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.
Matriarchy, patriarchy, lumenarchy…age of light dawns
By Madhusree Chatterjee, IANS,
New Delhi : After matriarchy and patriarchy, the world is gradually moving towards an age of light or 'lumenarchy', says noted Polish philosopher and Indophile Henryk Skolimowski, who considers himself "more Indian", in his new book "Let There Be Light: The Mysterious Journey of Cosmic Creativity".
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.
‘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.
Santosh Desai documents changing Indian middle class in book
By IANS,
New Delhi : The love affair of the Indian middle class with modernism "took wing with stainless steel", says leading social commentator Santosh Desai in his new book "Mother Pious Lady: Making Sense of Everyday India", a racy comment on the contemporary middle-of-the-order India.
"Stainless steel managed to meet the deeply traditional needs by being incontrovertibly modern. It was seen as pure and indestructible - the two virtues that give it pride of place in the kitchen," Desai says in the book that was launched here Saturday.
Are Indians in tune with their culture?
By Madhusree Chatterjee, IANS,
New Delhi : The time has come for Indians to introspect whether they are in tune with their culture or not, \"to pause and put a mirror before society to see why dilution, mutilation and modification of culture have taken place against the backdrop of such a distinguished civilisation heritage\", says diplomat-writer Pavan Varma.
How Lee pushed India to embrace Singapore
By M.R. Narayan Swamy, IANS,
Book: "Looking East to Look West, Lee Kuan Yew's Mission India"; Author: Sunanda K. Datta-Ray; Publisher: Penguin/Viking, Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, Singapore; Price: Rs.499
This is a scholarly, meticulously researched and gripping story from journalist Sunanda K. Datta-Ray of how Singapore icon Lee Kuan Yew persisted despite great odds to court India, his successes and disappointments, and how his dream of embracing New Delhi has finally become a reality now.
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 SaleemA valuable insight into Sri Lanka’s peace process
By M.R. Narayan Swamy, IANS,
The book, "A Powderkeg in Paradise", is not a historical account of the Tamil separatist campaign that bled Sri Lanka for a quarter century before the military finally decimated the Tamil Tigers in May 2009. In nearly 250 crisp and easy to read pages, Jon Oskar Solnes delves into his rich and intimate knowledge of the conflict, gained as an official of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM), to tell the world why and how the once seemingly indestructible Tamil Tigers lost it so badly.
‘The Difficulty of Being Good…’ top bestseller this week
By IANS,
New Delhi : "The Difficulty of Being Good: On The Subtle Art of Dharma" by Gurcharan Das climbed to the No.1 position in the non-fiction section of the bestseller list this week while Nobel prize winner Orhan Pamuk's "The Museum of Innocence" bounced back to dominate the fiction list.
The top 10 in each category are:
Non-fiction
1. "The Difficulty of Being Good: On The Subtle Art of Dharma"
Author: Gurcharan Das
Publisher: Penguin Allen Lane
Price: Rs.699.00
2. "Victoria and Abdul"
Author: Shrabani Basu
Publisher: Rupa & Co
Price: Rs.395.00
Books help children dream for future: Kalam
By IANS,
New Delhi: Former president A.P.J. Abdul Kalam Thursday said books enable children to view the past, use the experience for the present and dream for the future.
"I believe that the ignited mind of the youth is the most powerful source on earth, above the earth and under the earth. Children need to be encouraged to ask questions. Questions have to be answered with patience and knowledge, so that the minds of children are opened up and their thinking is not shut off," he said.
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.
Rare books on Islam, Buddhism a hit at South Asian stalls
By Shweta Srinivasan, IANS,
New Delhi : Works on Islam and Buddhism are a big hit at stalls put up by publishers from South Asian countries at the World Book Fair here. Many avid book readers and scholars are happy to have spotted rare books that are not easily available in India.
Shiva Naipaul in longlist for Lost Booker Prize
By Dipankar De Sarkar, IANS,
London : The late Indian-origin writer Shiva Naipaul is among 22 authors who were named Monday in the longlist for a one-off Lost Man Booker Prize for books published in 1970.
Shivadhar Srinivasa Naipaul, brother of writer Sir V.S. Naipaul, was named for his acclaimed first novel "Fireflies".
Shiva Naipaul, as he was known, created a literary storm with "Fireflies" and went on to make a name for himself in travel writing, before dying of heart attack in 1985 at the age of 40.
New publishing venture Gyaana Books launches first titles
By IANS,
New Delhi : Gyaana Books, a new publishing venture based in the Indian capital, has unveiled its first books in association with Writer's Side and bookmeabook.com
Founded by Divya Dubey, a former publishing editor, Gyaana was formally launched by noted poet and writer Keki Daruwalla at the India International Centre.
Not into books? Jaipur lit fest still a blast
By Ajay Khullar, IANS,
Jaipur : Here are four good reasons to show up at the Jaipur Literature Festival: literati, glitterati, prettyrati and fourth...hmmm...that's a tough one oh yes, books of course!
The moment you enter the gates of Diggi Palace, the venue of the festival from Jan 21-25, walk over to the registration desk and officially let the party begin. But first you will be slotted.
Jaipur Literature Festival begins with Indian poetry
By Madhusree Chatterjee, IANS,
Jaipur : The Jaipur literature festival, boasting of over 200 authors of national and international repute and with its focus on Dalit writings, took off to packed audiences at a royal palace here Thursday.
The fifth DSC Jaipur Literature Festival began at the Diggi Palace with a recitation of the English translation of ancient Indian poetry by noted poet and scholar Arvind Krishna Malhotra.
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
Travancore: A princely state that set a ‘progressive precedent’
By IANS,
Book: \"Travancore: The Footprints of Destiny\" - Autobiography: Uthradom Tirunal Marthanda Varma, the former king (as told to Uma Maheswari); Publisher: Konark Publishers; Price: Rs.2,000
By Madhusree Chatterjee,
New Delhi : In 1924, when Mahatma Gandhi asked young Chithira Tirunal, the 12-year-old prince of the erstwhile princely state of Travancore in Kerala, if he would remove untouchability and throw open the temples to all castes when he became king, the boy answered, "Of course". And he lived up to his word.
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.
Acclaimed American author sinks teeth into vampire trilogy
By Madhusree Chatterjee, IANS,
New Delhi : American writer of suspense Chuck Hogan says he is "drawn to stories of man at his extremes". He is now busy spooking readers with "The Strain", a book on vampires that he has co-authored with Oscar-winning director Guillermo del Toro.
For Hogan "crime and horror are both genres of existentialism".
"I am drawn to stories of man at his extremes, of people who find themselves tested, haunted and threatened," Hogan, who penned "Standoff", told IANS over e-mail from Boston.
All my works are personal alchemy: Booker prize winner
By Madhusree Chatterjee, IANS,
New Delhi, Dec 25 (IANS) Hilary Mantel, the author of "Wolf Hall" which won the Man Booker prize for 2009, feels "there is always a danger with historical fiction that it may fall short as both literature and history".
"So, when I took on this project I knew that it was going to be a very difficult thing to do. But ha! who is interested in what's easy? But I was exhilarated by the way 'Wolf Hall' was received. I believe all my books are a kind of alchemy at a personal level," Mantel told IANS in an e-mail interview.
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
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.
Travelogue of Salar Jung II launched by Vice President
By Mumtaz Alam Falahi, TwoCircles.net
New Delhi: Mir Laeq Ali Khan, Salar Jung II and Prime Minister of Nizam of Hyderabad, was among the very few Indians who traveled to Europe to observe the continent’s society, polity and economy and then wrote travelogue, said Dr Omar Khalidi of Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, who co-edited the book “Vaqa-e-Musafirat-i-Imad al-Saltanah: The Travelogue of Salar Jung II”, launched by Hamid Ansari, Vice President of India in New Delhi on December 18.
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
Bihar’s jail inmates to bring out magazine
By IANS,
Patna: The inmates of a Bihar jail along with the jail authorities are all set to bring out a special Hindi magazine in January next year, official sources said Tuesday.
The inmates of Beur central jail here along with the jail officials are busy working on a special Hindi magazine called "Drishtikon".
"This magazine will be a rare one as all the writing or stories will be reported and contributed by the inmates of the jail," Beur jail Superintendent Omprakash Gupta said.
Church-affiliated Goa group publishes anti-Israeli book
By Mayabhushan Nagvenkar, IANS,
Panaji : Portraying Israeli tourists as a bunch of promiscuous, stingy, drug addicts and peddlers, a new book published by a church-affiliated organisation in Goa is likely to ruffle many feathers.
The 96-page work, "Claiming the right to say no: a study of Israeli tourist behaviour and patterns in Goa", has been authored by 11 seminarians or priests-in-grooming. It has been published by the Council for Social Justice and Peace (CSJP), an arm of the Roman Catholic church in the state.
Orhan Pamuk’s book stays atop bestseller chart
By IANS,
New Delhi : Nobel prize winning writer Orhan Pamuk's "The Museum of Innocence" continued to dominate the bestseller list in the fiction category this week while "The Hindus: An Alternative History" by Wendy Doniger jumped three positions to top the non-fiction section.
Here are the top 10 in the non-fiction and fiction categories:
Non-fiction
1. "The Hindus: An Alternative History"
Author: Wendy Doniger
Publisher: Penguin Viking
Price: Rs.999.00
2. "The Difficulty of Being Good: On The Subtle Art of Dharma"
Author: Gurcharan Das
Orhan Pamuk, Meghnad Desai top bestselling authors
By IANS,
New Delhi : Nobel Prize winning writer Orhan Pamuk's "The Museum of Innocence" tops the fiction list this week while Meghnad Desai's "The Rediscovery of India" leads the books in the non-fiction bestsellers.
Here are the top 10 in the non-fiction and fiction categories:
Non-Fiction
1. "The Rediscovery of India"
Author: Meghnad Desai
Publisher: Penguin Allen Lane
Price: Rs.699.00
2. "The Difficulty of Being Good: On The Subtle art of Dharma"
Author: Gurcharan Das
Publisher: Penguin Allen Lane
Price: Rs.699.00
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.
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.
Dalrymple’s book stays atop bestseller chart
By IANS,
New Delhi : William Dalrymple's "Nine Lives: In Search of the Sacred in Modern India" continued at the number one position in the non-fiction section of the bestseller list this week while "Wolf Hall" by Hilary Mantel bounced back to dominate the fiction category.
The top 10 in each section 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 Hindus: An Alternative History
Author: Wendy Doniger
Publisher: Penguin Viking
Price: Rs.999.00
Ex-Maharashtra IG smashes India’s “Islamic terrorism” myth in a new book
Book: Who Killed Karkare? The Real Face of Terrorism in India
Author: SM Mushrif
Price: Rs 300/ USD 25
Pages: 319
Publisher: Pharos Media (www.pharosmedia.com), New Delhi
By M Zeyaul Haque,
A new book curiously titled Who Killed Karkare? says a nationwide network of Hindutva terror that has its tentacles spread up to Nepal and Israel is out to destroy the India most Indians have known for ages and to remould it into some kind of Afghanistan under the Taliban.
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.
Wendy Doniger, Hilary Mantel week’s top authors
By IANS,
New Delhi : Wendy Doniger's "The Hindus: An Alternative History" topped the non-fiction section of the bestseller list this week while "Wolf Hall" by Hilary Mantel topped the fiction group.
The top 10 in each section are as follows:
Non-fiction
1. "The Hindus: An Alternative History"
Author: Wendy Doniger
Publisher: Penguin Viking
Price: Rs.999.00
2. "The Difficulty of Being Good: On The Subtle art of Dharma"
Author: Gurcharan Das
Publisher: Penguin Allen Lane
Price: Rs.699.00
3. "The Idea of Justice"
Author: Amartya Sen
AMU announces results of All India Essay Writing Competition on Sir Syed Ahmad Khan
By TwoCircles.net news desk,
Patna: On the eve of 190th birth anniversary of its founder Sir Syed Ahmed Khan, Aligarh Muslim University organized All India Essay Writing Competition on his life.
According to the results announced by AMU administration, Mr. Tahir Ashraf Siddiqui of National Law Institute, Jodhpur in Rajasthan has won first prize while Jyotsana Gautam of Himachal Pradesh University, Shimla and Bharat Bhatti of Delhi University got the second and third prizes respectively.
Mumbai scribe wins Gujarati literary award
By IANS,
Mumbai: Senior Gujarati journalist Hiren Mehta Saturday bagged the Lalit Essay Award 2008 of the Maharashtra Rajya Gujarati Sahitya Akademi, an official said.
Akademi president Hemraj Shah said that Mehta, a senior editor with the leading Gujarati magazine Chitralekha, has bagged the prestigious award for his book "Ajab Duniya Andaman-ni."
It is an eye-opener account of the several weeks the Mumbai-based Mehta spent in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands in 2007, and compiled in a book form last year, Shah said.
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.
Bangalore journalist’s article on Ramadan selected for international award
By TwoCircles.net News Desk,
New Delhi: Bangalore-based journalist Biju Abdul Qadir’s article on Ramadan has been selected for the top three international awards for the best writings on Ramadan this year by Sheikh Yusuf al-Qardawi's IslamOnline website.
Qadir’s article has originally been published in the October 2009 issue of the Young Muslim Digest -- an Islamic monthly published from Bangalore since the past 30 years. Qadir is Executive Editor of the periodical. Biju Abdul Qadir is also Managing Editor of IQRA Publications, Bangalore.
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.
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.
Countdown to Literature Nobel: Amos Oz? Mahasweta Devi? Odds are…
By Ashish Mehta, IANS,
New Delhi : Bookies are betting heavily on Israeli author Amos Oz to win the coveted Nobel Prize in Literature to be announced Thursday, though odds are accepted for a long list of authors including India's Mahasweta Devi.
Blogs and literary groups discussing the prize agree that it is not quite predictable, but the benchmark for discussion is set by the British bookies, Ladbrokes, which has been accepting bets on the prize winner for a while.
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.
India was once a hub of ancient silk route
By Madhusree Chatterjee, IANS,
Around 2,000 years ago, a loop of the ancient silk route, called the southern silk road, linked Yunnan province of China to the northeastern parts of India, says travel writer Sunita Dwivedi in her forthcoming book. Titled "In Quest of Buddha: A Journey Along The Silk Road" and to be published by Rupa & Co, it chronicles Dwivedi's journeys along the route in China, Central Asia and India.
Jaswant joins Dan Brown in bestseller list – again
By IANS,
New Delhi, Oct 1 (IANS) Expelled Bharatiya Janata Party leader Jaswant Singh's controversial "Jinnah: India, Partition, Independence" continues as No.1 for the fifth consecutive week in the non-fiction section while Dan Brown's "The Lost Symbol" is the predictable topper in the fiction list this week.
The top 10 in each section are:
Non-fiction
1. "Jinnah: India, Partition, Independence"
Author: Jaswant Singh
Publisher: Rupa
Price: Rs.695.00
2. "The Difficulty of Being Good: On The Subtle art of Dharma"
Author: Gurcharan Das
No drop in popularity of Jaswant’s book on Jinnah
By IANS,
New Delhi : The controversial book "Jinnah: India, Partition, Independence" by expelled Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Jaswant Singh continued to dominate the non-fiction section of the bestseller list this week. It has now topped the charts for over a month. Dan Brown's "The Lost Symbol" topped the fiction list.
The top 10 in each section are:
Non-fiction
1. "Jinnah: India, Partition, Independence"
Author: Jaswant Singh
Publisher: Rupa
Price: Rs.695.00
2. "Shah Jahan: The Rise and Fall of The Mughal Emperor"
Author: Fergus Nicoll
Of delayed justice and legal tangles
By Madhusree Chatterjee, IANS,
New Delhi : Senior advocate Arun Mohan has a mission in life: ensuring speedy justice.
The senior Supreme Court lawyer, who has been associated with courts for 39 years, had taken time off from his work to write four volumes on the Indian judicial system and the problems that confront "everyday justice" as a public service project.
The first two volumes of "Justice, Courts and Delays" were released in July at a function where the chief justice of India, the law minister and the attorney general were present.
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
Three held in Pakistan with pirated editions of Jaswant’s book
By IANS,
Lahore : Three people have been arrested for selling pirated editions of former Indian minister Jaswant Singh's book "Jinnah: India, Partition, Independence" in this Pakistani city, authorities said.
The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) raided two shops in Defence Housing Authority and arrested three people for selling the pirated editions of Jaswant Singh's book, Daily Times reported Friday.
A countrywide crackdown has been launched on publishers and bookstores selling fake editions of Jaswant's book.
Jaswant’s book on Jinnah stays atop bestseller list
By IANS,
New Delhi : "Jinnah: India, Partition, Independence" by expelled Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Jaswant Singh retained the No.1 position among bestselling books in the non-fiction section this week. J.M. Coetzee's "Summertime" topped the fiction category.
The top 10 in each section are:
Non-fiction
1. "Jinnah: India, Partition, Independence"
Author: Jaswant Singh
Publisher: Rupa
Price: Rs.695.00
2. "The Difficulty of Being Good: On The Subtle Art of Dharma"
Author: Gurcharan Das
Publisher: Penguin Allen Lane
Price: Rs.699.00
Book on legendary Indian singer Tansen published in Poland
By EuAsiaNews,
Warsaw : After the publication of a number of books on Urdu poetry in Polish in the last four years, now a book on legendary Indian classical singer Tansen has hit the stalls in Poland's capital.
Tansen regarded as one of the greatest classical singers of medieval times during the reign of Mughal Emperor Akbar prompted Janusz Krzyzowski, a well-known Polish Indologist to write a book on him.
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.
Jaswant Singh is again top author of the week
By IANS,
New Delhi : Expelled Bharatiya Janata Party leader Jaswant Singh's controversial book "Jinnah: India, Partition, Independence" continued to retain the No.1 position in the non-fiction section of the bestseller list this week while "The Wish Maker: A Novel" by Ali Sethi topped the fiction category for the fourth week in a row.
The top 10 in each section are:
Non-fiction
1. "Jinnah: India, Partition, Independence"
Author: Jaswant Singh
Publisher: Rupa
Price: Rs.695.00
2. "The Idea of Justice"
Author: Amartya Sen
Publisher: Penguin Allen Lane
New book reveals India’s ‘hidden hand’ in Sri Lanka war
By IANS,
New Delhi : India played a critical, albeit covert, role in the success of Sri Lanka's war against the Tamil Tigers, with the Indian Navy providing vital intelligence in locating and destroying at least a dozen LTTE rogue vessels laden with arms, says the first such detailed account of the operation.
Jinnah book sales soar after author Jaswant’s expulsion
By IANS,
Shimla/New Delhi : Curiosity equals book sales. That equation seems to be at work with Jaswant Singh's "Jinnah: India - Partition - Independence" zooming to the top of the bestseller list as people dig into their pockets to find out why the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) expelled its veteran leader.
The queues started soon after the party president Rajnath Singh, who is in Shimla with top leaders of the party for a three-day brainstorming session, announced the expulsion Wednesday morning.
Jinnah book sales soar after author Jaswant’s expulsion
By Vishal Gulati, IANS,
Shimla : Curiosity equals book sales. That equation seems to be at work here with copies of Jaswant Singh's "Jinnah: India - Partition - Independence" flying off shelves as people dig into their pockets to find out why the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader expelled its veteran leader.
The queues started soon after the party president Rajnath Singh, who is here with top leaders of the party for a three-day introspection session, announced the expulsion Wednesday morning.
Jaswant Singh’s book on Jinnah already tops chart
By IANS,
New Delhi : The controversial book "Jinnah: India-Partition Independence" by Jaswant Singh predictably tops the non-fiction section of the bestseller list here in the first week of its release while Ali Sethi's "The Wish Maker: A Novel" continued at the No.1 position in the fiction category for the third week in a row.
The top 10 in each section are:
Non-fiction
1. "Jinnah: India-Partition Independence"
Author: Jaswant Singh
Publisher: Rupa
Price: Rs.695.00
2. "The Idea of Justice"
Author: Amartya Sen
Publisher: Penguin Allen Lane
After creating stir, Jaswant is mum during Jinnah book launch
By IANS,
New Delhi: After creating a storm by his praise of Mohammad Ali Jinnah, senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Jaswant Singh Monday clammed up on the subject during the release of his book on the architect of Pakistan.
After a panel of seven speakers praised his book, 'Jinnah - India, Partition, Independence' at the launch function here, Jaswant Singh merely said - "Authors should not speak. They are supposed to be read."
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".
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.
Arundhati Roy’s book tops chart
By IANS,
New Delhi : Arundhati Roy's "Listening to Grass Hoppers: Field Notes on Democracy" topped the non-fiction category among best-selling books here this week, while Ali Sethi's "The Wish Maker: A Novel" was number one in the fiction category.
The top ten in each section:
Non-Fiction
1. "Listening To Grass Hoppers: Field Notes on Democracy"
Author: Arundhati Roy
Publisher: Penguin Books
Price: Rs.499
2. "Prisoner of the State: The Secret Journal of Chinese Premier"
Author: Zhao Ziyang
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Price: Rs. 1,022
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.
Arundhati Roy’s new book tops bestseller list
By IANS,
New Delhi : Arundhati Roy's new book "Listening To Grass Hoppers: Field Notes on Democracy" topped the non-fiction category of the bestseller list this week while "The Wish Maker: A Novel" by Ali Sethi dominated the fiction list.
The top 10 in each section are:
Non-fiction
1. "Listening To Grass Hoppers: Field Notes on Democracy"
Author: Arundhati Roy
Publisher: Penguin Books
Price: Rs.499.00
2. "Branding India: An Incredible Story"
Author: Amitabh Kant
Publisher: Collins Business
Price: Rs.499.00
3. "The Caged Phoenix: Can India Fly?"
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.
Written by Pakistanis, Bangladeshis, but made in India
By Madhusree Chatterjee, IANS,
New Delhi : The ever-growing popularity of Indo-Anglian writing and the publishing boom in India have opened the floodgates for English writers from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh as well. Authors from neighbouring countries are increasingly publishing their books in India, which offers them a sizeable audience still hooked to the written word.
They have inched their way up the Indian best-seller lists with powerful books that combine gripping narratives, snapshots of socio-political realities, history and commentaries.
Book Review: Madrasa Reforms: Indian Muslim Voices
Book Review
Book: Madrasa Reforms: Indian Muslim Voices
Author: Yoginder Sikand
Year of Publication: August 2008
Publisher: Vikas Adhyayan Kendra(VAK),Mumbai
Price=Rs.100
Reviewed by Mushtaq ul Haq Ahmad Sikander
Muslim English periodical brings out special issue on AMU alumni
By TwoCircles.net News Desk,
Patna: An especial issue of English magazine “Islam, Muslim and the World” on the alumni of the Aligarh Muslim University was released today by Vice Chancellor Prof Abdul Azis in Aligarh.
Murad Ali Baig, Daniyal Mueenuddin top authors of the week
By IANS,
New Delhi : Murad Ali Baig's "80 Questions to Understand India: History, Mythology and Religion" reaches the No.1 position in the non-fiction list this
week while Daniyal Mueenuddin's "In Other Rooms, Other Wonders" tops the fiction category.
The top 10 in each section are as follows:
Non-Fiction
1. "80 Questions to Understand India : History, Mythology and Religion"
Author: Murad Ali Baig
Publisher: Tara Press
Price: Rs.395.00
2. "Prisoner of the State"
Author: Zhao Ziyang
Publisher: Simon Schuster
Price: $20.00 (Rs.965)
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.
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.
Young Pakistani author Ali Sethi making literary waves
By Madhusree Chatterjee, IANS,
New Delhi : The world is growing more interested in literature from Pakistan and Afghanistan because it wants to understand certain events that have taken place in the two countries, says Pakistani author Ali Sethi, 24, one of the youngest literary sensations from the sub-continent.
An Indian’s poem that resonates with Clinton, 14 years on
By IANS,
New Delhi : Fourteen years ago, Anasuya Sengupta, a student of Lady Shri Ram college, had recited a poem written by her before the then US first lady Hillary Clinton when she came to India on her first official visit.
Clinton was so impressed that a chapter in her 2003 autobiography "Living History" was inspired by the poem. The chapter is called "Silence is Not Spoken Here".
On Monday, Anasuya -- now an activist for women's rights -- was present at Delhi University's Convention Hall, where Clinton came visiting as US Secretary of State.
What’s holding India back? Ramachandra Guha finds ten reasons
By IANS,
New Delhi : What stops India from becoming a 21st century superpower? There are ten reasons, according to author-historian, social analyst and teacher Ramachandra Guha.
Left wing extremism, "the biggest internal threat", tops Guha's list of 10 hurdles that India has to confront.
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
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?
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.
An endearing look at Sikhs everywhere
By Shubha Singh, IANS,
Book: "Sikhs Unlimited"; Author: Khushwant Singh; Price: Rs.495; Publisher: Rupa
Did Chandigarh lose out to Bangalore as the e-capital of India due to then prime minister P.V. Narasimha Rao's insistence that since Punjab had the benefit of the Green Revolution the next revolution should go to a southern state?
Now buy a book with your grocery from nearest superstore
By Madhusree Chatterjee, IANS,
New Delhi : Imagine picking up a cookbook along with your vegetables for the day from your nearest department store. Over the next two years, India will see publishers thronging retail stores to sell their books, said a senior official of Parragon Publishing India that has pioneered this form of marketing.
Parragon Publishing pioneered the concept in its home base, Britain, 20 years ago and has since been doing so across Europe and the US.
Wah! Shaad Wah! – An interface with ‘Best Poet of the Year’
By Anjali Singh, CNS,
Think Lucknow and the mention to the city of nawabs will be incomplete sans mention of Khushbir Singh Shaad, Lucknow’s very own local shayar (poet).
Tips to ease you into the corporate world
By Samini Philip, IANS,
Book: "Making Your First Job Your Dream Job"; Author: Clare Maxfield; Price: Rs.145; Publisher: Wisdom Tree
We have all experienced the fear of the unknown. Entering the corporate world or making a transition to a new job can make even the most confident person feel apprehensive. "Making your first job your dream job" is a valuable book that will guide you step by step about what to expect in a new working environment.
Ghalib’s haveli
Text and photos by Kashif-ul-Huda, TwoCircles.net
hoga koi aisa bhi ke Ghalib ko na jaane
shayar to voh achha hai pe badnaam bahut hai
Will there be any one who doesn’t know Ghalib;
though he is a good poet but ill-reputed.
This is what Mira Asadullah Khan ‘Ghalib’ [1797-1869] said about himself. Known by his pen-name, Ghalib is the most famous Urdu poet of all times. His popularity continues to win him fans from each generation.
Bachchan launches Bollywood book despite aversion to name
By Fakir Hassen, IANS,
Macau: Despite his aversion to the term "Bollywood", screen legend Amitabh Bachchan had no hesitation in commending a book bearing the title "Bollywood in Posters" at the start of the International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) Awards weekend here Thursday.
Film historian S.M.M. Ausaja put together the weighty volume which carries posters from the start of Indian cinema, as Bachchan preferred to refer to it, even as he commended Ausaja, without mentioning the title of the book.
Kamini Mathai’s book isn’t my authorised biography: Rahman
By Subhash K. Jha, IANS,
Mumbai: The much-hyped 'authorised biography' of A.R. Rahman by author Kamini Mathai has kicked up a storm even before its release because the music maestro says there is "nothing authorised" about it.
"It's a non-authorised biography. The news that it's an authorised biography is wrong," Rahman told IANS.
The book, titled "A R Rahman: The Musical Storm", has been widely hyped and marketed as the "first authorized biography" on him.
New book series explains climate change to children
By IANS,
New Delhi : It's up to children to change their own lives and protect the environment, says leading green campaigner R.K. Pachauri, whose organisation has collaborated in publishing a series of child-friendly books on the perils of climate change.
Pachauri was speaking at the launch of "SOS: In Extreme Danger", an environment primer for children. The slim volume is part of a Save Planet series of 10 books, published by Pearson Education and The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI).
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.
Packaged politics is here to stay: Book
By James Jose, IANS,
New Delhi : The recently concluded general election, in addition to being the world's largest democratic exercise involving 714 million voters and costing over $2 billion, was also a marketing war, with political parties trying to woo voters with the latest media techniques and business strategies.
Book on Rajnikant to be released as audio cassette, CD
By IANS,
Bangalore : Capturing the struggling days and the "mysteries behind the persona" of Tamil superstar Rajnikant, a Kannada book about the actor will soon be released in audio cassette and CD format, officials of an audio company said.
The book, titled "Vikshiptha Vichithra", was brought out three years ago on the eve of the release of Rajnikant's blockbuster film "Sivaji" directed by Shankar.
The contents of the book were also serialised in Kannada's leading daily Vijaya Karnataka, in which the author, Mahesh Devashetty, works as a senior sub-editor.
Jumbo tales: first Malayalam book on elephants
By IANS,
Thrissur (Kerala) : One of Asia's foremost elephant experts Jacob Cheeran has completed his fourth book on elephants, the first in Malayalam on the subject, which he says highlights "lesser known things about a better known animal".
Cheeran said that his latest book which runs into nearly 300 pages talks about several unusual things about elephants.
"I would say that this book contains lesser known things about a better known animal and traces the tale of how an elephant called Jumbo was sold by the Regency Park Zoo in London to the Barnum Bailey circus," Cheeran told IANS.
‘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
‘Stranger to History’ continues to top bestseller list
By ANS,
New Delhi : Aatish Taseer's book "Stranger to History" continued to maintain its position at the top of the charts in the non-fiction category this week, while "In Other Rooms, Other Wonders" by Daniyal Mueenuddin grabbed the highest position in the fiction section.
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. "Delhi Adventures in A Megacity"
Kamila Shamsie’s novel shortlisted for Orange Prize
By IANS,
New Delhi : Pakistan-based Kamila Shamsie's novel "Burnt Shadows" has been shortlisted for the Orange Prize for fiction 2009, its publishers said Tuesday,
A sweeping novel, "Burnt Shadows" is woven around some of the major historical events ranging from the 1945 Nagasaki bombing, the partition of India and Pakistan, the war in Afghanistan and the 9/11 blasts.
The story is one of disasters evaded, loyalties offered and repaid, and love rewarded and betrayed, Penguin Books-India said in a release.
US-based Indian author debuts with record advance
By IANS,
New Delhi : Sarita Mandanna, a US-based Indian author, has created ripples in the publishing world as her "Tiger Hills" has received the largest advance Penguin India house has so far paid for a debut novel.
David Godwin Associates Ltd., the Britain-based literary agency, has sold "Tiger Hills" to Penguin Books-India for an undisclosed amount.
David Godwin Associates spokesperson Sophie Hoult refused to divulge the exact amount but said the deal was in seven figures.
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.
Islamic books generate interests of non-Muslims
By RINA,
Dhampur: In this city of the northern state of India every year in the month of April an annual agricultural festival called Nezah is organized. It is considered as one of the biggest festivals of its kind in the area. Although in other cities of Uttar Pradesh like Sambhal, Meerut the annual Nezah festival is also held but the Dhampur’s Nezah is unique in many senses. One of the major attractions of this Nezah is the book stall by Jamat-e-Islami Hind which attracts not only Muslims but also a large number of non-Muslims show their interests in Islamic literature.
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?
Book on Saiyid Hamid to be released by Vice President of India
By TwoCircles.net news desk,
New Delhi: The Vice-President of India, Mr. Hamid Ansari, will release today a book on Saiyid Hamid, a highly respected elder of the Indian Muslim community, at a function at the India Islamic Culture Centre in New Delhi.
Prabhakar’s death marks end of an era of Hindi literature
By IANS,
New Delhi : Gandhian poet and writer Vishnu Prabhakar, who died here Saturday, was the last link between contemporary Hindi literature and that of the pre-Independence era.
Prabhakar, 97, died after a prolonged illness. He is survived by two sons and two daughters.
He was best known for "Awara Maseeha" (1974), his engaging biography of Bengali novelist Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay, and his trademark white Gandhi cap that he wore till the end of his life.
A unique, entertaining graphic novel about self discovery
By Samini Philip, IANS,
Book: "Indian by Choice"; Author: Amit Dasgupta; Publisher: Wisdom Tree; Price: Rs.395
"Indian by Choice" is a unique graphic novel about Mandeep - a young Indian born in the US who has a penchant for all things American, including baseball, hot-dogs and blondes. Mandy, as he would rather be called, reluctantly visits India to attend a family wedding despite being horrified at the prospect of spending a month in his native country.
Upon his arrival in India, Mandy's worst fears - over-population, poverty, squalor, lack of privacy and chaos - are confirmed.
Great Iranian poet’s book available in Greek
By IRNA,
Tehran : The masterpiece of world literature Masnavi Molavi by the Persian mystic and poet Molana Jalal ad-Din Molavi has been translated into Greek.
The valuable volume was translated into Greek by Lina Mystakidou and was published by the Greece's Sidres Publications.
The 788-page book is sponsored by Iran’s cultural office in Greece.
Translation boom helps India and West exchange new literature
By Madhusree Chatterjee, IANS,
New Delhi : Millions of vernacular and English language readers across India are cashing in on the boom in translations to access foreign literature.
The spotlight this year is on all genres of European literature, especially from France and Britain. The French embassy and the British Council have taken the lead in bringing literary works from the West to India and promote translations of Indian works abroad in collaboration with the exploding tribe of indigenous publishers.
My deal an acknowledgement to non-fiction: Ramchandra Guha
By IANS,
New Delhi : Author Ramchandra Guha, has who clinched a Rs.97 lakh deal with Penguin India for seven books, feels that the "amount paid by the publisher is an acknowledgement of the imbalance that exists between fiction and non-fiction".
"It is a welcome acknowledgement of the imbalance between fiction and non-fiction. Fictional genres like poetry, prose and novels always had a great place in literature, but non-fiction is also important. This would encourage young authors to write non-fiction," Guha told IANS from Bangalore.
Glimpses of 18th century Delhi through a ‘Storyteller’s Tale’
By Madhusree Chatterjee, IANS,
New Delhi : A storyteller and a begum swap tales and match their narrative wits in writer-journalist Omair Ahmad's new book "The Storyteller's Tale" - giving a glimpse of 18th century Delhi after Afghan warlord Ahmad Shah Abdali's army plundered it.
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".
Foreign publishers have invaded market, say Indian publishers
By Alkesh Sharma, IANS,
Chandigarh : Despite a growing domestic market and increasing exports, Indian book publishers are concerned over the "invasion" by their foreign counterparts and have demanded that the government scrap the foreign direct investment (FDI) in the industry.
"We demand the government scrap the FDI in the business of publishing to give a breathing space to Indian publishers," Anand Bhushan, advisor and former chairman of the New Delhi-based Federation of Indian Publishers (FIP), told IANS here.
‘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.
SAARC writers to debate terrorism at Agra literary fest
By IANS,
New Delhi : Nearly 60 writers, poets and scholars from eight south Asian countries will debate and discuss terrorism, ethnic angst and popular culture at the SAARC Festival of Literature in Agra March 12-16.
Thirteen writers from Pakistan and eight from Afghanistan will attend the festival, organised by Foundation of SAARC Writers and Literature (FOSWAL).
Pride of place for vernacular Indian writing at London Book Fair
By IANS,
New Delhi : The London Book Fair, which is focussing on India as an emerging market and literary hub this year, will take a look at not only English writing from the south Asian nation but also other vernacular languages, said Alistair Burtenshaw, group exhibition director of the event.
The April 20-22 fair will also introduce new Indian writers to publishers and sellers from 67 countries, said Burtenshaw, who was here Thursday to promote the event.
Rana Dasgupta tops chart with new book
By IANS,
New Delhi : Books on and by US President Barack Obama dominated the bestseller list in the non-fiction category here this week, while "Solo" by Rana Dasgupta went straight to the top of the charts in the fiction category. Here are the top 10 in each group:
Non-Fiction
1. "The Inheritance: The World Obama Confronts and the Challenges to American..."
Author: David E. Sanger
Publisher: Harmony Books
Price: $20.00 (Rs.1,036.00)
2. "Delhi: Adventures in A Megacity"
Author: Sam Miller
Publisher: Penguin Viking
Price: Rs.499.00
3. "Dreams From My Father"
Freedom from Fear: New book documents survival stories of AIDS orphans
By IANS,
New Delhi : Nine-year-old Ganesh has no recolletion of his parents. He lost them to AIDS even before his first birthday. Ganesh, who lives in the fishing village of Chilakapeta in Visakhapatnam district, Andhra Pradesh, is HIV positive. His 60-year-old grandmother, Parvathyamma, looks after him.
Parvathyamma, a fishmonger, is illiterate. And her meagre income is barely enough to support the child. Ganesh is on anti-retroviral drugs and requires care. The 60-year-old woman has left it to Lord Jesus, who hangs from a calendar on the wall, to lead the way.
Book release: Sir Syed, Azad Aur Hindustani Musalman
By Pervez Bari, TwoCircles.net,
Bhopal: At an impressive ceremony, Padmashri Prof. Qazi Abdus Sattar released the book ‘Sir Syed, Azad Aur Hindustani Musalman’ penned by Dr. Arif-ul-Islam, who is Associate Professor in Statistics Department of Aligarh Muslim University, (AMU), at the Arts Faculty lounge of the university, at Aligarh.
50 Indian authors to descend on London
By Dipankar De Sarkar, IANS,
London : More than 50 leading Indian writers led by Nobel Laureate Amartya Sen are to gather in London for a two-day marketing blitz aimed at promoting Indian books in Britain.
Alongside, British publishers will work with their Indian counterparts to push British book sales in India, organisers of the April 20-22 London Book Fair told reporters in London Friday.
Book captures everyday art by rural Indian women
By IANS,
New Delhi : Pushpa is a sweeper at the international airport in Mumbai, sweating it out for eight hours a day to fend for her family of three. But when at home in a slum, the widow is an artist - she draws rice-flour "kalam", or sacred designs to welcome guests, outside her home in a narrow alley near Santa Cruz.
Lalita, a Yadav housewife at Sawai Madhopur in Rajasthan, is rooted to a culture where women have lived behind the veil for years. But she is bound to Pushpa by a thread of colours.
50 Indian authors to descend on London
By Dipankar De Sarkar, IANS,
London : More than 50 leading Indian writers are to gather in London for a two-week marketing blitz aimed at promoting Indian writing in Britain and British books in India.
Organisers of the April 20-22 London Book Festival said the Indian men of letters will include writers, translators, critics and academics such as Nobel Laureate Amartya Sen, Vikram Seth, Sunil Ganguly, U.R. Ananthamurthy, William Dalrymple, Pavan Verma, Ram Guha, Urvashi Butalia, Suketu Mehta, Shankar and Amit Chaudhuri.
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
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.
11-year-old authors a book
By IANS,
Aligarh : Abdul Sabur Kidwai is just 11 years old, and he has already authored a 32-page book on how three boys foil a bank robbery. And he aspires to be a "great author" one day.
A student of Class 6 at Al-Barkaat Public School here, Kidwai's work of fiction has already hit the market, courtesy New Delhi's Sanbun Publishers.
Book review: Muslims of India Since Partition
By Geeta Puri,
Balraj Puri's work, a collection of his articles over a period of time in Economic and Political Weekly , Janata and some other journals is sagacious and scholarly contribution to the study of Muslims of India who after 1947, in the words of the author, "acquired a different form, in terms of their role, status, problems, challenges and opportunities. The partition of the country divided them in two and later three parts and led their political, bureaucratic and intellectual elite to migrate to Pakistan ".
