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The Hindu
13 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Hindu
The Hindu On Books newsletter: The legacy of Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o, Gandhi's last months, the world of translation and more
Welcome to this edition of The Hindu on Books Newsletter. Kenyan author Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o, considered one of east Africa's greatest literary figures, died last Wednesday (May 28, 2025), his daughter announced on Facebook. He was 87. Wanjiku wa Ngũgĩ said her father had 'lived a full life and fought a good fight.' His decision to stop writing in English and start using only his native Kikuyu made him a powerful symbol of post-colonial African identity. In 1986, he published one of his best-known works, Decolonising the Mind, a collection of essays about the role of language in forging national culture, history and identity. Read this tribute by Gautam Bhatia, in which he writes that the Kenyan master has left behind a rich, varied, and sometimes complex legacy. In an interview to The Hindu in 2018 when he visited Hyderabad for the launch of the Telugu translation by G.N. Saibaba of his book, Dreams in a Time of War, Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o explained to Serish Nanisetti that he began writing in English and then switched over to his native language, Gikuyu and Swahili, as a mark of protest against the language of the colonisers. Asked about his thoughts on translation and particularly G.N. Saibaba translating his work, he said, the one by Saibaba (titled Yuddakalamlo Swapnalu — Balya Gnapakaalu ) is especially interesting, because he translated the book while he was in prison. 'I closely identify with him because of this. I had written Devil on the Cross in Kamiti Maximum Security Prison in Kenya,' he said. Last Saturday (May 31), noted wildlife and tiger conservationist, Valmik Thapar, passed away in Delhi. He was 73 and ailing from cancer. Thapar was well-known for his evocative photographs and scholarly ouevré of nearly 50 books on the tiger, particularly those in Ranthambore, Rajasthan, for nearly four decades. He wrote or edited more than 30 books on wildlife, including Land of the Tiger: A Natural History of the Indian Subcontinent (1997), and Tiger Fire: 500 Years of the Tiger in India. In reviews, we read Manash Firaq Bhattacharjee's new book on Gandhi, General Shrinagesh's memoir and talk to translators of three recent anthologies on challenges and technique. Books of the week Gandhi: The End of Nonviolence (Penguin) by Manash Firaq Bhattacharjee is an account of Gandhi's final 15 months, his presence in riot-hit Noakhali, Bihar, Calcutta and Delhi pre and post Independence, offering courage and healing wounds, and its impact on India. 'Gandhi walked, listened, observed, and spoke in Noakhali and in Bihar because people had been killed and raped, Hindus in Noakhali and Muslims in Bihar,' writes Rajmohan Gandhi in his review. Quoting Bhattacharjee, he says, 'with Gandhi, walking becomes a force in India's political history,' and that it is not an exaggeration to say that 'Gandhi's peace mission in Noakhali, Bihar and Calcutta has no parallel in the history of the violent twentieth century.' In chronicling Gandhi's last phase, Bhattacharjee also refers to the diaries of Mridula or Manu Gandhi, grandniece of Gandhi – 'The nature of her work as a peace worker and her witness account of Gandhi's life and movement [is] her most significant contribution to history.' Commanded by Destiny (Penguin Veer) is an anecdotal memoir by General S.M. Shrinagesh, the Indian Army's fourth Indian chief between 1955 and 1957. The USP of the narrative, writes Arjun Subramaniam in his review, lies in its sweeping landscape and accurate recollection of military and political events during the fledgling years of India's evolution as a nation-state. 'One of the most detailed parts of the book is reserved for his role as the Corps Commander in charge of the two divisions that saw all the action in the first India-Pakistan War of 1947-48. The narrative around the sieges of Leh and Poonch is riveting and his recollections of specific actions and operational plans are excellent.' Spotlight Banu Mushtaq and Deepa Bhasthi's International Booker Prize win for Heart Lamp, a first for Kannada, has again put the spotlight on regional languages. Meenakshi Shivram has a conversation with translators of three recent regional anthologies to understand the process and the function of translations. The Early Classic Stories Series (published by HarperCollins) is edited by Mini Krishnan. The first three collections in the series comprise stories translated from Odia (by Leelawati Mohapatra, Paul St-Pierre and K.K. Mohapatra), Malayalam (Venugopal Menon) and Kannada (Susheela Punitha) — covering a century, mostly from the 1890s onwards. 'These books share, with deep sensitivity, a flavour of our own lives as we lived then. The translators of all three collections showcase their own empathy as they perceptively mirror our past to us.' Malayalam translator Venugopal Menon says he could relate to the old value systems through his forebears. 'There was a subtle dignity and pride they thrived on despite the inevitable urge to sustain social status. Nevertheless, honour was at a premium. And they seemed to think crime is evil,' he says. Kannada translator Susheela Punitha, 87, has seen this world first-hand. 'It is the world of my grand children that seems stranger,' she quips. Odia translator K.K. Mohapatra talks of an emotional connect. 'What struck us repeatedly was the quiet dignity of many of these protagonists, the ethical depth of their struggles, and the understated but profound critique that some stories offered of their own milieu,' he says. 'There is also a tenderness in the telling, that allows us to connect, even across time.' While the Odia translators say their guiding principle is to remain as faithful as possible to the original, Punitha points out that both 'embellishing and interpreting' are sometimes required to make it intelligible to the reader. Menon, for instance, keeps 'the non-Malayali reader topmost in mind.' Browser Acclaimed mathematician, Marcus du Sautoy takes readers from stone circles to Bach to Shakespeare to explain why art and a creative mindset is crucial for discovering new mathematics. He argues how a fundamental connection to the natural world links arts and science in Blue Prints: How Mathematics Shapes Creativity (HarperCollins). (HarperCollins). The Ghadar Movement was conceived in 1913 in the U.S. by Indian immigrants, led by Lala Har Dayal and others. The group planned to smuggle arms to India and incite a mutiny in the British-Indian army. In The Ghadar Movement: A Forgotten Struggle (Penguin/Viking), Rana Preet Gill writes an account of the movement and explains why it failed. (Penguin/Viking), Rana Preet Gill writes an account of the movement and explains why it failed. Penguin has announced that Arundhati Roy's forthcoming memoir, Mother Mary Comes to Me , is open for pre-order. It will be available in bookstores in September. Roy looks back at her relationship with her mother Mary Roy, who passed away in September 2022. The grief memoir – Roy had fled from home when she was 18 -- is filled with 'moments of anger, joy, heartbreak, longing, tenderness, and deep introspection.' , is open for pre-order. It will be available in bookstores in September. Roy looks back at her relationship with her mother Mary Roy, who passed away in September 2022. The grief memoir – Roy had fled from home when she was 18 -- is filled with 'moments of anger, joy, heartbreak, longing, tenderness, and deep introspection.' Best-selling writer Taylor Jenkins Reid (Daisy Jones & The Six) is out with her new novel Atmosphere (Penguin) which is set during NASA's 1980s Space Shuttle Program and is about an unexpected romantic story that blossoms in space.
The Hindu
27-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Hindu
The Hindu On Books newsletter: Booker honour for Banu Mushtaq, Deepa Bhasthi, talking to Bhavika Govil and more
Welcome to this edition of The Hindu on Books Newsletter. Last week was special for Indian literature with Banu Mushtaq winning the International Booker Prize, 2025, for Heart Lamp (And Other Stories/Penguin), translated from the Kannada by Deepa Bhasthi. From the moment it was shortlisted, readers, especially in India, were rooting for Mushtaq and Bhasthi and their chronicle of Muslim women's lives. This was the first time a collection of short stories was shortlisted, surely that meant it could go all the way? It did, and how. Jury Chair Max Porter said the stories were 'profoundly exciting' and that the 'radical translation' hit 'viscerally.' In their impassioned speeches, both Mushtaq and Bhasthi heaped praises on the Kannada language, its 'resilience and nuance', talked about their belief that no story is small, and how literature is one of the last sacred spaces 'where we can view each other's minds if only for a few pages.' They hoped the win would lead to many more stories from unheard corners being written, and more translations from the magical languages of South Asia defying borders and barriers. Mushtaq and Bhasthi's win comes three years after Geetanjali Shree's Booker honour for Tomb of Sand, translated from the Hindi by Daisy Rockwell. In telling stories of women, and what they are up against — from patriarchal mindsets, religious oppression to gender inequality, suffocating homes and terrifying lack of choices — Mushtaq universalises the experiences faced by a majority of women, at least in the subcontinent. Read The Hindu's review of Heart Lamp; a profile of Banu Mushtaq; an interview with the writer and translator soon after their nomination was announced and The Hindu editorial on what the prize will mean for Indian writing in translation. In reviews, we read two cricket memoirs by Mohinder Amarnath and Syed Kirmani, Pat Cummins' philosophy of life, a book on birders. We also talk to Bhavika Govil about her new book. Books of the week What do athletes want to convey when they write memoirs? Is it often a careful extension of their image? Two recent books by Indian cricketing legends — Fearless (HarperCollins) by Mohinder Amarnath (with Rajender Amarnath) and Stumped (Penguin) by Syed Kirmani (with Debashish Sengupta and Dakshesh Pathak) — lend credence to the argument that they may be honest and forthright in their assessments of their own selves and the eras they played in and lived through, but all of it is bound by the persona the sportspersons want to project. In his review, N. Sudarshan writes that the stories flow from the cover images. Amarnath's is of him executing the pull without the protection of a helmet, a shot synonymous with the batter and considered among the most daring strokes. The overarching theme in the book is of his many pitched battles against deadly fast bowlers like Malcolm Marshall, Michael Holding and Imran Khan, his many selection controversies, the machinations of the higher-ups and his multiple comebacks. The cover image of Kirmani's book, on the other hand, is a rather sedate and inexpressive photograph of him staidly waiting for the red cherry to nestle in his gloves. It seems like an ode to the book title, the tagline (Life Behind and Beyond the Twenty-Two Yards), and the sad fact that the great wicket-keeper's time in Test whites ended two shy of 200 dismissals. But says Sudarshan, what both books lack is a compelling picture of the eras Amarnath and Kirmani played their cricket in. 'While the volumes are no doubt windows into their respective sporting lives, they could have also shed more light on the culture of the sport back in the day.' The Australian spearhead and skipper Pat Cummins' Tested (HarperCollins) is a book on decisions, choices, thoughts and instinct, and the way they all combine to shape and impact lives. Cummins, with the aura he has, could have easily written about himself, writes the reviewer K.C. Vijaya Kumar, but instead he declares: 'I didn't want to focus on myself, as I might with a memoir.' Divided into 11 chapters, every part is an extended conversation with an expert in their relevant field. The array of luminaries are eclectic, be it former Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard, cancer researcher Richard Scolyer, producer Ronnie Screwvala, speedster and coach Dennis Lillee, or even the author's spouse Becky. 'The structure is woven around informal questions and the answers are then juxtaposed with how Cummins himself has approached a few critical points, both in his life and in cricket.' The 12 chapters in The Search for India's Rarest Birds (Indian Pitta/Juggernaut), edited by Shashank Dalvi and Anita Mani, have a selection of birds that have been chosen through different forms of observation: the Pink-headed duck chapter by Aasheesh Pittie talks about how the bird was formally described based on a painting of Indian specimens; art led to science. Ornithologist Pamela Rasmussen studied taxidermied forest owlets in the U.K. and the U.S.; she pursued the bird in the forests of Maharashtra; and a strange taxidermied model led to the rediscovery of the real bird. In her review, Neha Sinha says that when she opened this book, she expected to find historical records of white men and their shikar in South Asia. 'It is enriching to find instead a book that is modern. Most importantly, though the birds are coveted, they are not trophies — each piece wraps fondness and field work for the avian object of affection in a manner that suggests care, not conquest.' Spotlight In her debut novel, Hot Water (HarperCollins), Bhavika Govil narrates the story of a single mother and her two young children. Her aim, as she tells Vidhya Anand, is to highlight the lived experiences of different characters. She wanted to explore issues of gender, sexuality, and the inner world of children. 'For instance, can you be a good mother even if you're not a conventional mother?' Govil wanted to analyse how lonely mothers feel, especially single mothers. Asked about her thoughts on the novel with a complex theme, Govil said, 'I think we underestimate the smaller voices in the room, whether they're younger or different. It's important to me with this book to bring them to the fore.' She is also excited about this reaching the right reader, the person 'who's swimming in the dark and is looking for a little bit of light.' Browser Kamal Nayan Choubey traces the genesis, historical journey, and the functions of the Akhil Bharatiya Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram or VKA, the tribal wing of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh. The VKA has been expanding its footprint in tribal areas, trying to bring about changes, he writes in Adivasi or Vanvasi: Tribal India & the Politics of Hindutva (Vintage). (Vintage). Three historians, Romila Thapar, Kumkum Roy, Preeti Gulati, from three generations reflect on their lives and why they decided to engage with a demanding discipline. From personal experience of Independence and Partition to fractured modern times, they explain the different ways in which women do history in Women Writing History (Zubaan Books). (Zubaan Books). Rafael Nadal had a mind-boggling 14 French Open titles when he announced his retirement from professional tennis last year. Roland Garros paid a wonderful tribute to the Spanish star with rivals on court and friends off it Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray attending the ceremony in Paris on Sunday (May 25, 2025). This is the perfect time to read about Nadal's journey and legacy in Christopher Clarey's new book, The Warrior: Rafael Nadal and his Kingdom of Clay (Hachette India). (Hachette India). The Cave of Echoes: Stories about Gods, Animals and Other Strangers (Speaking Tiger) by Wendy Doniger celebrates storytelling, and the rich diversity of myths that people live by. Drawing on Hindu and Greek mythology, Biblical parables, and modern mythologies, Doniger encourages readers to be interested in diverse cultures.
The Hindu
29-04-2025
- Entertainment
- The Hindu
The Hindu On Books newsletter: Kashmir stories, Banu Mushtaq's world, talking to Keshava Guha and more
Welcome to this edition of The Hindu on Books Newsletter. At a discussion in Bengaluru about her International Booker Prize-shortlisted book of stories, Heart Lamp (And Other Stories/Penguin), Banu Mushtaq said she is a product of several literary and social movements in Karnataka in the 1980s. The stories translated from Kannada by Deepa Bhasthi have a certain universality to them, even though they are set in a particular context – her home town is Hassan -- and community. 'It is interesting how all of us who identify as women face the same kind of pressures from patriarchal diktats or religion,' she pointed out. 'These are issues that women face all over the world because patriarchy is not restricted to Muslim, Indian or South Asian communities.' In Kannada literature, Mushtaq said, Muslim characters were usually depicted in black and white. 'Either they were very beautiful, good people, or villainous characters,' said the spry 77-year-old. 'There was no grey area.' Gradually, after talks at literary workshops, she was told to 'write about your people… yourself… your surroundings… your feasts… your joys and sorrows and challenges.' This is how Mushtaq started writing, over five decades ago, writes Preeti Zachariah. In reviews, we read Keshava Guha's new novel, and talk to Rollo Romig, who has reported from South India for years, about his new book, and Ivorian writer Gauz' whose brilliant novel, Standing Heavy, was shortlisted for the International Booker Prize 2023. Also, read Suresh Menon's tribute to Peruvian Nobel laureate Mario Vargas Llosa (1936-2025) here. Books of the Week Keshava Guha's second novel, The Tiger's Share (Hachette), revolves around the lives of two families in Delhi, an inheritance wrangle between successful sisters and entitled brothers, environment degradation and social realism. Asked what inspired him to write this story, Guha tells Stanley Carvalho, 'The book started with the ending in terms of the idea. I just had this idea of an individual taking a drastic step because he was so appalled by what humans had done to the environment. Then I tried playing around with that and everything else took shape around that idea. It is a bit of a mystery where ideas come from for fiction. I don't sit down and plot it in a thorough way or anything like that.' Guha says the people in the novel are entirely made up, but that things like the patriarchal aspect of the inheritance disputes, 'that is very much provoked, not by my own family but by families that I saw in Delhi over and over again.' His view of Delhi? 'Delhi is a city that is all about exclusion.' In his book of short stories, The World with its Mouth Open (Penguin), Zahid Rafiq recounts the lives of Kashmiri people with a lens on the everyday. The collection has 11 tales about love, despair and deception. Rafiq uncovers the human suffering away from the usual theme of conflict by probing the inner lives of war-torn people, says the reviewer Bilal Gani. Two desperate shopkeepers, a couple who must dispose of a skeleton unearthed while workers are building their fancy new home, a young man who has lost his job – these are relatable characters, says Gani, as they are deprived of power or do not have the strength to act against forces much larger than themselves. 'From the heart of Kashmir, Rafiq's brutally honest tale is a piercing exploration of grief, loss and betrayal.' Rollo Romig, who has been reporting on South India, follows journalist-activist Gauri Lankesh's life and death in his book, I Am on the Hit List (Context). Talking to K.V. Aditya Bharadwaj, he said the story of Gauri Lankesh touched on what interests him about South India, its literary scene, language cultures, character of its cities and legacy of communal harmony -- Gauri's signature cause as an activist. 'I really felt Gauri's story illustrated for me so much of what I love about South India and what is presently under threat. Spotlight Standing Heavy is the debut novel of Ivorian writer Gauz'. A sharp, scathing satire of France's colonial legacy and race politics, it is also about the interrelatedness of colonialism and capitalism. In an interview with Preeti Zachariah on the sidelines of the Kerala Literature Festival, Gauz' said: 'We are always being colonised by something or some people. They call it soft power, but in the expressions of power, there is power. Soft doesn't count; what counts is power.' Told from the perspective of undocumented African security guards working in a Parisian shopping mall, it's about people who are 'doubly invisible.' Gauz' says someone told him that he was the 'writer of the invisible, and I am OK with that. Is it not crazy to ignore a human being in a place you enter?' The book's title refers to both the security guard job that demands people to stand for their supper, as well as to the extent of France's colonial legacy. Browser Ravi K. Mishra's Demography, Representation, Delimitation: The North-South Divide in India (Westland Books) narrates the story of demographic growth in modern India, from 1872, when the first Census was compiled, to 2024. In the Prologue, he argues that after going through demographic data, he is convinced that conventional wisdom that the north is the culprit of 'population explosion' and the south is the 'poster boy of population control' has gone horribly wrong. (Westland Books) narrates the story of demographic growth in modern India, from 1872, when the first Census was compiled, to 2024. In the Prologue, he argues that after going through demographic data, he is convinced that conventional wisdom that the north is the culprit of 'population explosion' and the south is the 'poster boy of population control' has gone horribly wrong. Abundance: How We Build a Better Future (Hachette) by Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson explores how the world can move from a liberalism that not only protects and preserves but also builds. The writers trace the political, economic, and cultural barriers to progress and propose a path toward a 'politics of abundance' in the time of acute polarisation with the likes of Donald Trump at the helm of American politics. (Hachette) by Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson explores how the world can move from a liberalism that not only protects and preserves but also builds. The writers trace the political, economic, and cultural barriers to progress and propose a path toward a 'politics of abundance' in the time of acute polarisation with the likes of Donald Trump at the helm of American politics. Devabrata Das' One More Story about Climbing a Hill (Speaking Tiger) is a collection of stories from Assam. There are 18 stories which provide an insight into life in an area of conflict. A post-modernist writer, Das often appears as a character in his stories, blurring lines between fiction and reality. (Speaking Tiger) is a collection of stories from Assam. There are 18 stories which provide an insight into life in an area of conflict. A post-modernist writer, Das often appears as a character in his stories, blurring lines between fiction and reality. The Many Lives of Pauloma Chattopadhyay (Niyogi Books) by Devangi Bhatt, translated from the Gujarati by Mudra Joshi, is about a middle-aged housewife from Kolkata who becomes three separate individuals living in different times.
The Hindu
22-04-2025
- Entertainment
- The Hindu
The Hindu on Books newsletter Remembering a people's Pope, controversy over Dulat book, Earth Day reads and more
Welcome to this edition of The Hindu on Books Newsletter. Today is Earth Day, and Sunil Rajagopal, a birder and writer based in Chennai, has handpicked ten of his favourite reads, old and new. They are meditations on walking, observing, and simply, being, and reminders that the earth and what it sustains are not merely 'resources' to exploit, barter, and conquer. Nan Shepherd's ode to the Cairngorm Mountains of Scotland, The Living Mountain , was first published in 1977, but it can be read and re-read, and it always magically reveals something new, says Rajagopal. , was first published in 1977, but it can be read and re-read, and it always magically reveals something new, says Rajagopal. Jiang Rong was expelled from China and spent 11 years in Mongolia. Wolf Totem , a fictional account, is inspired by his experiences. 'It's a paean and a lament all at once, for the loss of a land and a way of life.' , a fictional account, is inspired by his experiences. 'It's a paean and a lament all at once, for the loss of a land and a way of life.' What is reproductive biology? Matt Ridley follows the ways of birds, and generations of biologists including Darwin, to understand how mate choice has shaped the natural world in Birds, Sex & Beauty . . Nearer home, dip into Nirupa Rao's Hidden Kingdom -- Fantastical Plants of the Western Ghats to truly appreciate a landscape like the Western Ghats and its flora. 'Rao wields her delicate brush like a bright wand, with short rhyming verse falling around it like gold dust, leading us down an enchanted trail.' to truly appreciate a landscape like the Western Ghats and its flora. 'Rao wields her delicate brush like a bright wand, with short rhyming verse falling around it like gold dust, leading us down an enchanted trail.' Through her accessible poetry that distils the world and all its resilience, Mary Oliver reminds us that nature will go on without us in A Thousand Mornings. We bring you five, read the full list here. In reviews, we read Ruchir Joshi's new 899-page novel, a book about hypochondria, a retelling of Kabir's poetry and philosophy, and more. We also read Pope Francis' autobiography. The first Latin American to head the Catholic Church, Pope Francis, passed away on April 21. He was 88 years old. Books of the week In Hypochondria (Coach House Books, Toronto), a recent addition to a growing number of books on the subject, Will Rees talks about 'previvor', a word coined for 'the person who is discovered to be genetically predisposed to a disease that they do not (yet) have.' Such people, he writes, are not sick, they don't have any disease, yet from the moment they become conscious of their condition it would not be exactly right to call them 'well'. In his review, Suresh Menon notes that hypochondriacs are the butt of all jokes. But he points out that medical research, however, has shown that hypochondria is as much a real illness as depression or post-traumatic stress disorder. It is not a character flaw. Hypochondria, writes Rees, 'is a diagnosis that puts into question how certain we can ever be about any diagnosis...' Readers of his book will either feel reassured, or rush to see their doctors, concludes Menon. 'Who is Kabir?' The works of the 15th century poet-saint have been explored by many historians, scholars, poets and readers down the ages. Anand, the poet-publisher of Navayana, offers a florid explanation of his 'contradictory, upside down sayings', situating them on the larger canvas of the Bhakti tradition, Buddha's dhamma and Ambedkar's anti-caste movement, writes Kinshuk Gupta in his review of The Notbook of Kabir (Penguin). The book's novelty, says Gupta, derives from the writer's insouciance and complete disregard for convention while tackling Kabir. 'The 50 Kabir songs that have been included — and translated with such flexibility and flamboyance by Anand — relinquish any claims of authenticity. They are retellings by various singers such as Kaluram Bamaniya, Prahlad Singh Tipanya, Mahesha Ram, Fariduddin Ayaz, all of them marginalised men.' The two Vikrams – Seth and Chandra – have been there; now Ruchir Joshi joins their ranks to write a big, ambitious novel about a metropolis. If the Vikrams chose Delhi, Calcutta and Bombay, Joshi goes with Calcutta in the pre and post Independence era in Great Eastern Hotel (Fourth Estate). Obviously, a lot is happening, not least the fact that British and American soldiers are walking all over the city. The 900 page-plus novel begins with the outpouring of grief on the streets following the death of Rabindranath Tagore in 1941. Joshi, writes the reviewer Anil Menon, is brilliant at describing events, situations, atmosphere. 'His characters, however, lack substance.' It is the city that feels truly alive, vast, and imbued with an inner mystery, says Menon. 'But the ensemble soap, enlivened with a bit of non-linear storytelling, feels like the wrong choice for this novel.' Spotlight/A literary feud A former spymaster's book has run into a storm of controversy. In The Spy and the Chief Minister (Juggernaut), former R&AW chief A.S. Dulat writes that former Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah had told him he could have helped in passing the abrogation of Article 370 in the J&K Assembly. The special status of Kashmir enshrined in Article 370 was taken away by an Act of Parliament in August, 2019. Mr. Dulat described Dr. Abdullah as one 'who was extremely open about his willingness to work with Delhi.' 'Maybe,' Mr. Dulat quotes Dr. Abdullah in the book, 'the NC [National Conference] could even have had the proposal passed in the legislative assembly in J&K. 'We would have helped', he [Dr. Abdullah] told me when I met him in 2020. 'Why were we not taken into confidence?'' Caught in a spot of bother, with the NC making the restoration of Article 370 a poll plank in the 2024 elections, Dr. Abdullah said the remarks were baseless. He told reporters in Srinagar: 'The book is full of inaccuracies. On many accounts, it's baseless. If he (Dulat) considers me as his friend, he should not have written it.' In Delhi, at the launch of the book, Dr. Abdullah stayed away, and Mr. Dulat said the chief guest was 'Kashmir.' Mr. Dulat was the Special Director of the Intelligence Bureau before going on to head the Research & Analysis Wing. After retirement, he became the Prime Minister's Adviser on Kashmir. In Memoriam Jerry Pinto had been writing about Pope John Francis' autobiography, Hope (Penguin), when news came in that the pontiff had passed away. Pinto said he felt a deep sorrow because Pope Francis stood as a 'symbol of possibility and a harbinger of change.' His moving autobiography, written with Carlo Musso, and translated by Richard Dixon, shows how he was the People's Pope in much the same way as Diana, Princess of Wales, was the People's Princess. Pope Francis, writes Pinto, knew the value of the gesture. He knew what it meant to the faithful that he was 'still in touch' with the many people whom he met as a priest, a bishop, a cardinal. He was vocal against war, but most of all he understood the rage and the horror that the church's protection of paedophiles generated. 'He is unstinting in his condemnation' of dishonest priests in his autobiography. Also read Gautam Bhatia's tribute to the life and works of Mario Vargas Llosa; the Peruvian master of letters and Nobel laureate passed away on April 13. Browser Arundhati Ghosh delves into the lives of the polyamorous in India in All Our Loves (Aleph). She is interested in looking into the practice of being in love, with or without sexual intimacies, with more than one person simultaneously. A practising polyamorist, she dispels myths and shines a light on how such relationships are maintained, challenges et al . (Aleph). She is interested in looking into the practice of being in love, with or without sexual intimacies, with more than one person simultaneously. A practising polyamorist, she dispels myths and shines a light on how such relationships are maintained, challenges . The Los Angeles Times recently announced the 30 best books in fiction and non-fiction of the last 30 years. In non-fiction, it's top book is Isabel Wilkerson's remarkable book, The Warmth of Other Suns (Vintage), published in 2010. With migration in the spotlight thanks to the Trump administration's policies, this book is a must-read about how the exodus of almost six million blacks from the American south to the north from 1915 to 1970 changed the face of America. recently announced the 30 best books in fiction and non-fiction of the last 30 years. In non-fiction, it's top book is Isabel Wilkerson's remarkable book, (Vintage), published in 2010. With migration in the spotlight thanks to the Trump administration's policies, this book is a must-read about how the exodus of almost six million blacks from the American south to the north from 1915 to 1970 changed the face of America. As a coping mechanism during the pandemic, Dilip Menon penned a host of poems which have now been published by Writer's Workshop. Quo Vida, borrowed from the Latin phrase 'quo vadis' or 'where are you going?', is an allusion to the unpredictability of death itself, says the poet in the preface. What's Your Price, Mr. Shivaswamy? (Penguin) by M.R. Dattathri tells the story of an almost-retiree who gets sucked into the murky tangle of real estate in Bengaluru. The novel, written in Kannada, is the first book of the writer-cum-IT professional to be translated into English.
