Will you gift the mundane box of soan papdi or dry fruits again this festive season? These sugar treats will expire in a few days or will probably be passed on to another relative or friend.
How about giving a gift that lasts for a lifetime? A gift that could light up your loved one’s world and will never leave them alone?
Yes, books! Books are the sweetest sugar alternatives and will stay with your friends and family…even after the last page. Hence, we have a book for all–be it the Gen Z cousin or the teen-patti-obsessed chachu, your fashionista neighbour or that sweet-tooth bua–there’s a book for everyone!
This festive season, #GiftForLife #GiftAPenguin!
The coolest gifts for every Gen Z in your life
Everything Is Out of Syllabus
Varun Duggirala
Everything Is Out of Syllabus || Varun Duggirala
Banaras Talkies
Satya Vyas
Banaras Talkies || Satya Vyas
Beauty Unbottled
Kavita Khosa
Beauty Unbottled || Kavita Khosa
Yuktahaar
Munmun Ganeriwal
Yuktahaar || Munmun Ganeriwal
The Art of Bitfulness
Nandan Nilekani & Tanuj Bhojwani
The Art of Bitfulness || Nandan Nilekani Tanuj Bhojwani
Do you have a cousin for whom fantasy >>>> reality?
Samsara
Saksham Garg
Samsara || Saksham Garg
Where The Cobbled Paths Lead
Avinuo Kire
Where the Cobbled Path Leads || Avinuo Kire
Sinbad and the Trumpet of Israfil
Kevin Missal
Sinbad and the Trumpet of Israfil || Kevin Missal
Sinbad and the Tomb of Alexander
Kevin Missal
Sinbad and the Tomb of Alexander || Kevin Missal
Rising Like a Storm
Tanaz Bhathena
Rising Like A Storm || Tanaz Bhathena
For the health-conscious buddy
On The Pickle Trail
Monish Gujral
On The Pickle Trail || Monish Gujral
Degh To Dastarkhwan
Tarana Husain Khan
Degh To Dastarkhwan || Tarana Husain Khan
Whose Samosa Is It Anyway
Sonal Ved
Whose Samosa Is It Anyway || Sonal Ved
This Handmade Life
Nandita Iyer
This Handmade Life || Nandita Iyer
For the matchmaker in your circle
Something I’m Waiting To Tell You
Shravya Bhinder
Something I’m Waiting To Tell You || Shravya Bhinder
The book was first published in India in 2020 as Chats With The Dead
Penguin Random House India is proud to announce that critically acclaimed Sri Lankan writer Shehan Karunatilaka’s The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida, which was first published by Penguin India as Chats With The Dead, has won this year’s Booker Prize for Fiction.This is the first Booker Prize for Shehan.This was also the first time that books originating from an Indian publisher had been nominated for the Booker Prize two years in a row. In 2021, Anuk Arudpragasam’s A Passage Northwas in the running forthe Booker Prize. Tomb of Sand, written by Geetanjali Shree, translated by Daisy Rockwell, and published by Penguin in India, was also the winner of the International Booker Prize 2022.
A classic whodunit with a brilliant twist, The Seven Moons of Maali Almeidasearingly exposes the plight of a country caught in the aftermath of civil war.Embroiled in red tape, memories of war, and ethical dilemmas, this unforgettable story captures readers right from the very first page up to its startling denouement, constantly upending its premise with its staggering humanity.
Manasi Subramaniam, Associate Publisher andHead of Rights at Penguin Random House India and the editor of the book, said, ‘The Seven Moons of Maali Almedia by Shehan Karunatilaka is a masterful work of modern philosophy that insists on being uproariously funny through all its deft acrobatics through the living and the dead. I am delighted that this brilliant book has won the Booker Prize 2022.’
Meru Gokhale,Publisher, Penguin Press, Penguin Random House India, says, ‘I am absolutely delighted at the honour and recognition being given to Shehan Karunatilaka’s work. It’s wonderful to see writers from South Asia receive long-overdue international recognition in this extraordinary year for Penguin Press, through both the Booker International Prize for Tomb of Sand and the Booker Prize for The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida.’
The Booker Prize 2022’s jury is chaired by Neil MacGregor, cultural historian, writer and broadcaster along with a five-person panel- Critics Shahidha Bari and M. John Harrison, historian Helen Castor and novelist and poet Alain Mabanckou.
About the author:
Shehan Karunatilaka is a Sri Lankan writer whose first book Chinaman won the Commonwealth Book Prize, the DSC Prize for South Asian Literature, and the Gratiaen Prize, and was shortlisted for the Shakti Bhatt First Book Prize.
The fall and the festive season are here…and so are our October releases! After all, what’s a better way to welcome this new month than by reading diverse stories to your little ones? So, spend time exploring the magic in the world, learning about gods and goddesses, and embarking on great adventures with our October releases!
Scroll through our recommendations and discover the best October releases for your kids!
*
The Magic of the Lost Story
The Magic of the Lost Story || Sudha Murty
After staying in the lockdown for over a year, Nooni is now visiting her Ajja-Ajji in Somanahalli. Memories of excavating the famous stepwell and experiencing village life for the first time in The Magic of the Lost Temple are still afresh in Nooni’s mind. Excited to finally step out of the confines of her home, little does Nooni know she will make yet another discovery, only this time it’s a missing puzzle in her family’s history.
Written in India’s favourite storyteller’s inimitable style, The Magic of the Lost Story captures the value of asking questions and keeping the answers alive. Packed with delightful artworks and wondrous terrains, this story takes you on an unforgettable journey as it follows the magnificent Tungabhadra River.
The People of the Indus
The People of the Indus || Nikhil Gulati, Jonathan Mark Kenoyer
Who were the people of the Indus?
Why didn’t they build pyramids like the Egyptians?
And ultimately what happened to them?
Supported by extensive research from a leading Indus archaeologist, this graphic novel seeks answers to precisely these questions. It is not history in the form of a dull record of dates and events but a beautifully illustrated glimpse into the lives of the people of the Indus civilization, dating all the way back to 3200 BCE. The People of the Indus is a rare account of how one of the most unique and enigmatic civilizations of the ancient world changed the course of human history. It is sure to enthrall young adults and older readers alike.
My Little Book of Durga
My Little Book of Durga
When Mahishasura makes the world weep and moan,
Who can stop him? Mighty Durga alone!
With charming illustrations and simple language, this short tale about the eternally powerful Goddess Durga will entertain and delight.
This series of charmingly illustrated board books introduces kids to some of the best-known and best-loved gods from popular Hindu mythology, including Krishna, Ganesha, Lakshmi, Hanuman, Shiva, and Durga.
Read aloud or read together with kids as they hear fascinating stories about the mighty Goddess Durga who is worshipped as Shakti or female power.
Dotted with interesting facts about each god as well as an interactive seek-and-find activity. Suitable for bedtime reading and parent-child association. Perfect way to familiarize children with India’s rich cultural fabric. These books offer a fun and enjoyable introduction to timeless myths and festivals for modern kids.
For ages: 3+ year
My Little Book of Hanuman
My Little Book of Hanuman
Hanuman wants to be big and strong.
But why does it have to take so long?
With charming illustrations and simple language, this short tale about Hanuman will entertain and delight.
Collect all six books in the series!
For ages: 3+ year
My Little Book of Shiva
My Little Book of Shiva
There are lots of stories about Shiva’s greatness and might.
Which one will Ganesha and Kartikeya hear tonight?
With charming illustrations and simple language, this short tale about Shiva will entertain and delight.
Collect all six books in the series!
This series of charmingly illustrated board books introduces kids to some of the best known and best loved gods from popular Hindu mythology, including Krishna, Ganesha, Lakshmi, Hanuman, Shiva and Durga.
For ages: 3+ year
Ramanujan
Ramanujan || Arundhati Venkatesh
Srinivasa Ramanujan wants to go to school in Kumbakonam only to do maths but his class has no maths teacher this year.
Instead, there is a series of substitutes making the boys do strange exercises–lifting iron ingots, measuring milk, jumping from one island to another and frying fish. Ramanujan wants no part in it, but he and his team, the Kumbakonam Krackerjacks are drawn into a challenge with the Triumphant Trio–and in any maths challenge, Ramanujan has to win!
Filled with rollicking humour, puns, puzzles, this meticulously researched novel describes the childhood of one of the world’s greatest mathematicians in a vividly imagined historical setting. Priya Kuriyan’s joyful illustrations capture his daily life in striking detail.
The Great Minds at Work series looks at the childhoods of people who made history against the backdrop of the times and places they grew up in.
Inni & Bobo: Go to the Park
Inni & Bobo: Go to the Park || Soha Ali Khan, Kunal Kemmu
Little Inni adopts the scruffy-looking Indie puppy Bobo, and finally, he is home! But Bobo is still scared of everything-even the running water. Now it is all up to Inni, his new best friend, to help him learn and adapt to the ways of his new life. And what better way to do it than to head out to the park on Sunday the Funday! After all, it’s the best place to explore new things and even meet new people.
Endearing and narrated with a lot of heart, the Inni and Bobo Series, is not only about a little child finding friendship but also about the beauty of adopting dogs. It’s about learning empathy and imperative life lessons, and most importantly opening one’s heart and homes-which is what life is all about.
For ages: 4+ years
Andaman Adventure: The Jarawa
Andaman Adventure: The Jarawa || Deepak Dalal
This is the seventh book in the Vikram-Aditya series following from Koleshwar’s Secret and is the first of the two-part ‘Andaman Adventure’ books.
The Andaman coast, north and west of the capital city of Port Blair, is an unspoiled stretch of beauty. This untamed coast has only been partly explored. Large sea eagles prowl its blue skies, saltwater crocodiles patrol meandering creeks, and lush and dense forests unfold behind isolated beaches.
These magnificent forests are home to the proud and ancient people of this land known to outsiders as the Jarawa. Wielding arrows and spears, the Jarawa fiercely protect their wild abode, attacking those who dare enter into their sacred space.
Vikram and Aditya, accompanied by Chitra, a free-spirited girl much like the islands themselves, embark on an adventure of a lifetime along this very coast. On a moonlit night they venture up a forbidden creek where danger lurks in the shadows awaiting them. Find out what happens next in this thrilling adventure series set in India’s farthest-most region.
Andaman Adventure: Barren Island
Andaman Adventure: Barren Island || Deepak Dalal
This is the eighth and final book in the Vikram-Aditya series and the second of the two-part ‘Andaman Adventure’ books after The Jarawa.
When the book begins, Vikram, Aditya and Chitra are in Port Blair, the capital city of the Andamans. The trio are recuperating from their recent adventure in the remote Jarawa Jungles in the Andaman Islands. While exploring this colourful city, Vikram stumbles upon a series of intriguing clues. However, the investigations he conducts end up ruffling some feathers and manage to upset some powerful criminals. To escape their wrath, Vikram is forced to undertake a secret voyage destined for unknown shores, under cover of darkness.
In the remote corners of the Andaman Sea lies an island called Barren. Vikram arrives at this uninhabited and forgotten outpost of India, and soon discovers that it is not just a band of desperate men he must pit his wits against. Primal forces of nature, the very ones that shaped our planet, are at work on Barren Island, and Vikram and his companions have to face these challenges as well. Finally, this scintillating adventure series comes to a fiery and exhilarating climax on Barren Island’s isolated shores.
Run to the bookstore to get your copies of these October releases or order them online. Have a good time reading our curated October releases!
The JCB Prize for Literature has just unveiled its 2022 Longlist and we have three books in the run. Shortlist to be announced on 7th October 2022. Stay Tuned!
In northern India, an eighty-year-old woman slips into a deep depression after the death of her husband, and then resurfaces to gain a new lease on life. Her determination to fly in the face of convention – including striking up a friendship with a transgender person – confuses her bohemian daughter, who is used to thinking of herself as the more ‘modern’ of the two.
To her family’s consternation, Ma insists on travelling to Pakistan, simultaneously confronting the unresolved trauma of her teenage experiences of Partition, and re-evaluating what it means to be a mother, a daughter, a woman, a feminist.
Rather than respond to tragedy with seriousness, Geetanjali Shree’s playful tone and exuberant wordplay results in a book that is engaging, funny, and utterly original, at the same time as being an urgent and timely protest against the destructive impact of borders and boundaries, whether between religions, countries, or genders.
Can a life be like a jigsaw puzzle, pieces waiting to be conjoined? Like a game of hide-and-seek? Like playing statues? Can memories have colour? Can the sins of the father survive his descendants?
In a family – is it a family if they don’t know it? – that does not rely on the weakness of memory runs a strange register of names. The odd book of baby names has been custom-made on palace stationery for the patriarch, an eccentric king, one of the last kings of India, who dutifully records in it the name of his every offspring. As he bitterly draws his final breaths, eight of his one hundred rumoured children trace the savage lies of their father and reckon with the burdens of their lineage.
Layered with multiple perspectives and cadences, each tale recounted in sharp, tantalizing vignettes, this is a rich tapestry of narratives and a kaleidoscopic journey into the dysfunctional heart of the Indian family. Written with the lightness of comedy and the seriousness of tragedy, the playfulness of an inventive riddle and the intellectual heft of a philosophical undertaking, The Odd Book of Baby Names is Salim’s most ambitious novel yet.
Mumbai was almost submerged on the fatal noon of 26 July 2005, when the merciless downpour and cloudburst had spread utter darkness and horror in the heart of the city. River Mithi was inundated, and the sea was furious. At this hour of torturous gloom, Rohzin begins declaring in the first line that it was the last day in the life of two lovers, Asrar and Hina.
The arc of the novel studies various aspects of human emotions, especially love, longing and sexuality as sublime expressions. The emotions are examined, so is love as well as the absence of it, through a gamut of characters and their interrelated lives: Asrar’s relationship with his teacher, Ms Jamila, a prostitute named Shanti and, later, with Hina; Hina’s classmate Vidhi’s relations with her lover and others; Hina’s father Yusuf’s love for Aymal; Vanu’s indulgence in prostitutes.
Rohzin dwells on the plane of an imagination that takes readers on a unique journey across the city of Mumbai, a highly intriguing character in its own right.
September is here and the summer heat is slowly coming to a halt and the pleasant breeze is soon going to make your kids’ days even more cheerful! After the little ones have studied at school and played in the park, let them spend time reading amazing stories.
Check out our September releases and introduce your kids to diverse topics that they’d thoroughly enjoy reading.
Roshan’s Road to Music
Roshan’s Road to Music || Mamta Nainy
For ages: 5+ years
A unique biography that explores and celebrates the life of a musician as a passionate little girl. Right from her childhood, Annapurna Devi, also known as Roshan, had an ear for music. She found rhythm and melody in the most mundane sounds. She listened with wonder to the koel cooing and her grandmother snoring. But when her father gave sarod lessons to her brother, Roshan was moved to make music of her own. How did Roshan embark on her musical journey?
A Chera Adventure
A Chera Adventure || Preetha Leela Chockalingam
For ages: 9+ years
Curious and spirited, Sharadha loves living life in her ancestral tharavadu. The grand ol’ house, Vishwasam, is right in the heart of her beloved Marayur, in the Chera kingdom. The house is also the centre of activities as Devaki Amma, her grandmother, is a healer for the King no less! Life is good in the sleepy village!
But her inquisitiveness takes Sharadha on an unintended adventure. Trying to investigate a secret, she chances upon a mysterious trader and ends up in the bustling city of Mahodayapuram. And it’s not just any city but the busy multicultural melting pot of the Cheraman Perumal Empire!
As she traverses the metropolis, Sharadha gets pulled into the magical colours, languages, religions, and the vibrancy of the city. She now realizes how complex the Capital is from her small village life-full of intrigue and political scandals. But as a sudden war with the ambitious and powerful Chola Dynasty looms on the horizon, Sharadha pines to get back to her old quiet life in Marayur.
Peek into an account of what life was like during the final years of the Chera Dynasty of the eleventh century Kerala!
We have published amazing books in August for you and our young readers. So, spend the holidays and long weekends with your little ones reading them stories of courageous people and helping them understand India’s history.
The Train to Tanjore
The Train to Tanjore || Devika Rangachari
Tanjore, 1942
There are few excitements in Thambi’s quiet life. There is the new hotel, disapproved of by elders, which lures him with the aroma of sambar with onions. There are visits to the library to read the newspaper, and once in a while, a new movie at the Rajaram Electric Theatre. More disagreeably, there are fortnightly visits from his uncle to lay down the law.
When Gandhiji announces the Quit India movement, Tanjore is torn apart by protests. The train station-the lifeline of the town-is vandalized. Mysterious leaflets are circulated, containing news that newspapers do not publish. And inspired by the idea of a free India and his own dreams of being an engineer, Thambi must find the courage to do what he believes is right, even when it endangers all he holds dear.
The Songs of Freedom series explores the lives of children across India during the struggle for independence.
A Conspiracy in Calcutta
A Conspiracy in Calcutta || Lesley D. Biswas
Calcutta, 1928
As the student protests gather momentum all across Calcutta, and police atrocities grow, ten-year-old Bithi wants to join in the struggle for freedom.
But living in a society where her best friend is to be married and just the fact that she is going to school is regarded with disapproval, how can Bithi play a substantial part? How can she fight those who are dearest to her? Discouraged but not daunted, Bithi schemes and plots and lies and is drawn into unexpected danger-all for the sake of fighting injustice in all its forms.
The Songs of Freedom series explores the lives of children across India during the struggle for independence.
After Midnight
After Midnight || Meghaa Gupta
At the time of independence, few believed that a country made up of over 500 princely states and British provinces could survive as a nation, even for a few years. That a land stripped of its riches, wracked by disease and famine and divided along tense communal lines, could thrive in its ambition and aspirations. Yet, in 75 years since independence, India has grown beyond anyone’s expectation. Today it’s an Asian powerhouse, poised to become the third largest economy in the world. In many ways, this is one of the greatest underdog-beating-the-odds stories in world history.
How did India get this far? What were the sweeping social, cultural, scientific, political, military, environmental and economic developments it witnessed along the way? Interspersed with personal anecdotes, illustrations, infographics, informative timelines and pull quotes, After Midnight gives a powerful context to the present and revels in the diverse and remarkable ideas that have come to shape this great nation. It attempts to provide young readers with perspective, meaning, and food for thought as they try to comprehend the many facets of this fascinating country. This well-researched, accessible and definitive handbook tells the story of India like never before.
The Vanguards of Azad Hind
The Vanguards of Azad Hind || Gayathri Ponvannan
The year is 1943 in British India . . .
Kayal is a 16-year-old freedom fighter who takes part in marches, burns British goods and sabotages trains-all without the knowledge of her law-abiding family. So, it comes as quite a surprise when Kayal discovers that her aunt Uma is a soldier in the Azad Hind Fauj, the all-volunteer Indian National Army from Southeast Asia led by Subhash Chandra Bose, which aims to free India!
By what Kayal considers a huge stroke of luck, Uma agrees to take her along to a recruitment camp in Burma. Suddenly, the war, which had once seemed a distant thrill, now becomes a horrific reality.
Packed with adventures of teenagers as they join military boot camps, and set off on the most exciting journey of their lives, The Vanguards of Azad Hind is an ode to the Azad Hind Fauj and its women’s unit, the Rani of Jhansi regiment, whose soldiers proved to be trailblazers with their feisty passion to fight for India’s freedom.
Misfit Madhu
Misfit Madhu || Divya Anand
Madhu is a shy middle-grade developer who spends her holidays creating her dream app, ‘School Santhe’. Soon, the app goes viral…and so does she! And why not? After all, an app where everyone at school can trade stuff is the app they’ve all been waiting for! Madhu now sets her sights on winning the GoTek young developers contest.
But when School Santhe is used to selling leaked test papers, she’s faced with the hardest decision of her life:
a) Shut down the app that made her popular?
b) Or stay silent and become part of something…criminal?
As her dreams begin to crumble – with the entire school now blaming her for the mess her app has caused – Madhu realizes that sometimes, it’s far easier to debug an app than it is to debug your life!
Get your copies of these books from your nearest bookstore or via Amazon.
When we think of the picture-perfect family, it’s impossible to leave pets out of the picture. Especially, the human-dog relationship which is not new. It’s so traditional to society, that there’s archaeological evidence for it!
Taking in a pet, no matter how normal today, may seem overwhelming. Thinking about its effects can be a great way of getting started. How will having a furry friend in the family help the house? This is where ‘adopt don’t shop’ becomes more than just a call for animal rights. By adopting pets, we open the doors to life lessons unteachable in school.
Read on to find out how something as straightforward as pet adoption could be more fulfilling than imagined!
Teaching Boundaries
As kids, one of the first difficult things we learn is that we won’t always get what we want. Something as simple as ‘no, you cannot have ice-cream at 9 a.m.’ could be difficult to process. When a puppy is in the house, there will be times when the furry friend won’t be in the mood to play. The child might be upset by this, but over time it will understand that the puppy has its own wants and needs. This also contributes to better Emotional Intelligence, as discovered and confirmed by studies.
Routine and Structure
Having to teach a puppy to not go potty in the house, making sure it obeys orders shows the child examples of how routine and structure are for the better. By establishing a daily timeline for their furry friend(s), kids also land up following a similarly organized structure.
Inni & Bobo Find Each Other||Soha Ali Khan and Kunal Kemmu
Compassion and empathy
Perhaps the winning argument for adoption is that it gives a second life to a stray. By downplaying on the breed of a dog, taking a puppy from a shelter helps kids learn about empathy and compassion. The words aren’t abstract terms but real experiences that they will always refer to when thinking about kindness and helping others.
Self-Esteem and Independence
When kids participate in taking care of pets, they unknowingly give themselves examples of performing tasks. Kids are less likely to be underconfident about their abilities when they already know they can take care of another living being!
We hope these pointers helped you visualize a pet-friendly life with your children. Remember, adopt don’t shop!
*
Inni and Bobo Find Each Other is available at your nearest bookstore as well as on Amazon.
Sudha Murty’s latest release is a fun celebration of the national fruit, the juicy and scrumptious mango!
The following excerpt is the first chapter of How The Mango Got Its Magic. Get your copy now from bookstores or head to Amazon to order!
How the Mango Got its Magic||Sudha Murty
*
Chapter One
Once upon a time, there was a beautiful mango grove on the outskirts of a village. Dinkar was the owner of the grove and Shyam was his hardworking son.
Back in those days, mangoes were ornamental fruits with beautiful colours and shapes, but they were not very tasty—they were more sour than sweet.
One day, it began to rain heavily and there was a knock on the door of Dinkar’s house.
When Dinkar opened the door, he saw an old man standing at his doorstep. The old man said, ‘Hello. I got caught in the rain. Will you let me in? I will leave once it stops raining.’
Dinkar generously welcomed him in. ‘It looks like the rain will not stop today, but it may cease tomorrow. Please come in. You can take shelter here.’
The old man entered the house. Shyam made him a hot meal and gave him some water to drink. The old man gulped the water down and devoured the food quickly, within minutes.
After a loud burp of satisfaction, he smiled at Shyam and Dinkar and said, ‘That was a wholesome meal.’
He took out a mango from his bag and gave it to Dinkar. ‘This is for both of you,’ he said. ‘Please cut it and eat it immediately.’
Dinkar looked at the mango. It looked like it was one of the very sour ones. He did not want to insult his guest, so he cut the mango and bit into it. His eyes popped in wonder and he turned to his son, ‘Shyam, all the mangoes I have eaten in my life have been sour—like the taste of lemon. Though we have a mango grove, we never eat the mangoes that grow here. But this mango is fantastic and unusually sweet. It’s absolutely delicious! Go on, try it.’
Shyam took his first bite and nodded his head vigorously in agreement. This mango was indeed sweet and tasty. Shyam had never even heard of sweet mangoes!
‘Plant this mango seed. The tree will grow quickly and produce more mangoes like the one you ate just now,’ the old man smiled and said.
The next morning it stopped raining. The old man thanked Dinkar and Shyam for their timely hospitality and left.
A unique picture book about science and the wild world, Little Jagadish and The Great Experiment encourages little ones to nurture curiosity. Based on the life and mind of real-life scientist Jagadish Chandra Bose, the following excerpt shows the educational combination of outdoor learning and books.
Little Jagadish and The Great Experiment||Anjali Joshi & Debasmita Dasgupta
*
One day at school,
while watering the plants,
he hummed a tune and did a little dance.
All of a sudden,
with a small pop,
an idea appeared
and he came to a stop.
‘I wonder if, like us,
plants can hear, too.’
His teacher listened
and her bright eyes grew.
‘Well, no one knows,’
Miss Pooja said.
Jagadish was stunned.
He scratched his head.
With that,
Miss Pooja’s
excitement
grew more.
She saw that
Jagadish had
opened a door.
‘In this world,
mysteries abound.
Books are not
where all answers
are found.’
‘Start with a question,
like you’ve already done.
Then, make a guess.
This is where it gets fun!
Do some experiments
and find some clues.
Make observations, see if your guess is true.’
*
Get your copy of Little Jagadish and The Great Experiment from your nearest bookstore or Amazon.
You must have read several stories by Ruskin Bond, but have you read a story about how he began his literary journey in London?
Ruskin Bond’s latest release, Listen to Your Heart, captures memorable experiences from young Ruskin’s life and is an inspiration for aspiring young writers, a meditation on embracing fears, and seizing every opportunity. Read this excerpt from the book to get a glimpse.
*
Listen to Your Heart: The London Adventure || Ruskin Bond
The first draft of my journal had been doing the rounds of a few London publishers, and coming back with polite comments and regrets. The post was usually delivered around lunchtime, and whenever there was a thud on the floor of the front door, my cousins would look up from their meal with a knowing grin, as if to say, ‘Poor Ruskin, nobody wants his masterpiece.’
But along with the third or fourth flop of the returned manuscript came a letter from the editor at André Deutsch Ltd, a new publisher who was making a name and a reputation with some offbeat publications. The editor who wrote to me was called Diana Athill, and she wrote a very sympathetic letter, saying how much she liked the book and promising to reconsider it if I would consider turning it into a work of fiction, a full-fledged novel.
As a writer, I have always been ready to learn and to please those who encourage good writing, and I wrote back saying I would do as suggested.
There was no one with whom I could share this good news—my uncle and cousins would have considered it just another polite rejection. So I went out for one of my lonely walks along the seafront, and confided my hopes and dreams in the waves as they came crashing against the sea wall. That island only came to life for me when it was blowing a gale. I loved leaning against the wind, feeling the rain stinging my face, and listening to the roar of the angry sea as the tide came in.
As I walked alone down that rain-lashed pier, I knew I was going to be a writer—a good one— and that no one could stop me. The wind and the rain were allies; they were a part of me, and they would be a part of my work. But it was to be a few months before I could launch out on my own, and during that time, I worked on the novel, pleased my employers and got on with my relatives as best as I could. My aunt never bothered me; in fact, she rather liked having me around. The youngest of my cousins was a friendly little chap; the other two rather resented me. Whenever I had the opportunity, I went to the cinema, and one of the films released at the time was Jean Renoir’s The River, based on the novel by Rumer Godden. This beautiful film made me so homesick that I went to see it several times, wallowing in the atmosphere of an India, a lot like the India l had known. The ‘river’, and its eternal flow became a part of my story too, especially the part where Kishen and Rusty cross the Ganga on the way back to their homes. And back in India, a young filmmaker called Satyajit Ray saw The River and realised that a film could also be a poem, and went about making his own cinematic poetry.
With some help from my employers, I had acquired a baby portable typewriter, priced at £19, and I was going along quite merrily, working on the novel and keeping up my journal. But then disaster struck.
**
Inquisitive to know what happens next?
Get a copy of Ruskin Bond’s Listen to Your Heart from your nearest bookstore or online.
With that,
But along with the third or fourth flop of the returned manuscript came a letter from the editor at André Deutsch Ltd, a new publisher who was making a name and a reputation with some offbeat publications. The editor who wrote to me was called Diana Athill, and she wrote a very sympathetic letter, saying how much she liked the book and promising to reconsider it if I would consider turning it into a work of fiction, a full-fledged novel.
were allies; they were a part of me, and they would be a part of my work. But it was to be a few months before I could launch out on my own, and during that time, I worked on the novel, pleased my employers and got on with my relatives as best as I could. My aunt never bothered me; in fact, she rather liked having me around. The youngest of my cousins was a friendly little chap; the other two rather resented me. Whenever I had the opportunity, I went to the cinema, and one of the films released at the time was Jean Renoir’s The River, based on the novel by Rumer Godden. This beautiful film made me so homesick that I went to see it several times, wallowing in the atmosphere of an India, a lot like the India l had known. The ‘river’, and its eternal flow became a part of my story too, especially the part where Kishen and Rusty cross the Ganga on the way back to their homes. And back in India, a young filmmaker called Satyajit Ray saw The River and realised that a film could also be a poem, and went about making his own cinematic poetry.