humra Quraishi climbed three notches to become the number one book on the non-fiction list this week while "Secrets and Sins" by Jaishree Misra continued to dominate the fiction section.
The top 10 in each category of the bestselling list are:
Non-fiction
1. "Absolute Khushwant"
Author: Khushwant Singh and Humra Quraishi
Publisher: Penguin Books
Price: Rs.250.00
2. "Super Power?"
Author: Raghav Bahl
Publisher: Penguin/Allen Lane
Price: Rs.699.00
3. "The Secret: The Power"
More women are becoming primary migrants: book
By NNN-PTI,
New Delhi : Asian women are joining men in migrating to other countries, in many cases as principal bread winners, says a new book.
In recent years there has been a significant rise in the number of female migrants, who sometimes come as primary breadwinners.
The male-female ratio of international level on the whole is 52.5 per cent to 47.5 per cent, though its proportion in the developed countries is almost 50:50, says the book 'Striped Zebra, The Immigrant Psyche' by US-based Uday C. Naval and Soofia K.Hussain, published by Rupa.
किताब समीक्षा और ऑपरेशन अक्षरधाम का पूरा सच
अवनीश कुमार
हमारे राज्यतंत्र और समाज के भीतर जो कुछ गहरे सड़गल चुका है, जो भयंकर अन्यायपूर्ण और उत्पीड़क है, उसका बेहतरीन आलोचनात्मक विश्लेषण और...
An Indian-American love dream in Chennai (Book Review)
By M.R. Narayan Swamy, IANS,
Title: "Chennaivaasi"; Author: T.S. Tirumurti; Publishers: Harper Collins; Pages 268; Price: Rs.299
For adventure, lifestyle, gay love, head for the bookshelf
By IANS,
(IANS Books This Week)
New Delhi : From lifestyle to business, summit catastrophes to gay love, the book case this weekend is a study in contrasts.
1. Book: "Broom Groom"; Written by Kiran Bedi and Pavan Choudary; Published Wisdom Village (WVPD); Priced at Rs.195
Melange of vampires, infanticide, love and Vivekananda
By IANS,
New Delhi : From the world of vampires to poetry from Vivekananda, here are five new books to sit back and enjoy this week:
1. "Beyond Twilight: Explore the World of Vampires" - written by Manuela Dunn Mascetti; published by Shree Book Centre & Pentagon Press; price Rs.395: The latest non-fiction tome from the archives of Count Dracula's mysterious domain tries to probe the range of historical, social, literary and even cinematographic allusions that have brought to life the myths and shadowy figure of the Vampire which skulks in the shadows of sunset.
India’s liberalisation through middle class eyes (Book Review)
By Madhusree Chatterjee, IANS,
Book: "The Liberals", Author: Hindol Sengupta; Publisher: Harper Collins India; Pages: 309; Price: Rs.350
Romancing Indian Railways, some memoirs
Nostalgic accounts of travellers who rode the earliest trains in India, personal journeys of men who who have written memoirs of their life and struggle in the US and East Africa and former union minister Salman Khurshid's account of Muslims in India. IANS bookshelf this weekend offers these delights. Take a look:
MANUU teachers express solidarity with Prof Ilaiah
Police have issued notice to Ilaiah for his write up “hurting religious sentiment”
By TCN News,
Hyderabad: The Maulana Azad National Urdu University Teacher's Association (MANUUTA)...
‘Shia Islam’ book introduced in Madrid
By IRNA,
Madrid : A book named 'Shia Islam, a research in history, beliefs and Families,' which has been published by Iran's Cultural Attache in Madrid was introduced on Friday by professor Jose Maria Blaskes, an Spanish Iranologist and historian.
The book has been published in cooperation with Department of Islam and Arab in Complutense University.
In a ceremony to introduce the book, a number of Spanish Iranologists, professors from Tehran University and Iranians residing in Spain were present.
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...
Harper Collins, Ratna Sagar to promote student dictionaries
By IANS,
New Delhi : Harper Collins Publishers India and Ratna Sagar will enter into an alliance to jointly promote student dictionaries in the country.
The alliance between the publishing houses will be announced Wednesday. Under the alliance, Collins School Gem Dictionary, Collins Compact Dictionary and Collins Pocket Dictionary will be brought out in December.
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
Strictly for children, please!
Two translations, a graphic novel and a fantasy tale – the IANS bookshelf this week is stacked with gems written in simple language and commanding imagination – allowing children to create a world of their own. Take a look.
Hinduism pundits or Hindu baiters? (Book Review)
By M.R. Narayan Swamy ,
Title: Invading the Sacred: An Analysis of Hinduism Studies in America: Editors: Krishnan Ramaswamy, Antonio de Nicolas and Aditi Banerjee;...
Amartya Sen welcomes government’s Right to Food Act
By IANS,
New Delhi : Nobel laureate Amartya Sen Saturday praised the government's draft for a Right to Food (Guarantee of Safety and Security) Act saying it was a "step in the right direction".
Chronicling an America on wheels of change
By IANS,
(IANS Book Review)
Book: "Looking for America"; Author: Avirook Sen; Publisher: HarperCollins-India; Price: Rs.299
By Madhusree Chatterjee,
Tales of the here and now, told tellingly
By K.G. Sreenivas, IANS,
Book "Turtle Dove: Six Simple Tales"; Author: Divya Dubey; Gyaana Books, Pp 236; Price: Rs. 195
Swathes of the untold lie at the nub of "Turtle Dove: Six Simple Tales". Divya Dubey's book presents a stark yet compelling universe. The mélange of stories sit on the cusp of the familiar yet not so familiar.
A book on Batla House encounter released
By Mumtaz Alam Falahi, TwoCircles.net,
New Delhi: Today is February 14, Valentine’s Day that is celebrated by youths as the day of love. The day has been chosen to release a book on Batla House encounter – the encounter whose basis was hatred for a community, said Fasih Choudhary, author of the book Encounter Batla House.
New award for best South Asian fiction
By IANS,
New Delhi: South Asian literature is trying to position itself globally with a new award from India being announced Tuesday for the best fiction on the region.
The first winner of the award known as the DSC Prize for South Asian Literature, which carries a purse of $50,000, will be announced in January 2011.
No peace with terrorists who burnt my Mumbai: Rushdie
By IANS,
London : Indian-origin writer Salman Rushdie says he is "desperately upset" by the terrorist attacks on Mumbai - his place of birth - and strongly disagrees with the view that peace ought to be made with Taliban militants in Afghanistan.
"I do think of Bombay as my hometown," he told the Daily Telegraph in an interview.
"Those are the streets I walked when I was learning to walk. And it's the place that my imagination has returned to more than anywhere else.
Hope women find courage through my books: Author Madhuri Banerjee
By Somrita Ghosh
New Delhi : Is it taboo for women to talk about sex, their hidden desires or having extra-marital affairs? No! It...
Cult religion, parenting & art on book shelf
By IANS,
New Delhi : The book cart is light and moving this weekend - bringing out the diverse essence of the region. Browse with IANS....
Scientist Mani Bhaumik to release children’s book Wednesday
By IANS,
New Delhi : Leading physicist and international best-selling author Mani Bhaumik will unveil his first children's book “The Cosmic Detective” in Kolkata Wednesday.
Billed as one of the biggest children's titles by Penguin in 2009, which has been designated as the International Year of Astronomy, the book will be launched by West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee.
According to a communiqué issued by Penguin India here, the author's first book "Code Name God" tried to explain spirituality through science.
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.
Poetry, Tibet, business on bookshelf
By IANS,
New Delhi : The bookcase this week is a finely-nuanced spread of poetry, narrative, drama and business.
Rumi, myth and cricket on book shelf
By IANS,
New Delhi : The book shelf this weekend is mostly meditative and spiritual.
1. "Rumi: A New Translation"; Written by Farrukh Dhondy; Published by Harper Perennial; Priced at Rs.299
South Indians were the ancient money bags in Vietnam’s Ho Chi Minh city
By Madhusree Chatterjee, IANS,
New Delhi : Vietnam - the bloody stage for a 30-year-war with France and then the US - was once home to a bustling Hindu settlement devoted to Shiva and Vishnu. Ho Chi Minh City, formerly known as Saigon, was the business hub of the South Indian Chettiyar community that set up money-lending businesses.
"The relation between India and Ho Chi Minh city dates back to more than two centuries when the Chettiyars, the trading community from south India, first came to the city to establish their money lending business.
पुस्तक समीक्षा : कंधमाल का सच और न्याय प्रक्रिया की हताशा
विद्या भूषण रावत
ओडिशा के कंधमाल क्षेत्र में दलित और ईसाई आदिवासियों के बीच हुए हिंसा में लगभग सौ से अधिक मौतें हुई. ये...
‘West didn’t know what to do in Afghanistan’
By Vikas Datta
Jaipur: The western intervention in Afghanistan was flawed from the very start in its rationale, goals and implementation, which accounts for why...
All India seminar on Islamic literature in Bhopal on Feb. 1
By Pervez Bari, TwoCircles.net,
Bhopal: The Council for Islamic Literature (Majlise-e-Adab-e-Islami) is organizing 8th All India seminar on "Literary pursuits & samples of Islamic literature of Madhya Pradesh's Ulema, Litterateurs & Sufis" here on February 1 (Sunday).
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
Arundhati Roy takes a hard look at democracy
By IANS,
Book: "Listening to Grasshoppers: Field Notes on Democracy"; Author: Arundhati Roy; Publisher: Penguin-Books India; Price: Rs 499
By Madhusree Chatterjee
Man Booker winning author Arundhati Roy takes a probing look at the underbelly of the world's oldest democracy in her new anthology of essays "Listening to Grasshoppers: Field Notes on Democracy" published this week.
Nostalgia, homeopathy, advertising on book shelf
By IANS,
New Delhi : Narratives, dramas and the good life -- the book cart this week is a delight for those with a dreamy side.
Delhi HC notice on plea on Akademi awards
New Delhi : The Delhi High Court on Wednesday issued notice to the central government and Sahitya Akademi on a plea against the return...
Delhi government to send school heads to Cambridge for training
New Delhi : The Delhi government will soon send 90 school principals to Cambridge University for an education leadership training exercise, as part of...
Negotiate between Mahabharata, management and fiction
By IANS,
(IANS Books This Week)
New Delhi : Mythlogy to leadership, the weekend bookshelf offers variety and adventure.
Give poets their privacy: Arvind Mehrotra
By IANS,
London : Noted Indian poet Arvind Krishna Mehrotra has pleaded the poet's right to privacy after an election for the Oxford University's high-profile poetry professorship sank into chaos amid allegations of mud-slinging and conspiracy.
Mehrotra secured 129 votes for the coveted position, but Ruth Padel, the British poet who won with 297 votes, resigned from the post Monday after revelations she had alerted journalists about allegations concerning the frontrunner, Caribbean Nobel laureate Derek Walcott.
A crack policeman’s snapshots of national newsmakers
By Madhusree Chatterjee, IANS,
"The British, The Bandits And The Bordermen (From the diaries and articles of K.F. Rustamji)" edited by P.V. Rajgopal; Publisher: Wisdom Tree; Price: Rs 495
Gabbar Singh, the dacoit who became a cult figure after the release of "Sholay" by Bollywood filmmaker Ramesh Sippy in the 1970s, had a strange connection with India's first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru.
Now, read your favourite book on an MP3, mobile or laptop
By Madhusree Chatterjee, IANS,
Jaipur : As life hurtles on the fast lane, the publishing industry is opening up new, cost-effective and easier reading formats for literature buffs.
The traditional space-eating bookshelves and libraries at home and in public spaces will soon be replaced by audio books, mobile telephone books, e-books and video clips of famous novels, which are available either at the click of a mouse or a dial tone away with the mobile telephony provider - thanks to the new age tech-savvy publishing wizkids.
IGNOU VC bats for Urdu software
Aligarh : Urdu has played a vital role during India's freedom struggle and became instrumental in uniting Indian society "but still Urdu has failed...
Education must deepen students’ linkage with society: President
New Delhi: President Pranab Mukherjee on Thursday said education must deepen students' linkage with society and develop scientific temper.
Speaking here at the launch of...
‘उदास नस्लें’ और अब्दुल्ला हुसैन
जावेद अनीस
उर्दू के शीर्ष उपन्यासकार अब्दुल्ला हुसैन का 7 जून 2015 को 84 वर्ष की उम्र में देहांत हो गया, वे लम्बे समय से...
Past and Present of Violence in Mumbai
Book: Riots and after in Mumbai: Chronicles of Truth and Reconciliation
Author: Meena Menon
Pages: XCII+267, Hard Bound,
First Edition: 2012, Price: 595
With books on morality, religion, Turkey debuts at world fair
By IANS,
New Delhi : Books on morality and religion have caught the attention of quite a few people at the ongoing 19th World Book Fair here. And no, they are not from Indian publications but from a government-supported publishing house from Turkey.
The stall of RNK Publishing, Turkey, at Hall 7 of Pragati Maidan, where the event is being held, has a range of books unique to Turkey. They include the "Risali-i-Nur" ("From The Light") series of poetry, an ancient text by Bediuzzaman Said Nursi.
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...
What the soul tells the capitalist
By M.R. Narayan Swamy, IANS,
Book: "A Saint in the Board Room"; Authors: R. Durgadoss and B. Yerram Raju; Publisher: Konark Publishers; Pages: 382; Price: Rs.295
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
Book on Kamala Suraiya released by Justice VR Krishna Iyer
By Najiya O., TwoCircles.net,
Kochi: Former judge of the Supreme Court Justice VR Krishna Iyer released the book ‘Kamala Suraiya: Safalamaya Snehanveshanam’ (Kamala Suraiya: accomplishment of the quest for love) at ‘Sadgamaya’, the residence of Justice Krishna Iyer in Kochi yesterday.
Badrul Muneer Husnul Jamal: 1870s poem in Arabic-Malayalam script to be telecast on Doordarshan
By Najiya O., TwoCircles.net
Kochi: ‘Badrul Muneer Husnul Jamal’, the first romantic poem written by the famous poet late Moin Kutty Vaidyar, will be telecast on Doordarsan from 11th July (Saturday) onwards. Mappilappattu singer Rahman Vazhakkad and party will present the songs.
Unravelling corruption: Man who started it all
By Brij Khandelwal, IANS,
Book: "Bhrastachar, Atankvad aur Hawala Karobar"; Author: Vineet Narain; Publisher: Kalchakra Samachar Trust; Pages: 340 pages; Price: Rs.200
Book Review: Human & Civil Rights Defenders’ Resource Manual
Book Review
Human & Civil Rights Defenders’ Resource Manual
Prepared by Association for the Protection of Civil Rights (APCR)
108, 3rd Floor, Pocket I, Near Living Style Mall,
JASOLA, New Delhi-25, Phone: 011-64639388. E-mail : [email protected]
Price: Rs. 100/-, Pages: 122
Reviewed by MAHTAB ALAM
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'.
Graphic novels, urban blues & art thefts on book shelf
By IANS,
New Delhi : This weekend, the book cart rolls in light humour and racy stories. Browse with IANS.
1. "Stupid Guy Goes to India (Graphic movel)"; Written by Yukichi
Snapshots from underbelly of a trickster city
By Madhusree Chatterjee, IANS,
Book: "Trickster City: Writings from the Belly of a Metropolis"; Publisher: Penguin-Viking; Price: Rs.499
Like its history, Delhi is a city of layers that tricks the eye into complaisance, tugs at the heart and also rejects at the same time. The bustling facade of the 21st century metropolis camouflages a dark underbelly.
Pamuk, Desai top bestselling authors again
By IANS,
New Delhi : Meghnad Desai's "The Rediscovery of India" continued to dominate the non-fiction section of the bestseller list this week while "The Museum of Innocence" by Nobel prize winner Orhan Pamuk retained the No.1 position in the fiction category.
The top 10 in each category are:
Non-fiction
1. "The Rediscovery of India"
Author: Meghnad Desai
Publisher: Penguin Allen Lane
Price: Rs.699.00
2. "Nine Lives: In Search of the Sacred in Modern India"
Author: William Dalrymple
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Price: Rs.499.00
‘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"
‘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.
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.
Orissa rights panel wants report on author’s arrest
By IANS,
Bhubaneswar : The Orissa Human Rights Commission has sought a report within two weeks from the state government on the arrest of a journalist for writing a book on the recent communal violence in Kandhamal district.
Lenin Kumar, editor of the quarterly magazine Nishan, was arrested on Dec 7 for his book "Dharma Nare Kandhamalare Raktara Banya" (Flood of blood in Kandhamal in the name of religion) that blames Hindu groups for the violence.
Punjab, industry, social drama on book shelf
By IANS,
New Delhi : Browse through the bookshelf of thought-provoking new titles that blend gripping narratives with hard facts...
Mohammed Ali Shihab: An inspiring journey from orphanage to UPSC
By Shafeeq Hudawi, TwoCircles.net,
“What is your strength, Ali?” asked the discerning panel during the interview round of the UPSC exams in 2011. The answer...
Take your pick from diverse book case this weekend (IANS Books This Week)
By IANS,
New Delhi : Dogs, widows, Kolkata, thrill and domestic drama - the weekend book cart is diverse, cute and emotional... Read on
1. "As Cute as a Pug": Written by Dhruv Lamba; Published by Netizens First; Priced at Rs.200.
Testing times in jail penned in a book
New Delhi: Life's unpredictable nature hit Chetan Mahajan right in the face when he ended up spending a month in Bokaro's Chas jail instead...
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
Veteran Urdu scribe gets top Maharashtra award
Mumbai : Veteran Urdu journalist and social worker Ansari Aejaz Ahmed has been given the prestigious Maharashtra Urdu Sahitya Academy Award for excellence in...
Penguin to sell travel guides at historical monuments
By Madhusree Chatterjee, IANS,
New Delhi : Indian tourist spots will now get quality guides and souvenirs through a Penguin India initiative.
Penguin India, part of one of the world's largest publishing groups, will begin selling picture postcards, trinkets, local tourism maps and souvenirs directly to tourists at monuments and other travel sites in a direct-to-consumer outdoor marketing model.
Pakistan releases book on ‘humour’ in Sindhi
By IANS,
Karachi: Pakistani author Imtiaz Abro's book 'In a lighter vein' - the first book on humour in Sindhi language after a gap of 15 years - has been released by the Matiari provincial government.
The societal characters such as grooms, brides, poets, writers, married men, artists and politicians drawn in the form of caricatures are reflective of Abro's live diction.
His father, Shaukat Abro, was also a renowned literary icon.
Literati disappointed with Penguin’s book withdrawal
By IANS,
New Delhi : Expressing unhappiness over Penguin India's decision to withdraw US Indologist Wendy Doniger's book "The Hindu: An Alternative History" from the...
Spotlight on Chinese PLA (Book Review)
Title: China's Military Power: A Net Assessment; Author: Maj Gen G.D. Bakshi (Retd); Publisher: Knowledge World, New Delhi; Pages: 380; Price: Rs.900
China is increasingly...
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
Adiga’s alma mater in Sydney toasts his success
By Neena Bhandari, IANS,
Sydney : Students and teachers at James Ruse Agricultural High in north-west Sydney, the alma mater of Indian-Australian author Aravind Adiga, Wednesday celebrated his Man Booker Prize win.
"We are very proud of Adiga's wonderful achievement. It is amazing for someone so young at 34 to receive one of the highest awards in literature. It reinforces the view of our school as a wonderful place of learning," James Ruse principal Larissa Treskin told IANS.
Divorce, India, partition on bookshelf
By IANS,
The book case this weekend is lighthearted and peppy - matching the mood as a new year begins.
‘Parents’ of Nordic crime – Sjowall, Wahloo and the Martin Beck series
By Vikas Datta, IANS,
Browse through the crime fiction section of any bookshop or online store and, apart from American and British writers, the largest...
India has the right to go after terrorists: Obama
By Arun Kumar, IANS,
Washington : Assuring New Delhi of his "steadfast support" in catching the perpetrators of Mumbai terror attacks, US President-elect Barack Obama has said that India has the sovereign right to go after terrorists to protect itself.
"Sovereign nations obviously have a right to protect themselves," said Obama, who takes over from President George W. Bush Jan 20, at a news conference in Chicago after rolling out his national security team.
Flights of imagination: An aeronautical engineer as a famous novelist
By Vikas Datta,
Immersed in aerodynamics, material science, structural analysis and the like, an aeronautical engineer would be the last person expected to be a successful and long-lasting novelist. But there was one who started writing for relaxation and eventually ended up with two dozen intricately-plotted but extremely engrossing works stretching from wartime romances to attempts for redemption to dire apocalyptic scenarios - with views on class, gender and race relations most unprecedented for his era.
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...
Fascinating post-mortem of Indian Left
By M.R. Narayan Swamy, IANS,
Book: "Leftism in India 1917-1947"; Author: Satyabrata Rai Chowdhuri; Publisher:Macmillan; Price: Rs.375
‘The Brown Sahebs’: An interesting take on India’s colonial legacy
By Jaideep Sarin,
Book: "The Brown Sahebs"; Publisher: Vitasta Publishing; Pages: 320; Price: Rs.295
American movies and literature are iconoclastic. Hollywood loves to make movies in which the US president gets hijacked ("Air Force One"), or the White House is under siege ("White House Down"). Indian movies and books, by and large play safe, probably afraid of fictionalizing situations which the authorities would frown upon. Thus Anupam Srivastava's "The Brown Sahebs" surprises when its protagonist, Pratap, defaces with provocative poetry the dome of Rashtrapati Bhavan, the majestic residence of India's president.
Orhan Pamuk continues to dominate bestselling chart
By IANS,
New Delhi : Meghnad Desai's "The Rediscovery of India" jumped two positions and dominated the non-fiction bestsellers this week while "The Museum of Innocence" by Nobel prize winner Orhan Pamuk continued to retain the No.1 position in the fiction category.
The top 10 in each category are as follows:
Non-fiction
1. "The Rediscovery of India"
Author: Meghnad Desai
Publisher: Penguin Allen Lane
Price: Rs.699.00
2. "Nine Lives: In Search of the Sacred in Modern India"
Author: William Dalrymple
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Price: Rs.499.00
Nine countries at 3rd Fajr International Poetry Festival
By IRNA,
Tehran : The closing ceremony of the ongoing Third Fajr International Poetry Festival will be held here on February 28 with the participation of 13 poets from nine countries.
At the event, poets from Tajikistan, Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, India, Pakistan, Palestine, Lebanon, Iraq and Egypt will be honored for introducing Persian poetry to the world.
In line with strengthening the international section of the Third Fajr Poetry Festival, a seminar titled 'Poets of Iran and World' will be held in summer.
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 SaleemIndian publishing in focus at London Book Fair
By IANS,
Neemrana (Rajasthan) : The Indian publishing industry will be the focus of the 2009 London Book Fair this April, with 40 Indian writers being invited to the event, and Amartya Sen being the keynote speaker at the opening.
The Indian writers - mostly big names in English and vernacular writing - will showcase the diversity of literary and linguistic genres across the country, said representatives of the British Council India and the London Book Fair at a literary workshop at the Neemrana Fort Palace in Rajasthan Tuesday.
Kerala leaders break silence over book on Amritanandamayi
By IANS,
Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala politicians Saturday broke their silence over a controversial book on hugging saint Mata Amritanandamayi.
CPI-M state secretary Pinarayi Vijayan said the government...
Marathi writer Kavita Mahajan passes away at the age of 51
By Daisy Katta, TwoCircles.net
Marathi writer, poet and translator Kavita Mahajan passed away in Pune at the age of 51. The cause of her death...
Yoga to be introduced in Tripura schools from next year
Agartala : The Tripura government will introduce yoga as a subject in schools from classes one to eight from the next academic year beginning...
No more copyright on Gandhi’s works – so who preserves them?
By Shweta Srinivasan, IANS,
New Delhi : The fate of Mahatma Gandhi's original literary works remains undecided following the expiry of the copyright restrictions on them on the first day of this year, leaving scholars and admirers of his philosophy across the country anxious.
National seminar on Prof. Abdul Qavi Desnavi on Apr. 1-2 in Bhopal
By Pervez Bari, TwoCircles.net,
A horror story on Sri Lanka’s war (Book Review)
By M.R. Narayan Swamy, IANS,
Book: "Still Counting the Dead"; Author: Frances Harrison; Publishers: Portobello Books; Pages: 259; Price: Rs.399
Nobel laureates of Indian origin mostly from Tamil Nadu, Bengal
By Amulya Ganguli, IANS,
Is it more than just a coincidence that the the Nobel laureates of Indian origin belong to Tamil Nadu and West Bengal.
Like Venkatraman Ramakrishnan, the latest winner, C.V. Raman and Subramanyan Chandrasekhar, who won the prize in 1930 and 1983 respectively, were also Tamils. They were also members of the Tamil diaspora in the US who had emigrated following the rise of the backward caste movement in Tamil Nadu that put the upper castes under social and political pressure.
The secret of Tintin, 80
By Dipankar De Sarkar, IANS,
London : Fans around the world celebrate Tintin's 80th birthday Saturday just as a British politician-turned-columnist claims he knows things about the Belgian comic-book hero that the rest of us don't.
"A callow, androgynous blonde-quiffed youth in funny trousers and a scarf moving into the country mansion of his best friend, a middle-aged sailor? A sweet-faced lad devoted to a fluffy white toy terrier, whose other closest pals are an inseparable couple of detectives in bowler hats, and whose only serious female friend is an opera diva...
14 Indian diaspora students picked to compete in top US science contest
New York: Fourteen students from the Indian diaspora have been selected to compete for $1 million in prizes at the prestigious Intel Science Talent...
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.
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...
Infosys’ Murthy turns author with ‘Better India, Better World’
By IANS,
New Delhi : It was an evening to pay tributes to India and its entrepreneurs, when Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Monday released the maiden book authored by Infosys Technologies co-founder N.R. Narayana Murthy, as well known for his philanthropic endeavours as for his leadership skills.
And the prime minister was full of praise for Murthy's enterprise, vision and values as he released the book entitled "A Better India, A Better World" at Panchvati conference hall at his official residence.
Divided Sri Lanka haunts a man at the wheels (Book Review)
By M.R. Narayan Swamy,
Title: Noon Tide Toll; Author: Romesh Gunesekera; Publisher: Penguin Books: Pages: 237; Price: Rs.299
How does Sri Lanka fare after the end of a quarter century of ethnic conflict? Vasantha ferries visitors all around the island in a van bought with savings after retiring early. The road journeys are as much an eye opener to the Sri Lankan driver as much to the men and women he transports - mainly foreigners and Sri Lankans now settled abroad. The still bruised north, the Sinhalese south and the now carefree Colombo come alive as Romesh Gunesekera, a gifted writer, uses Vasantha to take readers from one spot to another, from one saga to another.
Celebrating Kashmiriyat to tales from the battlefield
An ode to the resilience of Kashmiri women, to inspiring stories from the battlefield, to a journey of healing is what IANS has for its readers this weekend. Take a look.
1. Book: The Land I Dream Of; Author: Manisha Sobhrajani; Publisher: Hachette; Pages: 191; Price: Rs.399
Shaam-e-Sher: Reinvigorating Urdu among youth
By Akanki Sharma
New Delhi : In today's digital era where technology has almost swamped art in all its forms, has Urdu literature once famous...
Exposing corruption: Man who started it all
By Brij Khandelwal, IANS,
Book: "Bhrastachar, Atankvad aur Hawala Karobar"; Author: Vineet Narain; Publisher: Kalchakra Samachar Trust; Pages: 340 pages; Price: Rs.200
Book fest has bookworms, other Bangaloreans truly hooked!
By IANS,
Bangalore : Bangaloreans in thousands can be found these days snapping up their favourite titles or simply having fun with friends and family at a book fair, said to be one of the largest in India.
The sixth edition of the Bangalore Book Festival-2008, which kicked off at the city's Palace Grounds Friday, has witnessed around 70,000 footfalls almost every day.
One of India’s greatest spiritual classics gets a new print (Book Review)
By M.R. Narayan Swamy, IANS,
Title: Autobiography of a Yogi; Author: Paramhansa Yogananda; Publisher: Penguin-Ananda; Pages: 511; Prices: Rs.225
This is not a new book. Indeed,...
No muzzling of freedom of expression: Minister
New Delhi: There will be no restrictions on the freedom of expression on writers and intellectuals, said Delhi Culture Minister Kapil Mishra while inaugurating...
Transform your life with 12 holistic principles (Book Review)
By Kul Bhushan,
Title: Feeling at Ease with Yourself; Author: Rajiv Parti; Publisher: Konark Publishers
Always running to catch up! Huffing non-stop to climb up! Over stretched at work. Overloaded with information. Overweight with little or no exercise. Living today takes a heavy toll.
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.
Nehru’s ‘Mann ki Baat’
By M.R. Narayan Swamy ,
Title: Letters for a Nation: From Jawaharlal Nehru to His Chief Ministers (1947-1963); Author: Edited by Madhav Khosla; Publisher: Allen...
A happening year for Indian literature
By NNN-PTI,
New Delhi : Be it recognitions at the global level, controversies, visits by high-profile writers, publishers rolling out bestsellers and several new authors spinning stories, Indian literature in 2008 saw them all!
Aravind Adiga brought cheers to the nation when his novel "The White Tiger," an ironic take on the new India with its techno-brilliance and IT prowess, bagged the Man Booker Prize beating the likes of Salman Rushdie ("The Enchantress of Florence") and Amitav Ghosh ("Sea of Poppies") among others.
रसूलों की भी अक्सर देर से ताईद करती है ये दुनिया हर नई आवाज़...
यह लिखने वाले अलबेले शायर 'अशोक साहिल ' भी आज चले गए!
नज़र नज़र में उतरना कमाल होता है
नफ़स नफ़स में बिखरना कमाल होता है
बुलंदियों पे...
Correct grammar way to first job
By Madhusree Chatterjee, IANS,
Book: "You're Hired: How you get that job and keep it too"; Author: Nasha Fitter; Publisher: Penguin India-Books; Price: Rs.199
Applying for jobs, but don't seem to hear back from prospective employers? Maybe you're making a mistake somewhere in your application. Does your application read anything like this?
यह ‘एक्शन’ मुज़फ्फ़रनगर में होता, तो मुरथल न होता!
Dr. Nadeem Zafar Jilani for TwoCircles.net
मुरथल
चीखें तो नरोदा-पाटिया,
मुज़फ्फरनगर से भी आई थीं,
मगर तुम्हें सुनाई नहीं दीं शायद,
कि वहाँ सरे आम लुटने वाली,
बेबस, मजबूर...
This Dalit woman activist is taking Dalit history to grassroots in Rajasthan
Suman Devathiya is a senior Dalit activist from Rajasthan who has been at the forefront of fighting for Dalit women’s rights and taking Dalit...
India needs more translations: Mushirul Hasan
By IANS,
New Delhi: The absence of organised translation activity in literature and academia has led to cultural and intellectual distancing in Indian society, believes eminent historian Mushirul Hasan.
"This distancing has led to greater regionalisation and in some cases appropriation of languages. The unity in diversity is lost - and on a personal note, it has led to a gulf between my students and me," Hasan, a former Jamia Millia Islamia University vice-chancellor, said Saturday.
A transformational India needs to overhaul its education system
By Amit Dasgupta
The emergence of a knowledge-driven society demonstrated that everything can and must change and that the process is a continuous search for...
Bebyda Khatun receives National Anganwadi award for 2011-12
By Zaidul Haque, TwoCircles.net,
Delhi: Bebyda Khatun, an Anganwadi worker, received the National Award for the year 2011-12 from the Minister of Women and Child...
Indian publishers find space for Chinese writers
By Madhusree Chatterjee, IANS,
New Delhi : In the 1980s when China had just opened its doors to reforms, a mother in Nanjing asked her 16-year-old daughter, "Would you like to be a worker, if you have a chance". A reluctant Lijia Zhang did work at a factory for a decade, but has now gone on to write a book in the alien English language that was released in India.
Amarinder Singh’s ‘The Last Sunset’ tops bestseller list
By IANS,
New Delhi : "The Last Sunset" by erstwhile royal and former Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh dominates non-fiction this week while Stieg Larsson's "The Girl Who Kicked The Hornets' Nest" climbs four steps to take the number one fiction spot on the bestseller list.
The top 10 in each category are:
Non-fiction
1. "The Last Sunset"
Author: Amarinder Singh
Publisher: Roli Books
Price: Rs.695.00
2. "Freefall: America, Free Markets, and the Sinking of the World Economy"
Author: Joseph Stiglitz
Publisher: Allen Lane
Price: Rs.499.00
Caught in narrative: gritty saga of Indian tele-news media
By Madhusree Chatterjee, IANS,
Book: "Newsroom Live"; Author: Prabhat Shunglu; Published by: Om Books International; Pages: 310; Price:Rs.195
बदल गई चंबल की सूरत ,अब बन रहा है पर्यटन केंद्र
आकिल हुसैन। Twocircles.net
कभी डाकुओं की पनाहगाह रही चंबल घाटी अब टूरिज्म का हब बन गई हैं। ऐसा भी कहा जाता हैं कि हिंदी...