बीपीएससी का परिणाम जारी, मुस्लिम अभ्यर्थियों का शानदार प्रदर्शन, इस बार ‘100’ बने अफसर
स्टाफ रिपोर्टर।Twocircles.net
बिहार लोक सेवा आयोग (बीपीएससी) ने रविवार को बीपीएससी 64वीं संयुक्त प्रतियोगी परीक्षा (सीसीई) का अंतिम परिणाम घोषित कर दिया। मेरिट लिस्ट...
Intolerance has gone up due to Sectarianism
By Ram Puniyani,
Beginning with September 2015 we witnessed a flood of ‘returning’ honors by writers, scientists and artists. There are also various statements...
Poetic collection ‘Aa’ina-e-Sukhan’ of Dr. Iqbal ‘Arif’ released in Bhopal
By Pervez Bari, TwoCircles.net,
This Dalit woman activist is taking Dalit history to grassroots in Rajasthan
Suman Devathiya is a senior Dalit activist from Rajasthan who has been at the forefront of fighting for Dalit women’s rights and taking Dalit...
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.
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...
Dharamvir Bharti’s masterpiece, Man Booker winner and others
Those who have read Hindi author Dharamvir Bharti's works must be familiar with one of his masterpieces, "Gunaho Ka Devta". For the first time, this classic novel has been translated into English. This passionate tale of star-crossed lovers, along with a novel by a Man Booker winner and a slew of other stories, is what IANS has for its readers this week. Take a look.
1. Book: Chander and Sudha; Author: Dharamvir Bharti, translated by Poonam Saxena; Publisher: Penguin Viking; Pages: 352; Price: Rs.499
Muslim advocacy group to organize “National Social Leadership Summit” in March
By TwoCircles.net, Staff Reporter,
New Delhi: MOEMIN, an advocacy group of Indian Muslims will be organising “National Social Leadership Summit” in...
How to make money and become an entrepreneur
Not every business idea flourishes and not all business ideas are dated. Following this mantra, IANS picks up interesting reads from the book pile to help you decide. Take a look.
Looking at the world through the eyes of diplomats and other stories
The thoughts and ideas of Indian diplomats who have collectively put in more than 1,150 years in the Indian Foreign Service, understanding the ins and out of wealth creation, a story of a Parsi man and an exciting tale about the battle between man and nature: this is what IANS has to offer to its readers this weekend. Take a look.
1. Book: India and the World: Through the Eyes of Indian Diplomats; Edited by Surendra Kumar; Publisher: Wisdom Tree; Pages: 460; Price: Rs.1,095.
History, publishing, arts, Lokpal on shelf
By IANS,
New Delhi : Enjoy this weekend with exciting and quality books on the shelf.
1. "The Yellow Emperor's Cure"; Written by Kunal Basu; Published by Pan Macmillan; Priced at Rs.1123
Civility against Caste: Dalit Politics and Citizenship in Western India
Title: Civility against Caste: Dalit Politics and Citizenship in Western India
Author: Prof. Suryakant Waghmore
Publisher: Sage India
Year: January, 2014
Review by: Yogesh Maitreya for TwoCircles.net,
Civility is the least discussed discourse in India. In post-constitutional Indian society, the idea of civility has formed a binary: on one hand, ‘civil society’ that has been propagated by media and resources which are dominated and owned by Brahmin-Bania associations and on the other hand, the civility which has been practice by NGOs and political organisations led by Dalits. The latter had started with the core motive of annihilation of caste and, found its genesis in the struggles of Mahatma Fule and Dr. B.R.Ambedkar in Maharashtra. The idea of civility, practiced by Dalit NGOs and political groups, is contrary to the idea of civility which Brahmin-Bania possess and propagate in India, simply because idea of civility practiced by Dalits aims at annihilation of caste; precisely, Dalit civility is the ‘Civility against Caste’. Off to new boom town, with Mark Tully
By Madhusree Chatterjee, IANS,
Book: "Non Stop India"; Author: Mark Tully; Publisher: Penguin India; Price: Rs.499; Pages: 357
Bebyda Khatun receives National Anganwadi award for 2011-12
By Zaidul Haque, TwoCircles.net,
Delhi: Bebyda Khatun, an Anganwadi worker, received the National Award for the year 2011-12 from the Minister of Women and Child...
Translations, young India & health on book shelf
By IANS,
New Delhi : This weekend, the bookcart wheels a medley of thoughtful titles on a diverse range of subjects. Browse with IANS.
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.
‘Modi, a man mesmerised by own persona’ (Book Review)
By M.R. Narayan Swamy,
Title: How Modi Won It, Notes from 2014 Election; Author: Harish Khare; Publisher: Hachette India; Pages: 242; Price: Rs.599
Man is wise in hindsight. This is certainly true for journalists. Harish Khare, editor and commentator who was also media adviser to former prime minister Manmohan Singh, comes up with his own analysis of what went wrong with the Congress and how Narendra Modi simply crushed the Grand Old Party to lead the BJP to a historic Lok Sabha win.
Anshu Gupta, Sanjiv Chaturvedi win Magsaysay awards
New Delhi: Social worker Anshu Gupta and former AIIMS officer Sanjiv Chaturvedi on Wednesday won the prestigious Ramon Magsaysay awards for "enterprising leadership" and...
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...
PUDR report on SIMI’s saga with UAPA tribunals released
By TCN News,
New Delhi: Banned and Damned: SIMI’s Saga with UAPA Tribunals, a report presenting an analysis of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act...
Banking to ethics – books have powerful tales to tell
(IANS Books This Week)
New Delhi : Beat the chill with a load of exciting books this weekend.
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.
Othello and Obama – hear it all from African thinker
By IANS,
New Delhi : Not many have seen a link between Othello, the tragic hero of the eponymous Shakespearean play, and US President-elect Barack Obama in the same breath. But this is what iconic African intellectual and author Ali Mazrui plans to do in a lecture in the Indian capital Thursday.
Mazrui, a contemporary of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh who studied with him at Oxford University, is in India to participate in a two-day global conference on “Resurgent Africa” that begins Thursday. The seminar will be inaugurated by Minister of State for External Affairs Anand Sharma.
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".
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
Woman private eye Lalli gets cracking again in new book
(IANS Books)
By Madhusree Chatterjee, IANS,
New Delhi : "I've always known I'd be stuck with a corpse some day - possibly in the first week of October." Lalli, India's new woman private eye - in the manner of the classic 20th century detectives - finds her corpse and begins decoding the cryptic clues to the murder.
Detective writer Kalpana Swaminathan, a surgeon by profession, casts her net of intrigue right from the word go in her latest whodunit, "The Monochrome Madonna", the third in the series, published this month.
Queen’s mother was a ‘ghastly old bigot’: British journalist
By IANS,
London : A well-known British journalist has admitted in a book extracted Sunday that he thought the late mother of Britain's reigning monarch was a “ghastly old bigot”.
Edward Stourton, long-standing presenter of the BBC's flagship radio news and current affairs programme Today, has made the comments in a book on political correctness extracted in The Sunday Times.
In his book, Stourton said the Queen Mother told him about a European summit in the 1990s: “It will never work, you know.”
A walk through the history of modern Indian art (Book Review)
By Madhusree Chatterjee, IANS,
Book: "Manifestations IX: 20th Century Indian Art"; Publisher: Delhi Art Gallery; Editors: Kishore Singh & Shruti Parthasarathy; Pages: 219; Price: Rs.4,750
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.
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.
Car pool your way through Europe, suggests travel writer
By Madhusree Chatterjee, IANS,
New Delhi : Europe, for the first-time traveller, can be a teaser: the distances are vast, the stops too tempting and the costs mind-blowing. So how does one save a few extra euros on a summer junket? Through a car pool, says travel writer and columnist Puneetinder Kaur Sidhu.
"Try the Mitfahzentrale in Germany and then car pool your way across Europe as an alternative option. It saves cost," suggests Sidhu, whose travelogue "Adrift: A Junket Junkie in Europe" will hit the stands in April.
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.
Magic, heroism and redemption: C.S. Lewis’ Narnia tales
By Vikas Datta,
Fantastic beings and worlds have always been key elements of literature and works containing them have always relished by readers across ages and cultures. But while these motifs are present in a broad gamut of cross-cultural myths, fables, and epics both sacred and profane, fantasy as a literary genre in itself emerged much more recently than we think. Not even a century has elapsed since the appearance of two of its most famous, path-breaking works - which further burnished their credentials by the standards of our spectacle-oriented society by successfully making the transition to the big screen - as well as inspiring a host of other writers like J.K. Rowling, Rick Riordan Philip Pullman, Lev Grossman and Neil Gaiman. These are the chronicles of the Middle Earth and of Narnia.
Tagore, Ramayana, faith – Indian flavours to spice up bookshelf
By IANS,
New Delhi : The bookshelf this week is essentially Indian in flavour, showcasing the country's soul.
NBT to boost tribal literature in northeast
Agartala : The National Book Trust (NBT) has taken an ambitious plan to boost tribal literature in northeast India, trust chairman Baldeo Bhai Sharma...
Like it or not, Hinglish is here to stay
By Rafat Nayeem Quadri, IANS,
Mumbai : It's called Hinglish, and linguists have declared after a two-day meet that the home-grown interspersing of Hindi and English is here to stay.
Already Hinglish has become hugely popular in advertisers' taglines, literature, movies, short message service (SMS), songs, graffiti and even everyday conversations.
And while Hinglish has its critics, most participants at a seminar here this weekend felt its popularity would only grow and grow.
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.
Jamia Millia introduces nine new courses for admission in academic session 2016-2017
By TwoCircles.net, Staff Reporter
New Delhi: In a significant move aimed at increasing the courses available in Jamia Millia Islamia, the varsity...
India universities’ delegation experiences UK’s version of ‘Chai pe charcha’
Birmingham : A delegation from 13 Indian universities got an exposure to the United Kingdom's own version of what can be called "Chai pe...
Hope women find courage through my books: Author Madhuri Banerjee
By Somrita Ghosh
New Delhi : Is it taboo for women to talk about sex, their hidden desires or having extra-marital affairs? No! It...
UP Govt. forms committee for ensuring participation of minorities in government services
By TwoCircles.net Staff Reporter
Lucknow: In a significant move, the Uttar Pradesh government has formed a three member committee for ensuring participation of minorities...
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.
Mumbai attacks an ‘act of war’ by Pakistan: Rushdie
By IANS,
London : Describing the recent terrorist attacks in Mumbai as an “act of war” by Pakistan, author Salman Rushdie has called for a fundamental change in the way the West deals with terrorism - beginning by scrapping aid to Pakistan.
In an interview published Saturday - the 20th anniversary of global protests over his novel "The Satanic Verses" that forced him to go underground for long - the Indian-born author also criticised “liberal opinion” in Britain for ignoring the problem of terrorism.
Third edition of Jaipur Literature Festival to host 116 authors
By IANS,
Jaipur : The third edition of the DSC Jaipur Literature Festival, which will get off to a gala start Wednesday, will host 116 authors and 30 artistes, including Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan, in a unique blend of performing arts and literature.
The festival will celebrate the great diversity of writing and writers as well as music and musicians from the US, Britain, Australia, South Africa, Malaysia, Mali, Sierre Leone, Algeria, China, Pakistan and Bangladesh, a communiqué issue by the organisers said Monday.
Writer-activist from Assam bags Padma Shri
New Delhi, Jan 25 (IANS) Known for her significant contribution to children's and women's literature, noted writer-activist Eli Ahmed was on Wednesday named a...
Carnival of beauty, nostalgia and history
By IANS,
New Delhi : The weekend book shelf is a mix of nostalgia, history, drama and good health.
Jamia Millia, Kashmir University sign MoU to start PG courses on Kashmir, South...
By TCN News
New Delhi : Jamia Millia Islamia and Kashmir University have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for running...
Indo-Canadian to head chair at top university
By IANS,
Toronto : Indian-origin Sonia Anand has been appointed as head of a new research chair on heart diseases at Canada's top McMaster University at Hamilton near here.
Anand, who is a professor of medicine at the university, will head the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Ontario-Michael G. DeGroote Chair in Population Health Research.
The university Thursday said the new chair "will revolutionise the way we look at heart disease".
रोटी-दाल… या फिर अबीर गुलाल?
भारत…
यहां तो हर दिन होली है!
आतंकी खेलते हैं बेगुनाहों के खून से
और ‘देशभक्त’ व ‘दंगाई’ अपनों का ही
लाल रंग बेरंग पानी में बहा देते...
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
Modi assures full support to AMU
New Delhi : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thurday assured full financial support to the Aligarh Muslim University, a statement said.
The prime minister made...
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...
‘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.
Scientist Mani Bhaumik to release children’s book Wednesday
By IANS,
New Delhi : Leading physicist and international best-selling author Mani Bhaumik will unveil his first children's book “The Cosmic Detective” in Kolkata Wednesday.
Billed as one of the biggest children's titles by Penguin in 2009, which has been designated as the International Year of Astronomy, the book will be launched by West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee.
According to a communiqué issued by Penguin India here, the author's first book "Code Name God" tried to explain spirituality through science.
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
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...
Anita Desai’s new characters search for wholeness
(IANS Book Review)
By Sourabh Gupta, IANS,
Book: "The Artist of Disappearance"; Author: Anita Desai; Publisher: Random House India; Price: Rs 350; Pages: 176
आखिर क्यों लोगों के दिलों में बसते थे मौलाना वली रहमानी!
न्यूज़ डेस्क । Twocircles.net
ऑल इंडिया मुस्लिम पर्सनल लॉ बोर्ड के महासचिव हजरत मौलाना वली रहमानी साहब का शनिवार को देहांत हो गया। उन्होंने...
Hindu nationalists carrying forward colonial idea of demonising Mughals: Audrey Truschke
By Preetha Nair
New Delhi : Mughal rulers patronised Sanskrit literature in their courts, especially between AD 1560 to 1660, and also took up Persian...
Please stop blaming Islam for global terror
By Prof. Akhtarul Wasey for Twocircles.net
Islam seems to have become a soft target for the Indian and global media and political leaders, as well....
R.K. Narayan is one of my greatest inspirations: Scottish author
By Sreya Basu, IANS,
Kolkata : Scottish author Alexander Mccall Smith, who has written over 60 books, says he owes his success to noted Indian writer R.K. Narayan, whose works inspired him deeply.
"It was my early days as a writer when I came across Narayan's novel 'The Man-eater of Malgudi'. I read the entire novel at one go and then got engrossed in his other novels. He is one of my greatest inspirations even today when I sit to pen a new novel," Smith told IANS here.
American author makes same Buddha blunder as ‘Chandi Chowk to China’
By Sudeshna Sarkar, IANS,
Kathmandu : Even as public outrage erupted in Nepal over Bollywood film "Chandni Chowk to China", which wrongly described India as the Buddha's birthplace and was subsequently banned in the country, an American author has managed to get away with making the same mistake in her best-selling novel.
Celebrated American author Amy Tan's "Saving Fish From Drowning", a quirky tale about the misadventures of a group of American tourists who blunder through China and Myanmar, also wrongly describes the Buddha, who was born in Lumbini in southern Nepal, as an Indian.
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
HRD ranks JNU, HCU among top four universities
New Delhi : Jawaharlal Nehru University and Hyderabad Central University, which recently faced controversies, have figured in top four rankings released by the union...
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.
Book review: Unveiling the Hidden History of Women Ulema
Book Review
Name of the Book: Banat-e Islam Ki Dini Wa Ilmi Khidmat ('The
Religious and Intellectual Contributions of Muslim Women')
Author: Maulana Qazi Athar Mubarakpuri
Publisher: Islamic Book Foundation, 1781 Hauz Suiwalan, New Delhi 110002
Year: 2006
Pages: 104
Price: Rs. 40
Reviewed by: Yoginder Sikand
Author: Maulana Qazi Athar Mubarakpuri
Publisher: Islamic Book Foundation, 1781 Hauz Suiwalan, New Delhi 110002
Year: 2006
Pages: 104
Price: Rs. 40
Reviewed by: Yoginder Sikand
Nandan Nilekani confident of changing India with ideas
By Madhusree Chatterjee, IANS,
New Delhi : Can ideas change a nation? Co-founder of Indian software giant Infosys and author Nandan Nilekani believes that they can, even if it takes a long time for them to become embedded in the collective psyche of the country.
Dalit literature stall big draw at Delhi Book Fair
By IANS,
New Delhi : Books are a way to bridge the gap between dalits and other sections of society. That's the belief that has driven A.K. Gautam to open a stall exclusively devoted to dalit literature at the ongoing 14th Delhi Book Fair.
The stall by Gautam Book Centre has a large collection of books on dalits, the problems faced by them in society, the dalit revolution, dalit political leaders and literature by various dalit writers. It is attracting huge crowds.
‘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.
Exhibition, book celebrate Urdu’s trailblazing woman writer
New Delhi: She was among the first generation of educated Muslim women to speak fearlessly about a woman's body and rights, yet Rashid Jahan's...
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).
‘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...
Indian American author wins award in US
New York: Indian American writer Nina McConigley is the recipient of the prestigious PEN Open Book Award for her collection of short stories, "Cowboys...
The Mappila Verses: Eight poems by Ajmal Khan
Ajmal Khan is a poet from Kerala, whose collection of poems The Mappila Verses was published recently. TwoCircles.net here reproduces eight poems from the...
Fatima Bhutto’s book tops bestseller list
By IANS,
New Delhi : "Songs of Blood and Sword" by Fatima Bhutto, niece of late Pakistani prime minister Benazir Bhutto, dominates the non-fiction list while Amish Tripathi's "The Immortals of Meluha" tops the fiction category among bestsellers this week.
The top 10 in each category are:
Non-fiction
1. "Songs of Blood and Sword"
Author: Fatima Bhutto
Publisher: Penguin Viking
Price: Rs.699.00
2. "Becoming Indian"
Author: Pavan K. Varma
Publisher: Penguin/Allen Lane
Price: Rs.499.00
3. "The Difficulty of Being Good: On the Subtle Art of Dharma"
Indira knew of threat to life before Blue Star: Pranab
New Delhi : Indira Gandhi knew her life was at risk when she decided to go for militarily storm the Golden Temple, President Pranab...
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.
Dr. Rahat Abrar’s book “Muslim Female Education: From Veils to Moon” released
By Pervez Bari, TwoCircles.net,
On 112th death anniv of Sir Syed, Aligarh Movement launches special series
By TCN News,
Aligarh: On the 112th Death Anniversary of Sir Syed Ahmad Khan, The Aligarh Movement magazine launched educational movement series today at Aligarh Muslim University. Principal of AMU Women’s polytechnic & Social Activist Prof. Shamim Ahmad inaugurated the series and released special edition of the magazine in the auditorium of Women’s Polytechnic Auditorium.
Cycle of commerce and debt on weekend book pile
By IANS,
New Delhi : The bookshelf this week is pragmatic with matters of business, money and battle against corruption winning over lighter reads... Browse with IANS.
How independent publishers ensure Ambedkarite literature continues to reach the masses
By Daisy K, TwoCircles.net
Every year on December 6, millions of people from all over India gather at Chaityabhoomi in Shivaji Park, Mumbai to pay...
Writers focus on climate change at SAARC literature fest
By IANS,
New Delhi : Writers from South Asian countries have joined hands to discuss climate change issues and ways in which they can contribute in creating more awareness at the 33rd SAARC Festival of Literature that began here Friday.
Hundreds of writers, students and academicians from diverse backgrounds are participating in the three-day festival at the India International Centre here. The event is being jointly organised by the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) and Foundation of SAARC Writers' and Literature (FOSWAL).
Crime novelist La Plante accused of being copycat
By DPA,
Sydney : Best-selling crime writer Lynda La Plante's 1993 novel "Entwined" contains passages lifted from Auschwitz survivor Olga Lengyel's 1947 memoir "Five Chimneys", news reports said Saturday.
The multimillionaire British author denied plagiarism but admitted to The Sydney Morning Herald that a research assistant may have been the culprit.
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...
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.
On bookshelf, India blooms in all its colours
By IANS,
New Delhi : This weekend, the book shelf is a portrait of India in all its mysterious - yet realistic - shades. Flip through the must-read titles with IANS.
Book Review: Muslims in Indian cities – Trajectories of Marginalisation
Book edited by Laurent Gayer and Christophe Jaffrelot
By Danish Khan for TwoCircles.net,
Telugu Translation of Kashmir Anthology Released in Hyderabad
Nikhat Fatima, TwoCircles.net
An anthology of 30 essays penned by different activist authors and political journalists across India translated into Telugu titled ‘Kashmir Bahiranga Cherasala’...
Sea of Fresh Faces as Rushdie Fails Booker Shortlist
By Dipankar De Sarkar, IANS,
London : Fancied Salman Rushdie failed to make the 2008 Man Booker Prize shortlist for literature announced Tuesday, but Amitav Ghosh and debutant Aravind Adiga stepped in to fill the Indian shoes.
Ghosh's widely-acclaimed Sea of Poppies and Adiga's The White Tiger beat Rushdie's The Enchantress of Florence to make the six novels in a shortlist full of fresh faces.
Adiga and another first-time novelist, Steve Toltz, survived the cull of the longlist of 13 as veteran Rushdie joined John Booker - another previous winner - to face the judges' chop.
Upamanyu Chatterjee gets French award, says new book next year
By IANS,
New Delhi : Author Upamanyu Chatterjee, who has been honoured by the French government with the prestigious Officier des Arts et des Lettres (Officer of the Order of Arts and Letters), says he is working on a new book that will hit bookstores late next year.
Chatterjee, of "English August: An Indian Story" fame, was given the medal and the citation from French Ambassador Jerome Bonnafont at the French embassy here Thursday for his contribution to contemporary literature.
Tehran guarantees Iranian Nobel peace laureate’s safety
By DPA,
Tehran : Nobel Peace Prize winner Shirin Ebadi was safe and there was no need for any international concern over her well-being, Iran's foreign ministry spokesman Hassan Ghashghavi said Monday.
The spokesman was referring to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon who Saturday urged Tehran to secure Ebadi's safety after Islamists gathered outside her residence in Tehran last week, accusing her of having sympathy for Israel in the Gaza crisis.
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
Excitement on bookshelf with arms, new writers and history
(IANS Books This Week)
By IANS,
New Delhi : Spend the weekend with a load of exciting and profound books.
Book on eminent Indian Muslims released in Patna
By Tarique Anwar and Md. Ali, TwoCircles.net,
Patna: The book "Celebrating India: Reflections on Eminent Indian Muslims 1857-2007" by Meher Fatima Husain of Centre for Dalit and Minorities Studies at Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi was released by Justice Syed Shah Nayyar Husain, Hon'ble Judge of Patna High Court in a ceremony organized by the Khuda Bakhsh Oriental Public Library on December 7, 2008.
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.
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...
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.
‘ Age is not a barrier – You can always start afresh’ Rana Safvi
By Saleha Ahmad for TwoCircles.net
Born to an IPS father and a teacher mother, writer Rana Safvi has a great affinity for books from childhood....
How do we fight the stagnation among Muslims?
By Farheen Sultana for Twocircles.net
Muslims get excited whenever they hear words such as 'Subhan Allah' and 'Masha Allah' from politicians and actors. 'Oh...
Poland-based Urdu poet answers ‘Unmasked Questions’
By Madhusree Chatterjee, IANS,
Book: "Unmasked Questions"; Author: Surender Bhutani; Publisher: Wydawca Indo-Polish Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
Warsaw-based Urdu poet Surender Bhutani's new anthology of English poetry addresses posers on religion, love, freedom, the changing world order, conflicts, metaphysics, literature and even economy - spanning the cycle of human sensibilities and the forces that govern life in this epochal era.
Book Review: Oxford Handbook of Muslims in India: Empirical and Policy Perspectives
Name of the Book: Oxford Handbook of Muslims in India: Empirical and Policy Perspectives
Edited by: Rakesh Basant & Abusaleh Shariff
Publisher: Oxford University Press, New Delhi
Year: 2010
Pages: 308
Price: Rs. 850
ISBN: 0-19-806205-2
Reviewed by Yoginder Sikand
Is there a god? The debate continues (Book Review)
By M.R. Narayan Swamy,
Title: On Religion; Author: Khushwant Singh (with Humra Quraishi); Publisher: Rupa; Pages: 206; Price: Rs.250
Title: 50 Spiritual Appetizers; Compiled and Edited by: Vinod Dhawan; Publisher: Partridge (A Penguin Random Book Company); Pages: 204; Price: Not given
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.
Indian author’s book Prachanda’s gift to UN chief
By Sudeshna Sarkar, IANS,
Kathmandu : As UN chief Ban Ki-Moon arrives in Kathmandu on a whirlwind two-day visit Friday, Nepal's first Maoist Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal "Prachanda" has lined up an unusual gift besides hosting a sumptuous banquet in his honour.
The UN secretary general and his entourage will be gifted copies of "Prachanda: the unknown revolutionary", the first biography in English offering intimate glimpses into the virtually unknown personal life of the formerly underground guerrilla, penned by Indian journalist Anirban Roy.
बदल गई चंबल की सूरत ,अब बन रहा है पर्यटन केंद्र
आकिल हुसैन। Twocircles.net
कभी डाकुओं की पनाहगाह रही चंबल घाटी अब टूरिज्म का हब बन गई हैं। ऐसा भी कहा जाता हैं कि हिंदी...
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)
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.
Decoding the Mahatma, World Cup trivia, geography
An original analysis of who was responsible for Mahatma Gandhi's death, a reader-friendly guide spanning 40 years of the cricket World Cup and getting to know the incredible geography of India - the IANS book stack this weekend is a power house of information. Take a look.
1. Book: The Death and Afterlife of Mahatma Gandhi; Author: Makarand R. Paranjape; Publisher: Random House India; Pages: 331; Price: Rs.599
Diplomat delights with poetry of promise
By Madhusree Chatterjee, IANS,
Book: "Candling the Light", Author: Abhay K., Publisher: Yash Publications; Price: Rs.350; Pages: 120
Punjab, industry, social drama on book shelf
By IANS,
New Delhi : Browse through the bookshelf of thought-provoking new titles that blend gripping narratives with hard facts...
“We should record our history, our victory” Dalit poet Mercy Margaret
Nikhat Fatima, TwoCircles.net
Dalit literature that revolves around the struggles and lives of Dalits first emerged in the 1960s and has seen exponential growth since....
How Netaji’s speech was broadcast in parliament
By IANS,
New Delhi : It was the summer of 1997. Krishna Bose, a Trinamool Congress MP and relative of Subhas Chandra Bose, was having a tough time convincing fellow MPs that Netaji's famous speech should be broadcast along with those of Mahtama Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru at the golden jubilee celebrations of India's independence in parliament.
But she was not sure how to go about it, Bose recalled at the launch of her book “An Outsider in Politics” (published by Penguin India) at the Hotel Taj Palace Wednesday night.
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.
Akademi’s silence on writer’s killing condemnable: Sarah Joseph
New Delhi : Joining the league of writers returning their Sahitya Akademi awards in the last few days, popular Malayalam writer Sarah Joseph...
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.
400 साल पुराने उर्दू और फारसी के लाखों दस्तावेजों की मरम्मत करवा रहा टीएसएआरआई,...
टीएसएआरआई के पास शाहजहाँ और औरंगज़ेब के समय के मुगल-युग के दस्तावेजों का सबसे बड़ा संग्रह मौजूद है। इन दस्तावेजों की मरम्मत के साथ-साथ...
Why Lahaul Lamas pray for Minister M.S. Gill
By Madhusree Chatterjee, IANS,
Book: "Himalayan Wonderland, Travels in Lahaul and Spiti"; Publisher: Penguin/Viking; Author: Manohar Singh Gill (union sports minister); Price: Rs.599
In the summer of 1962, a restless young Indian administrator, Manohar Singh Gill, made an arduous journey from the north Indian plains to the farthest reaches of Indian Himalayas - the Lahaul and Spiti Valley - and spent a year living and working with the people there.
Indian origin author scripts tale of migrants and myths
By Madhusree Chatterjee, IANS,
In his new novel, "The Mythologist", San Francisco-based Indian origin author Vamsee Juluri has captured the inner chaos of a young migrant in the US who has grown up in the movie studios of Chennai with dreams of grandeur.
Capitalism, crorepatis and relationships, browse all you want
By IANS,
(IANS Books This Week)
‘पाश’ की पुण्यतिथि : दो कविताएं
सिद्धांत मोहन, TwoCircles.net
जालंधर में जन्मे अवतार सिंह संधू 'पाश' भारतीय साहित्य में एक ऐसा नाम रखते हैं, जहां से कविता और क्रान्ति - दोनों की - की परस्पर मजबूती साबित होती है. यह एक तथ्य ही है कि पाश अपने विचारों में वाम से प्रभावित थे लेकिन पाश की कविता की सबसे बड़ी खासियत यह है कि यह भारत के हरेक तबके और हरेक वर्ग के साथ खड़ी है.
A candid post-mortem of the LTTE
By M.R. Narayan Swamy, IANS,
Book: "The Prabhakaran Saga"; Author: S. Murali; Publisher: Sage Publishers;Pages: 362; Price: Rs.425
Of partnerships and mysticism
Unfolding different perspectives of viewing the strategic partnership between India and the US is what IANS books brings to you this weekend. Also, an interesting way to look at Sufi mysticism is in the offering. Take a look.
1. Book: India-US Partnership: Asian Challenges and Beyond; Editor: P.P. Shukla; Publisher: Wisdom Tree; Pages: 194; Price: Rs. 795
Typical Earth citizen will soon be Indian: Organizers of new book prize
Hong Kong : By 2030, the average citizen of planet Earth will be an Indian man in his mid-20s. But few people in the...
Tehelka’s Populist Turn?
By Bobby Kunhu and Sudeep KS,
The magazine joins the Great Kerala Terrorist Hunt. This was sent as a rebuttal to Tehelka, but has not been published.
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.
Islamic finance, Bollywood and S.D. Burman
The roots of Islamic finance lie in the foundations of Islam and Sharia law, fragmented memories of musician and composer S.D.Burman's life and interesting titbits from the lives of Bollywood directors: the IANS bookshelf this week is buzzing with stories from different genres. Take a look.
1. Book: Decoding Bollywood: Stories of 15 Film Directors; Author: Sonia Golani; Publisher: Westland; Pages: 185; Price: Rs. 250
Book Review: Connecting Kashmir’s past with the present
The book Kashmir: Looking Back in Time-Politics, Culture, History by Khalid Bashir Ahmad is an attempt at connecting Kashmir’s past and present. The book...
Innovation, reunions, expatriates and Gandhi: A sober weekend
By IANS,
New Delhi : Catch up on your reading with five interesting titles this weekend:
1. "Innovate: 90 Days to Transform Your Business": Written by Rekha Shetty; priced at Rs.299; published by Penguin Portfolio.
A daily implementation schedule, "Innovate..." is a step-by-step self-help workplace manual. Here is a typical 90-day pep-up pill to enhance productivity, profitability and set the ball rolling for innovations in the boardroom as the writer guarantees.