JustBooks Connect - March 2011 newsletter

Volume 2 Issue 1
www.justbooksclc.com
blog.justbooksclc.com CONNECT March 2011
For limited circulation
A JustBooks Publication

Pg 7
Quiz

Pg 11
Just
Kids

Uncle Pai, Thank You
Pg 12
computer games, no internet or cable
Sapana Rawat connection, the only source of entertain-

I
ment was Doordarshan or the newspa-
still have the certificate and the thank
you letter I got from Uncle Pai for sub-
per. Books were not cheap especially the Author
children's books, as most were imported
mitting a story for a competition that and not easily available. Profile
Tinkle held in 1987. Our English teacher Our school librarian used to lock up the
always encouraged us to respond to the National Geographic, Reader's Digest,
various calls for participation and compe- Tintin, and copies of Calvin and Hobbes
titions that Tinkle or other publications in the cupboards with glass doors; so that lucky ones who atleast got to see their
used to advertise. We, the obedient stu- we would consider ourselves to be the covers. Encyclopedias were meant to be
dents, did our duty though more so
read in the 30 minutes library time we
because some marks were attached to this
used to get. There were hardly any
process.
Young Reader fiction works available.
It was only Uncle Pai of Tinkle who
And what was there was scrutinized by
would send us nice thank you notes and
our librarian, who wasted no time in
a certificate for participating. The fact that
checking with our class teacher if it was
Uncle Pai took time to read our letters,
appropriate for our age. Hence, under the
whether he really read it himself or not
investigative eyes of our librarian and the
did not matter, he did sign and send us a
teachers, any fiction book that was not
nice letter remember-that itself meant a
authored by Enid Blyton and her likes,
lot to a 12 year old. This encouraged us to
was not meant to be issued to the tweens
write regularly.
and teens.
Growing up in 80's and 90's was differ-
ent. There were no electronic gizmos,
contd on pg 2...

2 JustBooks Connect - March 2011
contd from pg 1...
From the Editor’s
My school being a Central “ Even though you'd hate to admit it
Desk School subscribed to a couple
of Russian (then USSR) chil-
now everyone of us had read a Tinkle

J
ustBooks Connect is one year dren magazines. The most pop- at some point or the other in our child-
old this month. A year is a ular one was Misha (the Bear), hood. "Suppandi" was the coolest
good time to take stock of which was pretty good but was
things. all about the USSR. Misha
character we knew in Junior school.”—
We started with eight page encouraged us to have pen pals Varun Agarwal , 24 .
newsletter consisting of general in Russia. And you bet many of
literary articles and book us did, yes for those extra marks but also other history book could. Even now when I
reviews done our literary team. for novelty. think of a Ramayana or Mahabharata char-
Today we are a 12 page newslet- So it was no surprise, that we looked for- acter, ACK illustrations conjure up images.
ter with dedicated space for our ward to Indian children's books and Our love for Tinkle or ACK did not end
reader's contribution, quiz, blog, comics like Target, Nandan, Champak, there. We collected ACK and Tinkle edi-
top recommended books for Chandamama, Tinkle and tions like we collected stamps and
adults as well as young readers. Amar Chitra Katha. They coins. We were secretive, envious,
And now we have plans for were widely available, not friendly or unhappy depending on
expanding it further. too expensive and approved the size of our collection. It was a
This joyous journey has been by our parents and teachers. prized collection.
possible because of our literary Amongst these Tinkle and We vied with each
team, which consists of 12 writ- ACK stood out clearly. other to see who has
ers, that brings about the month- Firstly, because they were read the latest copy. The
ly book reviews and author pro- comics unlike the kid with the largest col-
files, our JustBooks staff who others, so had lots lection was everyone's
shared their general thoughts of interesting illus- best friend. We carried
from Karnataka Rajyostava to trations and their our collection in train
Indian cricket and all our mem- simple language and buses when we
bers who sent in their experience could be under- went on summer vaca-
with JustBooks for Reader's stood by even tion to our grandmoth-
Voice. younger kids. er's place and shared
We are very grateful to mem- Secondly, they the books with our
bers like Dorothy Victor, Dimple had amazing char- cousins and sometimes
Mahesh Tahilramani and acters like Kalia, with kids and adults
Venkatesh Ganapathy, who have Doob-Doob, Chamataka we met on these trains
regularly contributed to our Shambu Shikari, and buses.
Reader's section. Suppandi etc whose Friendships were
Over the last one year we have adventures tickled us to made (sometimes bro-
tried to make JustBooks Connect no end. We named our ken!) over these comics. We made
interesting and worth our mem- teachers, our dear our own stories and jokes by end-
ber's time by presenting what we librarian, our close friends and ing - And guess what would
think will appeal to our mem- whoever we could, after these Suppandi do. And we grew up.
bers. The only way for us to characters. We still remember and refer to Mr. Anant Pai, founder of Amar
know if JustBooks Connect is them by those names. Thirdly, it educated Chitra Khata and Tinkle, passed away last
connecting with you or not is for us about all those unknown India folklores month at the age of 81. Uncle Pai to all chil-
us to hear from you! So do pen and taught us Indian Mythology as no dren, he was singularly responsible for
down your feedback, sugges- introducing the Indian mythology and cre-
tions and comments and send ating endearing charac-
them to: editor@justbooksclc. ters like Suppandi,
com. Shambu Shikari, Raja
Better still if you want to share Hooda, Tantri Mantri,
your articles, in 500 words, on Kaalia the Crow for
any literary related topic, be it— children. As for kids
the books and authors that like me, who grew up
inspired you, an event or hap- reading his Tinkle and
pening that you observed, or ACK, he gave us more-
your own poem and opinion— memories, childhood
send them our way and get a gift and stuff it's made of.
from us. Come to think of it,
We are offering a one month perhaps I am able to
reading fee free to our members write this because of
for contributing to JustBooks the encouragement
Connect. For more details on this given by those thank
offer write to editor@just- you notes of Uncle Pai.
booksclc.com. Thank you, Uncle Pai.
Rest in peace. 

JustBooks Connect - March 2011 3

Tales From Firozsha Baag Beautiful Thing
Rohinton Mistry Sonia Faleiro
Penguin India Hamish Hamilton

Anindita Sengupta Pushpa Achanta

M B
istry's first collection of stories looks at eautiful Thing is a realistic foray into
life in a Parsi colony in Bombay and the world of young women who danced
there is the density of many characters in the bars of Mumbai. Revolving
and lives in these stories, a sense of gullies and around Leela, a sprightly nineteen year old
mohallas bursting at the seams, places where bar dancer, the book consists mainly of first
people must learn to live with each other person accounts. Apart from describing what
because there is simply no choice. What is inter- led these girls into the profession it talks
esting about the book is that it functions as the about their lives, aspirations and disappoint-
sum of its parts, but also as a composite whole. ments. All these incidents may remind one of
A larger narrative of life in a Parsi colony in the the sixties scenes from a pot boiler produced by the com-
emerges through the separate tellings. The characters have mercial Hindi film industry. Through an engaging and moving
range and depth and the imagery is engaging. Mistry's prose is narrative interspersed with a few comparisons between her life
rich, his insights into human life seldom facile.  and theirs, Sonia Faleiro opens up a little known territory. 

Stupid Cupid Beowulf: A New Verse
Mamang Dai Translation by Seamus Heaney
Penguin Faber and Faber

Anindita Sengupta Anindita Sengupta

W K
hat I need to say first about Mamang nown as one of the most significant
Dai's latest novel Stupid Cupid is works of Anglo-Saxon literature, the old
that the title is deceptive. Stupid English heroic poem Beowulf was
Cupid is not chick lit. The story does revolve recently revived in popular consciousness by a
around love though. Adna, a north-eastern Hollywood movie. Over 3000 lines, reading the
migrant to Delhi, finds her late aunt has left poem may seem more daunting but Seamus
her a bungalow in South Delhi. She decides to Heaney’s translation is a pleasure to read. His
start a "love agency", a "decent meeting place language is contemporary, yet it evokes the
where men and women, lovers and friends, could rendezvous mood of those times-the resplendence and the perilous thrills of
without too much sweat." At its heart, Stupid Cupid is a com- war.
ing of age story and it is natural that Adna will be threatened An epic poem in translation is obviously not beach reading but
and changed by the time the book is over. But Dai's touch is curl up on a cold evening with tea and disappear into the dark
also gentle and assured so this happens with certain stealth. cliffs and seas where monsters lurk. Give yourself over to them
The sadness, when it comes, is slow and soft.  and the most beautiful monster of all: language. 

Switch: How to Change Things When Change
Sellotape Legacy
Boria Majumdar and Nalin Mehta
is Hard
HarperCollins Chip & Dan Heath
Random House

Manjula Sundharam
Dr. Rajagopalan

M S
witch illustrates how change is not an
ajumdar and Mehta have woven this event but a process. When we are pre-
book around three themes: the topical sented with a change situation we
controversies about the corruption in protest and find ways to resist. But when it
the run up to the 2010 Commonwealth Games comes to accepting the change that a new
(CWG) at Delhi, CWG’s original agenda of pre- born brings in the family, we voluntarily wel-
serving the links of erstwhile British Empire to come the change. Like parenthood we also
the crown and its later conversion into a plat- embrace lot of other big changes like new
form for Nehru’s non-alignment and global homes, new technologies and new clients.
anti-apartheid movement, and of late, the use of international Authors Chip and Dan Heath remind us that there is the
sports events as a means of projecting ‘soft power’ by China and emotional side and the rational side in all of us.. They illustrate
India. It is a good read for sports enthusiasts who are puzzled how our emotional side overpowers our rational side most of
and frustrated with the off-the -field shenanigans.  the time. 

For detailed reviews check out justbooksclc.com


Book Review

"The past is a foreign country"
tory and memory, the betrayal of a neigh- most a superb story-teller. The narrative
Can You Hear the Nightbird bour by another and the tragedy and vio- is gripping and moves at a fast pace. The
Call? lence perpetrated on innocent people historical events are an integral and
who had nothing to do with the cause. At organic part of what propels characters to
a meta level these are universal issues of action and shapes who they are and who
Anita Rau Badami betrayal, love and desire. But, here, they they become. For instance, a secular, free-
Harper Collins come as a domino effect of destruction thinking Bibi-ji is driven in the end to side
that can be traced back through a histori- with a fundamentalist whom she had ear-
cal continuum beginning with the lier labeled a "loud-mouthed fraud." The
Komagatu Maru incident, the Partition, nuanced and sympathetically drawn
Geetanjali Singh Chanda the 1984 Delhi riots and the blowing characters stand out and draw the
up of Air India's Kanishka reader into the story.
flight in 1985. Others like Jasbeer or the English
In an interview, Anita Rau Badami Colonel Samuel Hunt are minor
states, "I don't identify myself with any one characters who are touchingly
community. I left India five years ago. drawn with great psychological
For me it's important to make as clean insight making them unforget-
a break as possible because otherwise table. But Bibiji, Leela and
you're constantly dealing with these two Nimmo dominate the landscape
worlds, two cultures and that can be a - each in their very different
very, very difficult experience. You become ways. Each of them is a sur-
completely schizophrenic and it's not a vivor and one who battles pri-
happy state of mind to be in." And yet, each vate demons to assuage their
of her three novels Tamarind Mem, The nightmares and grief. Bibi-ji
Hero's Walk and Can You Hear the lives with the double guilt of
Nightbird Call? measure and map the having stolen her sister's
distance between India and Canada and destiny and then taken
back again. Each novel shows that clean away her niece's son;
breaks are not possible however much Leela, taunted for being a
one may will them. And, although as "half and half" by her own
Salman Rushdie said, "The past is a foreign grandmother finally
country" - it is a foreign country that con- learns that it can be an
stantly impinges on present and future advantage "to live nei-
existences. Even political events such as ther here not there, like
the Anti-Sikh riots of 1984 in Delhi rever- a frog comfortable in
berate and affect the characters in far water and on land";
away Vancouver in Can You Hear the and Nimmo, twice
Nightbird Call? The links are not as dis- destroyed, cannot learn "to let the fear
tant as the proponents of the Chaos go" and is destroyed by it.
Theory might suggest, they are evoked by B a d a m i In a quirky reversal of the old adage
and directly linked to atavistic identities recounts her personal that behind every successful man there is
of religion, community and soil. experience after Indira Gandhi's assassi- a woman, we see here that each of these
The dedication and the three epigraphs
nation, of having seen a man being set on women have warm, supportive and lov-
at the beginning of the book reveal the
fire and then thrown over a culvert. ing husbands. Nimmo's taxi-driver hus-
central issues at the core of the novel - the
Reaching Delhi she felt "it was like a war band Satpal tries to restore her family to
confusion and relationship between his-
zone." The subsequent blowing up of the her by randomly telling every Canada-
Air India flight felt like a continua- bound passenger he ferries to the airport
tion of that story: "I was struck by the to look out for his wife's aunt Sharanjeet
“At a meta level these are uni- whole story of how this history, this bag- and to give her their address. It is like a
versal issues of betrayal, love and gage, had travelled to Canada and sim- message in a bottle thrown out to sea and
desire. But, here, they come as a mered over here and affected a planeload yet the utterly impossible does happen
domino effect of destruction that of The three women protagonists-
innocent people." and Leela delivers the address to Bibi-ji.
"A bad memory" Bibi-ji says, "was neces-
can be traced back through a his- Bibi-ji, Leela and Nimmo are shaped sary for a person wishing to settle in…" but
torical continuum beginning with and caught up in these histories, not neither Bibi-ji, Leela or Nimmo are
the Komagatu Maru incident, the which they play a making, victims
of their individual
part as
but in blessed with forgetfulness. Their links to
the past shape their destiny. Nimmo most
Partition, the 1984 Delhi riots and protagonists. Badami's genius of all is haunted by terrifying images,
and the blowing up of Air India's though is that although her research vaguely remembered though deeply felt,
is meticulous and she is fair and of a past that may or may not even have
Kanishka flight in 1985. “ even-handed, she is first and fore- been hers. 


Book Review

Same dreams different realities
make for an interesting read. Foremost Despite the misgivings and the bitter-
Dreaming in Hindi: Coming being Rich's desire to delve into another ness with which Rich seems to narrate
Awake in Another Language language at a time when her life was several of her Indian experiences, it can
falling apart. She interviews researchers be fascinating to read her journey into
Katherine Russell Rich and neurolinguists and records notewor- mastering Hindi and the way it mirrors
Tranquebar thy observations. "In navigating another her thoughts. “In Hindi, you drink a ciga-
language," says Rich after interviewing rette, night spreads, you eat a beating and eat
the Montreal based linguist Michael the sun,” Rich writes, a shining example
Reshmi Chakraborty Paradis, "you're not using precisely the of how your mind works differently in
same brain you do when employing your another language. Rich also delves quite
first." Apparently, the first time around- deep into the science of language acquisi-
emotions, such as encouragement from tion and how your brain functions differ-
the mother (Can you say that? Good ently when you are trying to learn a new
Boy!), helps a language set. language.
So far so good. The observations how- To most Indian readers, who are famil-
ever go on a downhill spree once Rich iar with at least two or three languages it
reaches India and starts her course. may seem surprising but the research and
Refreshingly enough, she chooses to look observations Rich throws up makes for
at the country through the Hindi lens. some interesting and unusual knowledge
Unfortunately, it is coloured in the same gathering.
prejudiced taint many western writers
view India with. Rich has a condescend-
ing manner of describing things, from the
T he book is actually the sum of three
parts. One is Rich's Indian experience
and somewhat like a travelogue. The
institute director's Indian English to her other is the scientific foray into a new lan-
fellow learners. guage acquisition and backed up with

H er experiences, like the diarrhoea
lecture at the beginning of her
course are funny but if you are an Indian
some solid research, while the third part
is on the learning of a sign language as
she works among deaf students in
reader no longer happy to see your coun- Rajasthan with Anukul, their dedicated
try served up in the same spoon, the next teacher. It opens a new world of language
line can be jarring: We were in India now, for her in a way that's surprising to both

K
atherine Russell Rich has just where irreverence was unfathomable. Rich and the reader.
emerged after battling and surviv- Her description of her host family, the Shortly after Rich's arrival in India, the
ing cancer and been fired from her Jains and most of her Indian contacts, US is rocked by 9/11 while India sees
dead-end job as a magazine editor. As an remain one-dimensional, seen from communal violence. Rich weaves these in
escape route, she impulsively agrees to Rich's slightly lofty angle. And that, her narrative, though it makes for a
an assignment in India and once there, despite Suketu Mehta's glowing praise in somewhat densely and sometimes, con-
decides to learn Hindi in an institute the book jacket and despite the book fusingly packed memoir. In the end, even
based out of Rajasthan. making it to Oprah's 10 Terrific Reads of if you choose to be a tolerant reader and
She gives an interesting reason for her 2009, remains the problem with Rich's ignore the condescending observations,
foray into Hindi in the book's prologue: I Hindi memoir. Like many western Dreaming in Hindi seems an amalgama-
no longer had the language to describe authors, she forgets that there are many tion of too much of everything: A trave-
my own life. So I decided to borrow Indias. And one India isn't necessarily an logue, an observation of rising terrorism
someone else's. accurate description of the other. So if and communal hatred, a personal jour-
If that sounds as interesting as the title, some of the men are dubious, attempting ney, a scrutiny of a country, the psychol-
Dreaming in Hindi: Coming Awake in to take out Western women for beer and ogy of learning a new language, its usage
Another Language, unfortunately the some milky white western woman drives and the different worlds it opens up. We
rest of the book is not. minor Rajasthan royalty wild, it isn't a do wish, Rich had restricted herself to
Sure, there's enough material here to microcosm of what the entire country is. just the wonders of the language. 


Reader’s Reader’s Contribution
Voice

E
very time I enter JustBooks I think
of Jorge Luis Borges saying -“I
have always imagined that Paradise
will be a kind of library.” I have always felt
JustBooks is a huge gift hamper for one
to delve in only to find innumerable gift
hampers packed one within the other.
I always entered JustBooks with a cer-
tain amount of trepidation, a kind of
eager anticipation as to what books will
I chance upon. I have never felt disap-
pointed in finding the book of my taste.
The very act of sitting between the
shelves and browsing through is a reju-
venating experience. The library has a
wide selection to cater to everyone's
needs. It has a welcoming staff and a
pleasing ambience. I have observed
every member coming there returning
with a happy smile.
I once asked Mr. Ravi Kumar, who
runs the Fraser Town franchise, as to
who is genius behind such a venture. true,
For one to start library as a commercial Dimple Mahesh Tahilramani By buying you a gift or two,
venture, not only daring business acu- Or helped you chase away your
men is required but a nobility of mind Blues,

H
too is very essential. urry, scurry, rush and dash-that Make sure you say Thank you.
I am told that I am the first member of what our lives have boiled down If you suddenly sneeze,
JustBooks, Fraser Town. If so it is a to these days. Aren't we taking Or wanna fly past like a Bee,
happy coincidence and I am proud of it. most things and most people for grant- And there's somebody in between,
The long felt need of the people of our ed? Its best to use Excuse me.
area was more than adequately met by We have totally forgotten the worth of
its opening. In the short span I have the golden words. Have we ever tried Then there may be times,
developed a kinship, that I strongly feel thanking our parents who slog it out for When you could have been in a
that our interests are intertwined. I am us day in and day out? What about our hurry,
sure I echo the sentiments of others too! teachers who mould us into wonderful And spilled on someone your curry,
humans? Or maybe our children when Let's not forget the Golden word
Vijaya Bhaskara Reddy they do something really special from Sorry.
Fraser Town  their hearts?
When I lived overseas, people there And last but not the least,
were so courteous in their dealings that Is when you need something,
they would thank everyone, be it the bus Be it a book or a piece of cheese,
driver who helped them reach their des- Be generous enough to utter, Please.
tination, the restaurant staff who provid-
ed them with a sumptuous meal, the So don't hold yourselves back,
hairdresser who gave them a makeover By simply placing the Golden Words
that would make heads turn or even the on the rack,
maid who helped them with their chores Whether you use them with a
making their life much simpler! stranger or even your kin,
Believe me uttering words like 'Please, One thing is you are sure to Win.
Thank you, Excuse me and Sorry' hardly
takes a fraction of a second but can have
magical effects. I've experienced it and Dimple is a mother of a beautiful 10
hope all of you will do so too. year old daughter and a softskills and
language trainer.
Here is a little poem: She loves reading books and interact-
ing with people and believes that each
Whenever you feel someone's been of us is special in his or her way. 


1. This is considered to be one 4. What is Dr. Watson's first name?
of the best cricket books: John
Seabiscuit by Laura Edward
Hillenbrand George
Beyond a Boundary by CLR
James 5. Name the latest
The Boys of book by Orhan
Summer by Pamuk:
Roger Kahn
The Museum of
2. Middle Stage is a: Innocence
Journal by Tehelka Snow
Blog by Chandrahas Choudhury The Naïve and the
Book by Dr. Vijay Nagaswami Sentimental Novelist

3. This Literary festival is not dedicated just to Poetry Sentimental Novelist
Poetry With Prakriti 5. The Naïve and the
The Hyderabad Literary Festival Jaipur Literary Festival 4.John
Jaipur Literary Festival by Chandrahas Choudhury 3.
1. Beyond a Boundary 2. Blog

JUSTBOOKS Here's A Case For Returning

TOP 5 H
ere's an issue that never fails to tickle us when conveyed to
prospective members of JustBooks: Returning books bor-
rowed. When told not to worry about the three aspects gener-
ally associated with
N EW A RRIVALS libraries, they usually go
1. The Brief Wondrous Life 'Whoa'!
of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz 1. No reading charges per
2. Sirigannada By Vivek book.
Shanbhag 2. No deadlines to return
3. The Tell-Tale Brain by V. books.
S. Ramachandran 3. Therefore, No late fees.
4. India:A Portrait by Patrick Of course, all this is possi-
French ble because we have a
5. Jawaharlal Nehru: Civilizing A monthly membership plans-
Savage World by Nayantara depending on whether you
Sahgal want 2, 3 or 4 books. It
begins with a very afford-
R ECOMMENDED able Rs. 150 per month -
enough to trigger another
1. Hitch-22 by Christopher
'Whoa, you're kidding me".
Hitchens
We believe in keeping
2. The Thousand Autumns of
things simple as it takes
Jacob de Zoet by David
away the worry library patrons subliminally are concerned with -
Mitchell
returning books back!
3. Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda
Take the case of Mr. George Washington. He may have been one of
Ngozi Adichie
the founding fathers of the US, but he appears not to have been a
4. East of the Sun by Siddhartha
model library patron.
Sarma
Since George Washington could never tell a lie, presumably he
5. Making India Work by William Nanda Bissell
would 'fess up to owing 1,677 pounds, 15 shillings and some odd
pence in library fines for two books overdue for more than 220 years.
R ENTALS Washington borrowed two books-Law of Nations and Volume 12 of
1. The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown Commons Debate - from the New York Society Library on Oct. 5,
2. 2 States: The Story Of My 1789, according to the library's first circulation ledger.
Marriage by Chetan Bhagat Library records do not show him returning it back. They still har-
3. And Thereby Hangs A Tale by bour a hope that his descendants may do the good deed.
Jeffery Archer In case they do, you know what to do to hear the news here?
4. The Red Pyramid (The Kane Return!
Chronicles) by Rick Riordan
5. Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog From JustBooks blog - http://blog.justbooksclc.com/ 
Days by Jeff Kinney


Musings

The e-book enigma
ple are entering the middle class, more content in more than 24 regional lan-
Anindita Sengupta people are reading. The same people, guages. Experts feel this is fertile ground
however, are not so far ahead on the for e-books. ( See The Times of India 12
online buying curve. December 2010). Already, I'm wondering
India seems to have held out so
far against the e-book epidem-
P lus e-readers are not cheap. We're
value-conscious. Few people will buy
a gadget that just does one thing when for
whether to discontinue taking a newspa-
per. I just read all my news online these
days. Already, I buy classics less. It is not
ic but for how long? the same price, they can get a gadget that altogether impossible to envision a day
does many things. when books will be a little like LP
records, collector's

T
hese days, when I visit a items, things that are
library or book shop, I sold or exchanged at
judge a book on a factor mysterious, under-
besides desirability, price, and ground places where
how big a crush I have on the people handle them
author. I quickly calculate how with reverence. I
difficult it would be to get hold hope that day never
of it online. comes.
So far I've resisted the lure of
the Kindle but this says nothing T he reasons are
wholly senti-
mental. I recently
really. Unlike a lot of book
lovers, I'm not terrible senti- moved house and
mental about the smell of while climbing up
books. My olfactory sense the narrow flight of
seems to respond-in very non- stairs to my flat, the
erudite fashion-to perfume, movers panted and
incense, flowers and petrichor puffed with my
but not so much to paper. I also boxes full of books.
find it reasonably easy to read “Yenide, madam?”
text off a computer screen. one of them asked
These days I don't carry as me. (“What is this?”)
many books with me on holi- “You have a lot of
day. Instead I carry my net book things”, my landlady
which has a comforting hoard including
classics, poetry and comics. But I can't
B ut I am puzzled that publishers don't
think this can change. More and more
people are doing things online from buy-
said.
Not things, I wanted to say. Books.
seem to take the final step towards a more It's been a difficult year on the personal
ing railway tickets to booking hotels to front but as I sit here, in the living room
paperless existence. Despite my deep and
buying books. As access and connectivity with late afternoon light touching the cur-
abiding concerns about the environment,
get cheaper and easier, this will continue. tains, they remain old and stable. Warm.
and more importantly, lack of shelf space.
Already e-reader prices are dropping and No gadget is shiny enough to outshine
It may have something to do with habit.
with more competition, they will be them. The printed word is hardly perma-
The heft of them. Brightness. Texture. A
cheaper. nent. All it takes is a flood, a deluge, a fire.
room without books just does not feel
There are a huge number of publishing And yet it provides an illusion of held
homey enough.
houses in India, and they're generating
A t the recent DSC Jaipur Literary
Festival, there was a debate about the
future of the printed book. Everyone
time, something like permanence. 

talked about our booming publishing
market. The printed book will never die.
Indians are naturally "inquisitive". Etc.
I'm not sure what Indian curiosity has to
with printed books versus e-books but
we'll let that go. "Books matter more in
India than anywhere else we publish them,"
said John Makinson, Chairman and CEO
of the Penguin Group of publishers. Even
as book sales drop in western countries,
the non-academic book market in India is
growing at a rate of 15 to 18 percent annu-
ally (Timeslive.co.za 25 January 2011).

W hy printed books continue to trump
e-books in India is not a mystery
really. More people are literate, more peo-


Food for thought

Using the F-word
sion included kebab, Lebanese
The F-Word salad, Vietnamese laksa, Thai chick-
en curry, Indianized stir-fry, water-
melon sorbet and Goan fish, all
Mita Kapur served with noodles and boiled
Harper Collins rice. It was a hit and that's all that
mattered. After all belly rules the
mind and happy stomachs means
happy people.
Aradhana Janga
M ita Kapur takes you along on
her journey and entertains
you with events and people in her
life-pre-marriage, the birth of her
children, their growing years, her
memorable holidays, her sisters,
her parents, husband, in-laws,
nephews and her children. Most
dishes are associated with memo-
ries, both good and bad. The disas-
trous pie her sister tried to bake
ages ago, or the meethi (sweet) roti
that never fails to provide her the doting yet strict mother, loving wife,
homely comfort. The randomly pickedimpressive daughter-in-law, supportive
events contribute their bit in keeping it
sister, pampered daughter and an indul-
interesting especially since she avoids
gent cook.
dwelling on them, they are mentioned to
And once in a while there is the short,
serve the purpose of connecting the dots
almost autobiographical interview with
(read "recipes"). the owner of a restaurant that has been
Her trips, whether to London, Phuket
around for ages, or of her mother. Stories
or Pushkar, revolve around food. She
long forgotten but which are the thread
enjoys delectable fare irrespective of
to the food they cook. The recipes are
being served in a fancy restaurant or the
simple to follow and Kapur encourages
roadside dhaba. And it's not just the culi-
the trial and error hands-on method.
nary pleasure, but the obsessive inquisi-
As she says "I've learnt not just by

T
he F-Word nope, nobody raining tiveness to know more about it and the
observation but by following all my senses -
abuses, but offering "fiery fresh fra- excitement that follows that confirms
taste, touch, smell, hearing." And kudos to
grant family famished fun fried food she's a foodie. Prabha Mallya whose illustrations are a
fiesta flavours" as the cover proclaims, She simply revels being a part of good
fun distraction in the book.

T
and rightly so. It's all about FOOD for food, either as the audience or the artist.
he verbatim production of conversa-
the soul. Remember the comfort food An Indian chicken dish such as "Dum ka tions in Hindi might be a bit discon-
your mom made every time you got sick. Murgh" is capable of evoking the same
certing to readers who are not familiar
It made everything better and you could- emotions for her as its Thai counterpart
with the language. But then, on the other
n't dream of replacing it with any exotic "Gaeng Ped Gai". hand, it might prove entertaining for
dish on earth? Or recollect the simple Only Mita Kapur with her love for
Hindi speaking folks.
salad that simply took your breath good cuisine can include a typical Indian
For those who pick up this book with
away? Or how about the chicken you dessert such as "Malpua" with equalthe only aim of sharpening their culinary
had that got all its fantastic flavour from aplomb alongside a "Mocha Granita" or a
skills, they're in for a shock; unlike typi-
a simple marinade? "Chocolate Souffle", a trend that you will
cal cookbooks, this one does not have a
Mita Kapur's book is all about that and find throughout the book. single photograph of any dish. Might be
more. It is as much about exotic dishes Anecdotes from her food-obsessed or
a bit disheartening and frustrating, espe-
as it is about a basic rice and lentil com- rather meat-obsessed joint family cially for the authentic local dishes
bination. abound. You get a peek at all her facets-
which are rare in restaurants and home.
You try but fail to classify the book Overall, a great book on food.
under any specific cuisine, just because “ For those who pick up this Kapur's seemingly frank rhetorical is
refreshing, funny, and touching. Read
it is not meant to be. It is all about the book with the only aim of sharp- it for the love of food and all things
cuisine Kapur has enjoyed over the
years. Not necessarily Indian, but a mix
ening their culinary skills, they're good. Kapur might very well agree
of dishes she has ladled out to her near in for a shock; unlike typical with George Bernard Shaw when he
and dear and enjoyed every minute of cookbooks, this one does not have love of food". no sincerer love than the
said "There is
it; a cocktail of sorts.
Her idea of food for a special occa-
a single photograph of any dish.” Bon appetit! 


Meeting the maker of Suppandi
J
ustBooks, Nerul recently organ- standing lines, sleeping lines,
ized a workshop on Learn The Art curve lines and did this for near-
Of Drawing Comics in Mumbai. ly for 6 to 8 months.
The workshop was conducted by
Tinkle comics' illustrator for What future plans for Suppandi?
Suppandi, Archana Amberkar, dur- Suppandi is soon going to fea-
ing which she fielded questions from ture in an animated movie. The
her young fans. Here are some movie team will work on it.
excerpts:
Do you get bored being with
How long does it take for you to Suppandi every single day?
illustrate one Suppandi story? No, I love drawing Suppandi.
It depends on the story. If the story Apart from Suppandi, I also
is interesting, then it takes one day illustrate other characters like
else it takes two days. Pyarelal and Lajo, ZimZim and
Gotala, Ina, Mina, Mynah, Mo
Apart from the characters of Tinkle for Tinkle.
magazine, who are your favourite
comic characters? You have been drawing so
Phantom is my favourite comic char- many characters for the Tinkle
acter. comics, which character is the
easiest to draw?
If there is one thing you can change All the characters are easy to
about Suppandi, what would it be? draw. With practice everything
We are already working on to bring your character as an illustrator? becomes easy.
little changes in Suppandi. Today he is I gradually learned from my father, by
much more than just a domestic help. watching him draw every day and If you were to give Suppandi another
However we would like to maintain his admiring his work. name, what would it be?
innocence. I don't know, I have been drawing
What's the future of children books in Suppandi all the time…maybe you
Who gave the name Suppandi? India? should give some suggestion.
It was Mr Anant Pai, the founder of The future is very bright. People are
Tinkle comics who named the character again cherishing books. Walk into a Which is your favourite Suppandi story?
Suppandi. book store and you will notice that the All Suppandi stories are my favourite.
biggest section is for the children's The one which I relish the most is the
How did you think of creating and books. one in which Suppandi's employer
drawing Suppandi? hands him over a 'CD' and asks him to
It was my dad, Ram Waeerkar who cre- When was Suppandi first introduced in burn it. Suppandi goes ahead and literal-
ated and drew the first Suppandi. After Tinkle? When did you start drawing ly burns the CD.
him it was my brother who drew Suppandi?
Suppandi for a brief period before I took Suppandi was introduced in Tinkle No. After spending the whole day with
over. 27 by Ram Waeerkar. I started my career Suppandi, how do you unwind your-
as cartoonist with Tinkle in 1992. I start- self?
Tell us a bit about your childhood? ed drawing three panels of Suppandi Drawing Suppandi stories is in a way
I grew up watching two great artist jokes then switched to full length relaxing as his jokes are fun to draw. It's
work (My father Ram Waeerkar and Suppandi stories. the satisfaction of creating and the
brother Sanjeev (who is now with thought that it will be read and enjoyed
MAAC Institute) both had their studio's Having completed your graduation in by many children that keeps me going.
at home) and without realizing I learned commerce, what made you become an
a lot about art. illustrator? Was it family pressure as Would you create a new character?
both your father and brother were illus- Right now I am too busy with Suppandi
Did you read a lot of comics when you trators? to think of any another character.
were young? My father always respected my decision. Suppandi has his own comic now. It is
Yes. I always loved to read comics. Even So when I got bored of the odd jobs of called Suppandi 48, as it has 48 pages.
now I prefer a comic book to a novel. accounting I told him I would like to
draw. He completely supported me. Any life lessons you want to share with
If you were not an illustrator, what young fans of Suppandi?
would you be? Your dad taught you drawing! Was he a Success comes with hard work . Don't
I would like to be a fashion designer. strict teacher? hesitate to choose a career that you like.
Yes my father was a very strict teacher. I Only then you will be able to work with
How has your dad helped you to shape started with A,BC.... in drawing that is, passion and without pressure. 


Just Kids
Riddle Of The Seventh neighborhood. He intends to convert it
into an influx of steel and concrete, driv-
Stone ing millions of vermins to death.
Monideepa Sahu Rishabh hears of a treasure hidden away
Illustrator: Pooja Pottenkulam by an ancient king and sets about to find
Age group: 9-13 yrs it, but it turns out to be unbelievably
Pages: 178 tough. The Shark is also after it, and
Young Zubaan Books over the centuries, scores of treasure
hunters - humans and vermins alike had
tried, but in vain.
Jayanthi Harsha This book was written and published
in 2010. Monideepa Sahu reverted to
writing due to her dreary profession as

I
n the dark of night, the world is a banker. She has never looked back
taken over by creatures that we call ever since starting her literary career -
"vermin" - cockroaches, spiders, rats, now she has several titles under her belt,
mites, termites, leeches, mosquitoes etc. which includes A Rainbow Feast: New
It's a bustling community, much more Asian Stories and The Puffin Book of
hyperactive than the one which we Thatha's shop and Shashee just spins Mystery Stories. Pooja Pottenkulam, the
humans currently inhabit. webs all over the place and at times illustrator is trained as an animation
These communities are populated by jumps into Venkat Thata's coffee cup or filmmaker; her professional work also
populations' way more diverse than the scares the wits out of any spider-hating includes illustration, book design and
combined human population. What's customer who happened to come by her animation curating.
more, these vermins are much more way. This story is an easy-paced children's
capable than we humans make them out One night, one of the strangest and fiction and does not include an excess of
to be. unimaginable things happen-Rishabh magic. It also shows how active the ver-
As it goes, this story's central character and Shashee turn into humans due to min world really is with amazingly
is Rishabh the rat, one of those hyperac- some strange magic and the grand accurate descriptions of the scenes and
tive vermins, who considers himself adventure begins. Oddly enough, both drawings. The plot could have been
very ordinary. But the circumstances the vermins seem to have kept their ver- spiced up with a little more complexity
which he finds himself thrust into are min talents even when in human form. injected into the story. But overall the
extraordinary. Shashee, a spider, whose They manage to prove to Venkat story is very effective in portraying the
character entirely contrasts to that of Thatha's grandchildren, Deepak and feelings and preferences of vermins
Rishabh, is the next most important Leela that they used to be the vermins when compared to our own, hence mak-
character in the story. She is the matri- wandering the house once and slowly ing it a perfect read for youngsters,
arch of the spiders and has quite a high get settled in the household. more particularly the ones who are terri-
opinion of herself and looks down at her However, being a human also comes bly scared by the creepy crawlies! The
fellow vermins, especially Rishabh. with a price-there is school and lots of bizarre and magical events make you
Rishabh and Shashee live in an old nasty geometry homework which drives laugh at their absurdity, but in some
herb shop, ran by an absent-minded old Rishabh to his wits end. Even worse, strange way, they seem to be startling
man, Venkat Thatha. Rishabh considers there is a nasty moneylender, called possible and we find it easy to believe
himself to be an "organizer" and "data "The Shark", who is not only after that indeed it did happen - that's where
logger" of all the stuff in Venkat Venkat Thatha's property, but the whole the real magic of the story lies. 

JustBooks Picks for Young Readers
Busy Ants by Pulak Biswas Snoring Shanmugam by Radhika Atisa and the Seven Wonders by Anu
Chadha Kumar
The Tiny Seed by Eric Carle
The Crow Chronicles by Ranjit Lal The Key Of Chaos by Payal Dhar
Sameer's House by Nina Sabnani
See You Around, Sam by Lois Lowry Flute in the Forest by Leela Gour
Broome


Author in focus

Keki Daruwalla
experiences as a police Locations
Anindita Sengupta officer. It is true that
riot, crime and pover- AECS Layout
ty are part of many 65470141
poems. Daruwalla has Bellandur

H
aving published twelve said: "The exterior 25740710, 42118813
books over three world can't be wished Frazer Town
decades of his writing away, it is there like the 41644449
career, nine of them collections air" (Pratilipi.com June HSR Layout
of poetry, Keki N. Daruwalla is 2010). This engage- 22587430, 7259974251
the most important Indian poet ment with the world Indira Nagar
writing in English today. It's around him is palpa- 65831547, 42044157
not only that in a climate where ble. In Map-maker Jayanagar 5th Block
poetry is hard to publish, he has (2002), he writes a 9740894014, 42068676
The sea brought her in, JP Nagar-Dollar's
been consistent. It's also that he series of dramatic monologues
wrapped in seaweed Colony
has been active in contributing by mythic and imagined figures.
and slapped her on the sand, 42003087
to the life of the community,
all five feet of her JP Nagar
editing anthologies, serving as
with the armour of her scales 42351761
Secretary of the Sahitya
and the filigree of her rose Kalyan Nagar
Akademi, and guiding a
moles. 42084394, 9986072204
younger generation of poets.
Or ‘Requiem for a Hawk’ in Koramangala
His collected poems, Collected
which both the life and the 40982460
Poems ( 1970-2005) was pub-
death of the hawk are rendered Malleshwaram
lished by Penguin India in 2006.
with excellent visual charge. The 41280649
In an early essay called 'The
starting verses set the scene for Rajarajeshwari Nagar
Decolonised Muse' (later pub-
the hawk's death with precision 9535854732
lished at PoetryInternational
letting us see the hawk's flight, RMV II Stage
Web.org), Daruwalla talked
the hunt, the sky and the wrong- 23410800
about the problems of being
ness of the time like a quiet Sarjapur Road
an Indian poet writing in
sledge-hammer at the end of the 42129279
English. "The poem had to be
section. Vijaya Bank Layout
securely fastened to an Indian
Then breaking spiral and ring, 41645690
setting; should seek freshly
lean of body, he banked, Vijaynagar
upturned earth under a monsoon
climbing 42117539
downpour," he says and links
in an arc on still, nonchalant Whitefield
to this factor, his abiding
wings. 42053027, 32999406
interest in "place, site, land-
Peering for prey, his eyes Nerul Mumbai
scape." This concern with
bored 02227729788,
hybrid and exiled identity But his later poems are more
through space, till a salt-rinse 09004819059
strongly informs Daruwalla's philosophical as well. Concise
of air Dombivli
work. His poems have the curi- style and powerful imagery are
hit him, and the cavernous 02516505544
ous quality of being free and distinguishing characteristics of
roar, Pune
rooted at the same time. Time his work. His tone is often iron-
as of a subway train. It was 02025896016
and place are important as is ic, even cynical as he responds
the sea in high tide. His eye Hyderabad
Indian history and society. to the disenchantment of his
took in the heavens in one 04030560660
Winter Poems looks at the generation with "a landscape of
scouting look.
Emergency while Crossing of meaninglessness":
Rivers is about Varanasi. But "Then why should I tread the
He had come to the wrong sky.
Daruwalla writes formal as For
Greek wars, astronomy and Kafka beat
myth also find their way in. or the Waste Land,
well as free verse and his way
with rhyme is polished, musical-
franchise
From the Mahabharat to when Mother, you are near at
Roethke, Daruwalla's influences hand
ity an important part of his inquiries
poems. For anybody interested
are diverse, his world wide and
variegated.
one vast, sprawling defeat?"
His poems often have the arc
in Indian poetry in English, his contact:
work is a touchstone alongside
His work has sometimes been
criticised for being too literal,
and energy of paintings and his
descriptions of nature are espe-
Nissim Ezekiel, AK Ramanujan manager@
too direct in its rendering of his cially affecting. Consider 'Fish':
and Dom Moraes. 
justbooks
Advertise with us, contact (080)-6001-5285 or editor@justbooksclc.com
clc.com

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