Books on Islam, Muslim personalities and Urdu at Patna Book Fair
By Manzar Bilal, TwoCircles.net,
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.
Read about gods, philosophy, Indian ethos and a curse
By IANS,
New Delhi : The book case is crowded with contrasts this weekend with serious treatises vying for attention with works of fiction.
1. "The Little Book of Hindu Deities: From the Goddess of Wealth to the Sacred Cow": Written by Sanjay Patel; Published by Penguin Books-USA, Priced at Rs.299.
Goa faces neglect behind scenic facade: book
By IANS,
Panaji : Domestic violence is "fairly common" in Goa. One-third of its women suffer from anaemia, and one-fourth are undernourished, says a new book that for a change takes the focus away from the state being a sun-and-sand tourist haven.
Titled "Picture-Postcard Poverty", the book takes a look at what it calls the "unheard voices, forgotten issues from rural Goa". It argues that critical issues of concern are often overlooked in the state.
Miyan Modi
A poem for the anniversary of Gujarat genocide of 2002.
By Asma Anjum,
Dark clouds gather
Choking smoke fumes
We run for cover as they howl
He is coming, he is coming.
India captured in a billion shades (IANS Books)
By IANS,
New Delhi : At a time when there has been a dramatic surge of interest in India, here comes a coffee table book that captures the country in all its colourful glory, chronicling its culture, heritage, plurality, ethos and its multi-dimensional progress.
Compiled by diplomat Amit Dasgupta, "India For a Billion Reasons" (Wisdom Tree), is driven by the growing interest in India globally, driven primarily by the prediction that by 2040 it would become the third largest economy after the US and China.
Heal yourself in 20 weeks – here’s how
By M.R. Narayanswamy, IANS,
Book: "Perfect Health In 20 Weeks"; Author: Amar Chandel; Publisher: Konark Publishers Pvt Ltd, New Delhi; Pages: 146; Price: Rs.195
Considering the proliferation of health guide books in the market, one may well ask what this slim volume has to offer. In what has been described as a step-by-step guide to 100 percent natural healing, the author comes up with a simple, easy-to-practise regimen that he promises will rejuvenate you in just 20 weeks.
Book Launch: ‘Me Against The Mumbai Underworld’
Uddhav Thackeray, Sanjay Raut & Nawazuddin Siddiqui launch supercop Isaque Bagwan's ' Me Against The Mumbai Underworld'
By Anusha Iyer
Supercop and three-time Presidential Gallantry award-winning supercop Isaque Bagwan...
Steve Jobs’ biography bestseller
By IANS,
Late Apple co-founder Steve Jobs' biography topped the non-fiction section while Chetan Bhagat's "Revolution 2020" ruled the fiction charts this week.
Non-Fiction
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.
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...
West Bengal: Young graduate turns century-old tree into outdoor library
The tree library located in the Alipurduar district of West Bengal was started in March and houses more than 200 books in various genres.
Partho...
Sikhism: A symbol of India’s secular ethos
By Madhusree Chatterjee, IANS,
Title: Sikh Heritage: Ethos & Relics, Authors: Bhayee Sikander Singh and Roopinder Singh, Pages: 191, Publisher: Rupa & Co, Price: Rs.1,500
Of an Indian double agent: A true-to-life thriller (Book Review)
By M.R. Narayan Swamy, IANS,
Book: "Escape to Nowhere: Story of an Indian Espionage Agent"; Author: Amar Bhushan, Publisher: Konark Publishers; Pages: 332; Price: Rs.299
Seven senior secondary students of Delhi school participate in international conference on Psychology
By TCN News,
New Delhi: Seven senior secondary students of New Horizon School, a minority unaided school, participated in an international conference on Psychology...
My debut novel is the story of an Indian housewife: Bubbles Sabharwal
By Madhusree Chatterjee, IANS,
New Delhi : Delhi-based theatre personality Bubbles Sabharwal's debut novel "Tomorrow's Promise", a complex psychological canvas of a triangular relationship, is the outcome of a personal tragedy. She wrote the manuscript sitting in a Delhi hospital where her father was being treated.
The novel narrates the story of Shirin Bhatia, a quiet and docile housewife, whose orderly existence turns topsy-turvy when her husband Kabir introduces her to his colleague Udayn Batra.
Meditation and mantras unveiled (Book Review)
By M.R. Narayan Swamy,
Title: Meditation and Mantras; Author: Swami Vishnudevananda; Publisher: Penguin-Ananda; Price: Rs.250; Pages: 300
Spiritual well-being books are dime a dozen. This is...
Reconnect to cynicism, mystery and miracles (IANS Books This Week)
By IANS,
New Delhi : Here are five new books to add to your reading list this week:
1. "Serious Men": Written by Manu Joseph; Published by HarperCollins-India; Priced at Rs.499.
Ayyan Mani is just another man in Mumbai, stranded in the "rot" of a good marriage, an unremarkable life and a deadend job as personal assistant to an insufferable astronomer called Arvind Acharya at the Institute of Theory and Research. To breathe some life into the drudgery that has set in, Ayyan weaves an outrageous fiction around his 10-year-old son.
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 SaleemMy writings are experiences of liberation: French author
By Madhusree Chatterjee, IANS,
New Delhi : For French novelist Arno Bertina, writing is not about expressing a state of mind but about plotting stories on the freedom crusades of those in chains.
Bertina, a poet and an author of repute, engages with the displaced and the homeless in his native country and worldwide.
"I write for the sake of writing and all my writings are somehow experiences of liberation and I try to make up stories with freedom as the main theme," the 35-year novelist told IANS in the capital over coffee.
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...
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?
Some poems and stories of seduction
Conversational and narrative poems of life, nature and exile, investigation of sexual and social anomalies in India and a mythological classic about Lord Shiva's seduction by the enchanting Mohini; the IANS book stack this weekend is invigoratingly appealing. Take a look.
सैय्यद हसन की याद में नज़्म
आह सय्यद हसन!
(अपने उस्ताद मुहतरम जनाब सय्यद हसन साहब, को मनज़ूम खिराज-ए-अक़ीदत)
By नदीम ज़फर जिलानी
हर शख़्स सोगवार है, हर आँख अश्कबार,
ग़ुंचे, लिपट के फूलों...
‘Sufis of Punjab’ – Building bridges across borders
By Madhusree Chatterjee, IANS,
Book: "The Sufis of Punjab"; Edited by Muzaffar Ali, Anoo C. Nayar and Syeda Bilgrami Imam, Publisher: Rumi Foundation, Price: Rs.1,895, Pages: 208
Globalization, religion and Hindi Press: A Case Study of Nav Bharat Times, New Delhi
Read First Part here:
Communal agenda and Hindi press in a globalizing India</a
Read Second Part here:
Religious Diversity and Hinduisation of press</a
Dr Arvind Das,
Global...
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."
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.
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.
Historian Nasim Yousaf’s book on Allama Mashraqi released
By TCN News,
New Delhi: A book entitled, “Government of British India on Allama Mashraqi and Khaksar Tehreek (Movement): A Select Chronology” has been published and released in the USA. This work of 544 pages is a major contribution toward the historiography of the independence movement and the emergence of two sovereign states — Pakistan and India— in 1947.
‘Left, farmers’ movement ignore distinction between peasants, labourers
Interview with Gita Ramaswamy, author of “Land, Guns, Caste, Woman—The Memoir of a Lapsed Revolutionary”
Aatika S | TwoCircles.net
In this interview, the author talks...
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.
‘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...
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.
Rediscovering the bold and beautiful in Tagore
By Paloma Ganguly, IANS,
Book: "Novelist Tagore"; Author: Radha Chakravarty; Publisher: Routledge; Price: Rs.595; Pages: 160
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.
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.
Minoritization and the Indian State: Comparative Perspectives on Muslim and Sikh Identities
Book: Nation-State and Minority Rights in India: Comparative Perspectives on Muslim and Sikh Identities
Author: Tanweer Fazal
Routledge, 2014,pp. 256, price not stated.
By Shefali Jha,...
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
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
भारत रत्न उस्ताद बिस्मिल्लाह खां की बरसी पर उनकी एक याद
व्योमेश शुक्ल
[आज की बहस का सबसे बड़ा सच यही है कि मुसलमान को बारम्बार यह साबित करना होता है कि वह इस वतनपरस्त है. आज भारत रत्न उस्ताद बिस्मिल्लाह खां की बरसी है. उन्हें और लता मंगेशकर को एक साथ भारत रत्न दिया गया था. आज से तकरीबन दस साल पहले. अब यह बदहाली का ही आलम है कि मदन मोहन मालवीय को पिछले साल भारत रत्न दिए जाने के बाद उस्ताद के शहर बनारस में ही यह हल्ला होने लगा कि बनारस को मिला यह पहला भारत रत्न है.
AMU students launch a monthly literary magazine- The AMUSE
By TCN News
Aligarh: Now students of Aligarh Muslim University have a magazine of their own for their creative output. The AMUSE short for...
Why this 1949 love story is relevant in today’s times (Book Review)
By Shilpa Raina,
Title: Chander and Sudha; Author: Dharamvir Bharati translated by Poonam Saxena; Publisher:Penguin Viking; Pages: 351; Price: Rs.499
It is almost impossible to imagine...
Poetry, Tibet, business on bookshelf
By IANS,
New Delhi : The bookcase this week is a finely-nuanced spread of poetry, narrative, drama and business.
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....
Modi’s book on RSS now in Marathi
By IANS,
Ahmedabad : Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi's book "Jyotipunj", a collection of articles on Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) leaders, is now available in Marathi.
The edition, translated from Gujarati by Ravindra Dani, was released in Pune Monday, a release here said.
"When we define or discuss secularism, it is only with the feeling that India as a nation comes first and foremost that could truly define the principles of secularism," Modi said at the book release ceremony.
"Jyotipunj" narrates the story of lives of 16 RSS leaders and what Modi learnt from them.
Rushdie’s writings tortuous: Timeri Murari
By T.S.V. Hari, IANS,
Chennai : Author Timeri Murari doesn't like Salman Rushdie's writing. The man who has created many bestsellers and an acclaimed film describes all those who read awarded authors as "literary masochists".
"I've never finished reading any of Rushdie's books," says Murari. "All those who read awarded authors are literary masochists. Never did good writers like Somerset Maugham, Oscar Wilde, Tolstoy or Frederick Forsyth sniff an award."
A peep into Pakistan, specially for Indians
By Rahul Dass, IANS,
Book: "Pakistan - Identity and Destiny"; Author: Javed Jabbar; Publisher: Har-Anand; Price: Rs.495; Pages: 191
Protesting ‘dark times’, filmmaker Bharatiya returns National Award
Shillong : Political filmmaker Tarun Bharatiya, who won the National Award for Best Editing Non Fiction for "In Camera - Diaries of a...
Short stories, self-help and seduction
Overcoming emotional obstacles can be achieved only when one liberates the soul or learns new lessons of life from Mahatma Gandhi's principles. On the other hand, there are women who who will go to any length to fulfill their desires. All this and more is at the IANS book stack this week. Take a look.
1. Book: Leadership: The Gandhi Way; Author: Virender Kapoor; Publisher: Rupa; Pages: 122; Price: Rs. 195
Of Dilli, spies, tiger hunts and Ramayana
By IANS,
(IANS Books This Week)
New Delhi : Let your hair down this weekend with an exciting pile of books.
Death, spies and thrillers
An exciting week for books with a variety of thrills, chills and spy stories. Take your pick.
1. Book: The Sad Demise of Manpreet Singh;...
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.
Fatima Bhutto’s book still on top
By IANS,
New Delhi : "Songs of Blood and Sword" by Fatima Bhutto, niece of late Pakistani prime minister Benazir Bhutto, is the top non-fiction bestseller for the third consecutive week while Amish Tripathi's "The Immortals of Meluha" dominates the fiction list.
Non-fiction
1. "Songs of Blood and Sword"
Author: Fatima Bhutto
Publisher: Penguin Viking
Price: Rs.699.00
2. "The Big Short"
Author: Michael Lewis
Publisher: Allen Lane
Price: Rs.599.00
3. "Becoming Indian"
Author: Pavan K. Varma
Publisher: Penguin/Allen Lane
Price: Rs.499.00
Book on Pranab’s contribution to education
New Delhi : A book highlighting the contribution of President Pranab Mukherjee to the field of education will be released here on Wednesday.
"The book,...
BJP’s woman leader assaulted in posh Delhi locality
By IANS,
New Delhi : A woman leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has alleged that she was assaulted by a gang of drunk men in a posh locality of south Delhi late Thursday.
Two months after launch, Bhutto’s book remains No.1
By IANS,
New Delhi : Two months after it hit the bookstalls, Pakistani writer Fatima Bhutto's "Songs of Blood and Sword" continues to be the number one bestselling book in the non-fiction section while "The Immortals of Meluha" by Amish Tripathi dominates the fiction list.
The top 10 bestsellers in each category are:
Non-Fiction
1. "Songs Of Blood And Sword"
Author: Fatima Bhutto
Price: Rs.699.00
2. "Gandhi - Naked Ambition"
Author: Jad Adams
Price: Rs.699.00
3. "The Difficulty Of Being Good"
Author: Gurcharan Das
Price: Rs.699.00
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.
‘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
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"
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...
Obituary to Ambedkarite poet and writer, Ketan Pimpalapure
By Yogesh Maitreya, TwoCircles.net
Mr. Ketan Pimpalapure, a poet, writer and journalist died in the month of July 31st, 2015. He was...
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?
Seminar on Tribal literature and Tribal poet meet to grace Sahitya Akademi’s ‘Annual Festival...
By Raqib Hameed Naik, TwoCircles.net
New Delhi: This year, Sahitya Akademi’s ‘Annual Festival of Letters’ will feature a seminar on Oral and Tribal literature and...
AMU Emirates Chapter celebrates Sir Syed Day in Sharjah
By TCN News
The Emirates Chapter of the Aligarh Muslim University celebrated Sir Syed Day in Sharjah on November 20 to remember and learn from...
M.J. Akbar’s book about Pakistan is bestseller
By IANS,
New Delhi : Indian journalist M.J. Akbar's "Tinderbox: The Past and Future of Pakistan" leads the non-fiction section of the bestseller list this week while
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.
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...
For non-Bengali India, here’s Buddhadeva Bose’s controversial work
By Madhusree Chatterjee, IANS,
Book: "It Rained All Night" by Buddhadeva Bose; Translator: Clinton B. Seely; Publisher: Penguin Books-India; Price: Rs 150
Buddhadeva Bose, one of the most versatile Bengali writers of the 20th century, was convicted on Dec 19, 1970, for alleged obscenity in his book by the additional chief presidency magistrate of Kolkata just four years before his death.
Stories by women, for women
From the story of Urmila, Sita's sister to life in Iran and the cruel fate of Bollywood's item girls - all these stories on the IANS bookshelf this weekend throw light on the many hues of women and, interestingly, are written by women. Take a look.
No SC relief, for now, on admission quota in Sanskriti School
New Delhi : The Supreme Court on Monday, for now, declined to pass any order on the central government's plea seeking continuation of 60...
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...
‘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.
Sufism, America, Nano, poetry to tease the intellect
By IANS,
(IANS Books This Week)
New Delhi : The bookcase is exciting, funny and offbeat this weekend.
Second guesses
By TSV Hari
Bombay,
1333 hours
December 31 1992
‘I like your poems Hamid,’ you said.
But you went on to say, ‘I, however, don't find you interesting. You are too intense. All those who are, are dense. I am a carefree girl. I change boyfriends with the same periodicity of changing sanitary napkins,’ you said.
I was shocked that someone beautiful as you could say something daft as that.
I spent a small fortune to find out that you had lied.
Now I know you are poor.
To meet your ends, you hire yourself.
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.
Book case: Read of courage, karma, radio and economics
By IANS,
New Delhi : Serious and heavy, the books this weekend tease the intellect.
1. "Dream Chasing"; Written by S.B. Mishra; Published by Roli Books; Priced at Rs.250
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.
Migration is the reality of my times: Amitav Ghosh
By Madhusree Chatterjee, IANS,
New Delhi : The characters and setting may be different, but his latest "Sea of Poppies" like his other works also focuses on migration, which is the reality of "the Asian times", says India's bestselling contemporary author Amitav Ghosh.
"Sea of Poppies", which was launched Monday and hit bookstores across India in the first week of the month, is the first of a trilogy set just before the Opium wars. It is about an old slaving ship, the Ibis, which sails across the Indian Ocean with its motley crew of sailors, stowaways, coolies and convicts.
प्रधानमंत्री कार्यालय ने बंद किया उर्दू चैप्टर
अफ़रोज़ आलम साहिल, TwoCircles.net
दिल्ली: यासिर की ख़्वाहिश प्रधानमंत्री कार्यालय(पीएमओ) की वेबसाइट को उर्दू में पढ़ने को थी. इसके लिए उन्होंने सीधे प्रधानमंत्री कार्यालय का...
Book Review: Rounded up – Muslims after 9/11
By Salman Sultan,
Book: Rounded Up: Artificial Terrorists and Muslim Entrapment after 9/11
Author: Shamshad Ahmad, Ph.D.
Inside a Syrian Malayali kitchen – a gastronomic storm
By Madhusree Chatterjee, IANS,
Book: "The Suriani Kitchen: Recipes and Recollections from the Syrian Christians of Kerala"; Publisher: Westland Ltd; Author: Lathika George; Price: Rs.450
A traditional Syrian Christian Malayali kitchen captures the essence of a home and the spicy cuisine of the community, which had converted to Christianity when the first missionaries from the West arrived in southern India.
No slumdog this, only a ‘millionaire in rupees’
By Pranay Sharma, IANS,
New Delhi : Diplomat, bestselling novelist and now millionaire? Vikas Swarup, India's deputy high commissioner to South Africa and author of the much acclaimed "Q & A", may be on a roll, but he is still modest.
"It is very gratifying," said Swarup, whose debut novel has been turned into a highly acclaimed movie, "SlumDog Millionaire" by British filmmaker Danny Boyle and whose latest book "Six Suspects" may also turn up as a TV film.
NSE, BHU join hands for degree programmes
Mumbai : The National Stock Exchange (NSE) has signed an agreement with the Banaras Hindu University (BHU), Varanasi, to launch two new streams --...
Terrorism financing and science discovery
Let's rewrite the history of our universe, look at terrorism financing, read a modern classic and find your true calling. These varied themes make it to IANS bookshelf this week. Take a look.
1. Book: One Hundred Days: Her Quest, My Cure; Author: Shweta Modgil; Publisher: Tara; Pages: 150; Price: Rs. 199
‘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.
A mixed bag of health, sports and entrepreneurial journey
A peek into the life of the "King of Good Times", a must-have guide for football fanatics, tips for the perfect weight regime to an entrepreneur's successful journey - IANS book stack this week offers a concoction of lifestyle, wellness and sports!
‘Laburnum…’ on northeast an evocative, powerful read
By Azera Rahman, IANS,
Book: "Laburnum - For My Head"; Author: Temsula Ao; Publisher: Penguin Books-India; Price: Rs.150
New Delhi, April 13 (IANS) Gripping, not in the sense of a thriller novel, but one in which the reader feels compelled to go on as events unfold in each of the tales. Temsula Ao's collection of short stories, "Laburnum- For My Head" is a sensitively written book, which draws inspiration from the vibrant and troubled region of northeast India.
Indian 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.
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
Unveiling an amazing India through stamps (Book Review)
By Shubha Singh,
Book: Post Haste: Quintessential India; Author: B.G. Verghese; Publisher: Tranquebar Press; Pages: 384; Price: Rs.1,295.
The early forms of communication were smoke...
सदमा : मौलाना वहीदुद्दीन खान नही रहे
स्टाफ़ रिपोर्टर।Twocircles.net
मशहूर इस्लामी विद्वान पद्म विभूषण मौलाना वहीदुद्दीन खान का 96 वर्ष की आयु में निधन हो गया हैं। मौलाना वहीदुद्दीन खान कुछ...
Bengali literature has bright prospects, says Sunil Gangopadhyay
By IANS,
Dhaka : Bengali literature has bright future, with growing readership in both Bangladesh, India and wherever the Bengali-speaking diaspora resides, India's best known Bengali poet and litterateur Sunil Gangopadhyay said.
He visited Madaripur, his birth place in Bangladesh's Faridpur district, to open a three-day "Sunil Mela", a literary fair that ended Sunday, to celebrate his 75th birthday, BSS news agency reported.
Sunil Literature Practice and Research Centre organised the fair in his ancestral home at Purba Maijpara village under Kalkini Upazila (sub-district).
Manipuri Muslim writers launch their literary works
By Dr. Syed Ahmed, for TwoCircles.net,
Bookshelf spills economics, underworld, god
(IANS Books This Week)
New Delhi : As the weather slides and more clouds threaten to burst, retreat with a book and a cup of coffee. The mixed bag this week...
1. "Superpower? The Amazing Race Between China’s Hare and India’s Tortoise": Written by Raghav Bahl; Published by Penguin-Books India; Priced at Rs.699.
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.
‘The Road to Mecca’ that I took
A book review that seeks to decipher two pilgrimages on the same path separated by a century
By Kashif-ul-Huda, TwoCircles.net,
Spirituality is what separates humans from other living beings. I have been a seeker for the last few years. I have read a number of books, visited graves of saints, made ablutions at Haridwar and toured the ghats of Banaras; I have sat in the qawwali mehfils and even seen dervishes dance.
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.
A journey from cyberspace to social change
From the gutsy tale of Malala Yousafzai who stood up to the Taliban, to the role played by cyberspace in today's lives -- IANS bookshelf this week has all this and more on offer. Take a look.
1. Book: Picture Abhi Baaki Hai, Author: Rachel Dwyer, Publisher: Hachette India, Pages: 258, Price: Rs.499
दिल्ली में पहला लिटरेचर फेस्टिवल,अपने अधिकारों के लिए दलित लेखकों ने बुलन्द की आवाज़
आसमोहम्मद कैफ TwoCircles.net
दिल्ली-
3-4 फरवरी को राजधानी के विश्वविद्यालय परिसर में किरोड़ीमल कॉलेज में दलित लिटरेचर फेस्टिवल का आयोजन किया गया.देश मे ऐसा पहली बार...
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.
Muslims extend help to save Gita Press
Aligarh : Aligarh's Muslim Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI) has expressed grave concern over a dragging strike in Gita Press in Gorakhpur...
Rockets, Mahatma and army: Books to beat the chill
By IANS,
New Delhi : The book cart this week is a year-end holiday treat.
1. Books: "All About Rockets"; Written by S.K. Das, Published by Penguin-India; Priced at Rs.175
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...
Different shades of grey: A review of The Plague Upon Us
By Ashaq Hussain Parray
Shabir Ahmed Mir’s debut novel The Plague Upon Us (2020) is a bold new voice of a storyteller from Kashmir. Living up to...
Not taking Sahitya Akademi award back: Bengali woman poet
Kolkata: Bengali poet Mandakranta Sen, who recently returned her Sahitya Akademi award, on Monday said the Akademi has written to her requesting she take...
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
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.
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...
Students in literate states lead spike in protests
By Prabhpreet Singh Sood & Prince Singhal
States with higher literacy levels report more protests, and nearly half of these protests were led...
Few humorous books come out of Africa: Nigerian author
By Madhusree Chatterjee, IANS,
New Delhi : Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani, winner of the Commonwealth Writers Prize 2010 for the best first book in the Africa region, says she has fulfilled her dream of "writing the kind of humorous book that she had always wanted to as a child".
"As a child, I read British comedies by P.G. Wodehouse and other humorous writers and always dreamt of writing funny novels I loved reading," said the Nigeria-based writer who has made waves with her novel, "I Do Not Come to You By Chance".
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
No change: Nilekani, Adiga atop bestseller lists
By IANS,
New Delhi : Nandan Nilekani's "Imagining India" stays on top of the non-fiction bestseller list this week, as does "The White Tiger" by Aravind Adiga in the fiction category.
The top 10 in the non-fiction and fiction lists are:
Non-Fiction
1. "Imagining India: Ideas for the new century"
Author: Nandan Nilekani
Publisher: Penguin/Allen Lane
Price: Rs.699.00
2. "The Secret"
Author: Rhonda Byrne
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Price: Rs.550.00
3. "The Duel: Pakistan on the Flight Path of American Power"
Author: Tariq Ali
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
‘Super Power?’ is No.1 fiction tome
By IANS,
(IANS Books)
New Delhi : Raghav Bahl's "Super Power?" topped the non-fiction section in the bestseller list this week while "Secrets and Sins" by Jaishree Misra climbed several notches to the number one spot in the fiction category.
The top 10 in each section are:
Non-fiction
1. "Super Power?"
Author: Raghav Bahl
Publisher: Penguin/Allen Lane
Price: Rs.699.00
2. "Besieged: Voices from Delhi 1857"
Author: Mahmood Farooqui
Publisher: Penguin Viking
Price: Rs.699.00
3. "Fault Lines"
Author: Raghuram G. Rajan
Two Muslims writers selected for Sahitya Akademi Award 2015
By Raqib Hameed Naik, TwoCircles.net
New Delhi : Two Muslim writers have been selected among others representing 23 Indian languages for this...
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.
Recent Sikh history: An inside story – IANS Book Review
By Arun Anand, IANS,
Book: "1984: Lessons From History", Author: Harminder Kaur; Publisher: Corporate Vision, Price: Rs.595; Pages: 245
India witnessed a spate of inter-linked tragic events in the year 1984 - Operation Bluestar and the assassination of prime minister Indira Gandhi by her Sikh body guards, followed by anti-Sikh riots in capital Delhi and several other parts of the country that shook the conscience and secular fabric of the country.
लेखकों ने साहित्य अकादमी अवार्ड वापिस लेने शुरू किए
By TwoCircles.net Staff Reporter
नई दिल्ली: लंबा वक़्त नहीं बीता जब विचारकों और लेखकों ने एमएम कलबुर्गी, नरेन्द्र दाभोलकर और गोविन्द पान्सारे की हत्याओं और...
An unbelievable account of Rajiv Gandhi’s killing
By M.R. Narayan Swamy,
Title: Assassination of Rajiv Gandhi: An Inside Job? Author: Faraz Ahmad; Publisher: Vitasta; Pages: 312; Price: Rs.495
This is as incredulous an...
Aligarh Muslim University Literature festival 2019 begins on an inspiring note
Sharjeel Usmani for TwoCircles.net
Day I
The 3-day LitFest (literature festival) of AMU (Aligarh Muslim University) from 8th March to 10th March was inaugurated on 8th...
Amitav Ghosh tops fiction charts – again
By IANS,
New Delhi : Amitav Ghosh continues to rule the fiction category with his sequel "River of Smoke" while Henry Kissinger's "On China" is the bestseller in the non-fiction list this week.
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
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
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.
Book review: Kanshiram: Leader of the Dalits
By Chandra Sen for Twocircles.net
Author: By Badri Narayan
Publisher: Penguin, Delhi
Price: Rs 374 at Amazon.in
‘The caste has come into politics’, ‘the standard...
Voices from Sri Lanka, a memoir, ethical musings and a fictional tale
Crisp and sharp reportage of how Sri Lankans are returning to their normal lives after 30 years of civil war, a message of love and inspiration for readers through a brave memoir, dealing with important ethical issues of our time and a work of fiction - IANS Books This Weekend is a balanced lot. Take a look.
Book: Sri Lanka: The New Country; Author: Padma Rao Sundarji; Publisher: Harper Collins; Pages: 322; Price: Rs. 499
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...
Glittering line-up of authors for Jaipur Literary Festival
By IANS,
New Delhi : Bookworms can look forward to a carnival in January when Jaipur will play host to a galaxy of authors like Vikram Seth, Chetan Bhagat, Hari Kunzru, Micheal Ondaatje, Pico Iyer and Patrick French during the fourth edition of the Jaipur Literary Festival.
One of the most colourful events in the city's social calendar, the festival will be held Jan 21-25 at the Diggy Palace.
यादगार निशानियों के साथ ख़त्म हुआ साहित्य का इंटरनेशनल उत्सव
अफ़रोज़ आलम साहिल, TwoCircles.net
किशनगंज : बिहार के किशनगंज में चल रहे पहला ‘सीमांचल इंटरनेशनल लिटरेरी फेस्टिवल’ आज इस उम्मीद और अपने कई यादगार निशानियों...
‘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"
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