Sheila Kumar - Comfortably Numb

Comfortably Numb

Sheila Kumar's Storehouse

Book review: Rafina by Shandana Minhas

And they all fall flat A dramaybaaz protagonist, but where’s the drama? Shandana Minhas wrote this story in 2004; it saw the light of day 14 years later. Luckily, the story, that of a determined if rather naïve girl’s attempt to carve her niche in the world, is such that it can’t really…

Travel: Chikmagalur, Karnataka

Theres a lot more in coffee country than just coffee. We discovered it on a trip to Chikmagalur, Karnatakas coffee county. It really is a lovely drive down to Chikamagalur from Bangalore, all 251 kms of it. The two main reasons for that is the national highway being a good road for the most…

Humour: Me, my Husband and Mari Kondo

Me, My Husband And Marie Kondo Now that Marie Kondo’s been and gone, I will tell you a story. At the time when she was a veritable whirlwind swooshing her way through the entire world, leaving neat piles of TK (to keep) and TC (to chuck) items in her wake, there were some people who…

Book review: Temporary People by Deepak Unnikrishnan

I was blown clean away by Deepak Unnikrishnan`s Temporary People (Penguin Books). It is a set of short stories, a poem or two, some pages of artwork about the `guest workers` the migrant labour of the Gulf, mostly Malayalis, who toil without any recognition, without much dignity, without adequate creature comforts and worst of all,…

Book review: A House for Mr Misra by Jaishree Misra

Trivandrum Diary A House for Mr Misra (Westland) This slim volume is the ideal read when you are between books that tackle matters of a more serious, even grim nature. Or in my case, a break from editing a turgid manuscript. Written rather like a Trivandrum diary fleshed out in engaging detail, it keeps the…

Book review: The Cows of Bangalore by Shoba Narayan

For the love of cows A book about cows of India in this day and age? That kind of subject can either be an inspired one or plain minefield-walking. However, Shoba Narayan sticks to her set script and delivers an easy read that will delight cow-admirers as well as intrigue those who view…

Feature: Gallipoli, The Scale of our War

Remembrance of war The Gallipoli exhibition at Wellington is a moving tribute to soldiers who died far away from home. On a recent trip to New Zealand, I happened to drop in at the Te Papa Museum in Wellington to watch the three-years-running mega crowd-puller Gallipoli: The Scale of Our War exhibition. I walked in…

Book review: A Faceless Evening by Gangadhar Gadgil

Of the human condition… Fourteen evocative short stories by the Marathi master. Gangadhar Gadgil carved a niche for himself in Marathi literature decades ago, and is a known name to those who read translations but alas, not to scores of other readers. Now, Ratna Books and translator Keerti Ramachandra have rectified that omission with this…

Book review: Hush A Bye Baby by Deepanjana Pal

When the cradle falls Deepanjana Pal`s Hush A Bye Baby (Juggernaut Publishers) is a police procedural where the action shifts focus continually amongst a small group of participants, rather like an Agatha Christie mystery. Mumbai socialite and gynaecologist Dr Nandita Rai (we get a cracker of an intro to her) stands accused of female…

Book excerpts: The Lake District, An Anthology compiled by Norman Nicholson

The Lake District An anthology compiled by Norman Nicholson. Penguin Books. 1977. This delightful composition of prose, poetry and essays, some of them in the Cumbrian dialect, contains such nuggets as the ones reproduced below. Gentleman in a hurry It was customary, I am told, to dash by them (i.e. the Lakes) with an…