Karen Leon 4280 posts 0 comments

Although official historical narratives remember the Indian soldiers who ‘contributed’ to the First World War by fighting for the British empire, there were more than 550,000 Indian men, who participated in the same war as ‘non-combatants’ whom no one remembers. They were porters, stevedores, construction workers, janitors (sanitation workers who cleaned latrines), washermen, stretcher-bearers, water-carriers, cooks and many other menial job workers. It was through their backbreaking work that the British were able to…

A new book, titled Vajpayee: The Years that Changed India is all set to hit the stands on 25th December to mark the birth anniversary of veteran BJP leader, and former Prime Minister, Atal Bihari Vajpayee. The book charts the course of Vajpayee’s prime ministership and tries to give the readers a glimpse into Vajpayee’s thought process and political philosophy. Written by Shakti Sinha, who had worked very closely with Vajpayee during his tenure as the prime minister, and is currently the honorary director of the Atal…

January 14, 2021 marks 123rd death anniversary of English writer Charles Lutwidge Dodgson also known as Lewis Carroll. Lewis was born on January 27, 1832, in Daresbury, Cheshire, England.Lewis was the eldest son and third child of the Rev. Charles Dodgson and Frances Jane Lutwidge. He grew up in isolated villages in the English countryside with his ten siblings. The writer who gave the world much of muchness through one of his greatest works Alice in Wonderland went to Christ Church, a constituent college of Oxford…

During my research for the book Guru Dutt An Unfinished Story, various accounts of Guru Dutt’s colleagues, close friends and his family members suggested that despite being at the peak of his success, Guru Dutt’s constant refrain used to be, “Mujhe lagta hai mai paagal ho jaoonga (I think I’ll go crazy!)”As a biographer, I was curious to know what was the turbulence in Guru Dutt’s life and cinema? Why was Guru Dutt constantly restless and lonely? Why would he run away from Bombay looking for escape from his tortured state…

The composer of one of the most iconic tunes of 90s, Mile Sur Mera Tumhara, Louiz Banks turned 80-year-old today. Known as the Godfather of Indian Jazz, Banks’ contribution to contemporary and Indo-fusion jazz is incomparable. A book on Banks titled Louiz Banks, A symphony of Love by Ashis Ghatak, which was published on the occasion of his 80th birthday, traces the journey of the musician from clubs of Calcutta to International acclaim, his golden stint at Bollywood with RD Burman and gives many wonderful details about…

If you are familiar with F. Scott Fitzgerald’s literary work you must know the image that the American author’s work conjures. Fitzgerald’s notable work The Great Gatsby is a close representation of the 20s Jazz Age romps through the French Riviera, Long Island’s Gold Coast, or Roaring ’20s Manhattan. Most of Fitzgerald’s work was inspired by his lived experiences and one of the muses of the author was the Lake Forest, Illinois. According to Town & Country, Kingdom Come Farm, the sprawling mansion built in 1906 by…

As the Russian invasion of Ukraine continues to ravage the east European country, several notable figures from around the world have expressed their concerns. The ongoing war in the country has left many Ukrainians homeless and taking shelter in bunkers and basements. Amidst the rising tensions in the East European region, notable authors and literary figures have issued a statement condemning the war.Signed by over 1,000 writers from around the world, the open letter released by PEN International on Sunday expressed…

On the first day of the iconic Jaipur Literature Festival, one of the major highlights of the 29-session-long day was Turkish author Elif Shafak in conversation with Nandini Nair. The Booker shortlisted author, in an engaging conversation, talked about her latest work The Island of Missing Trees, and the place for politics, tradition and human values in the world of storytelling.The author stressed on the importance of the novel in its ability to remind people of the world and its complexities. “You do not have the luxury…

Canadian-American author Steven Pinker, in an engaging session at Jaipur Literature Festival, opened up about his latest work Rationality: What It Is, Why It Seems Scarce, Why It Matters. In conversation with Mihir S. Sharma, Pinker talked about how this book is a sort of homecoming for him. “Rationality, in many ways, is a return to my home turf. I am trained as a cognitive psychologist. So my specialty is how the mind works and by extension what is human nature. It is not just about what we think but also about what are…

As the third day of Jaipur Literature Festival’s virtual sessions got under way, Canadian actor-comedian Lilly Singh interviewed American author Neel Patel. Neel’s book debut novel Tell Me How to Be was the first pick of Lilly’s book club. “I loved it that much,” Singh said before beginning the interview, adding, “I dived into the story and the characters. The book was extremely emotional. Who did you write this book for?”Patel said the book came from the experience of an Indian-origin boy living in America. “I wrote it…