Konkani writer Damodar Mauzo’s stories gently lead the reader deep into a world of real experiences — multilingual, multicultural, multireligious — laced with irony. If you are looking for a quick read that’s easy yet mindful, pick up The Wait and Other Stories by

Yes, Tomb of Sand is utterly, butterly original, all 700-odd pages of it. It’s no wonder that Geetanjali Shree, whose novel has won the International Booker Prize this year, has infused the Indian literary scene with new energy. This is the first time that a novel originally

We are constantly admonished never to judge a book by its cover, yet I often catch myself doing precisely that. Mmmm, too dull. Uff, so boring. Naa, not interesting. Oho, so unsmart, the book must be even less smart. These and a whole lot of other similarly

While mindless debates over national language, loudspeakers and uniforms distract and raise temperatures in an already overheated environment, the only sensible thing to do appears to be to soak in the fine thoughts of fine minds. In books, of course. Kavery Nambisan is known for her solid

When the centre cannot hold, as W B Yeats warned in ‘The Second Coming’, things fall apart, and ‘mere anarchy is loosed upon the world’. This is where we seem to be today. Where do we go from here is the tormenting question. While drowning in despondency, I

December 16 of last year was a milestone in the history of Bangladesh. This was the day, 50 years ago, that the people’s rallying cry of ‘Joy Bangla’ metamorphosed into the reality of an independent nation. For a variety of reasons, it seemed a good time to

We relate to these stories, said one young man. I feel like he’s telling my story, said another. Easy read, said a third. But there are also layers, clarified a fourth, it’s not so simple. And it flows with feelings, said a young woman. Listen, I love

This Is London by Ben Judah was longlisted for the Baillie Gifford prize for nonfiction in 2016. This award is touted as the UK’s premier honour for a work of nonfiction, and for those who enjoy nonfiction, a visit to its website is a must. The 2021

We have all heard the phrase: ‘out of the mouths of babes’. This was one reason I had not picked up Malala Yousafzai’s book, I Am Malala, all these years. Yes, she had lived through a terrible experience — being shot at by Taliban terrorists — at

There are a few people in my life with whom no conversation is complete without a discussion about books: What are you reading now? Have you read this one? How did you like that other one? So, when I opened a surprise package the other day, my

Few in India have shown the gumption that actor Naseeruddin Shah did to call out those in India celebrating the return of the Taliban in Afghanistan. In a video he said, “Even as the Taliban’s return to power in Afghanistan is cause for concern for the whole