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2009 Highlights

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The Storyteller’s Tale Omair Ahmad Penguin, Fiction Set in the 1700s, this manylayered tale with the quality of a timeless fable is a duel of narratives between a begum—a rich nobleman’s wife—and a storyteller in exile from his city, Delhi, laid waste by invaders. Each story reinforces something different—love, loyalty, friendship, anguish and betrayal; and each draws the storyteller deeper into a forbidden desire.

In razor-sharp prose that is also lyrical and evocative, Omair Ahmad has produced an unforgettable meditation on the nature of human longing and relationships.

The Puffin Mahabharata Namita Gokhale Puffin, Mythology Namita Gokhale’s exciting new retelling of the great Indian epic is a treat for young readers. Older readers will enjoy it, too. She shows brilliantly why the Mahabharata is timeless and always relevant—Ruskin Bond Like a modern-day suta or storyteller, Namita Gokhale brings alive India's richest literary treasure with astonishing ease and simplicity in this abridged retelling.

Wonderfully evocative and thoughtful illustrations by painter and animator Suddhasattwa Basu make this a vibrant, visual feast.

India Shashi Tharoor Penguin Studio, Photography This stunning coffee table book combines Shashi Tharoor’s superbly insightful essays—drawn from his bestselling book, The Elephant, the Tiger and the Cell Phone—and Ferrante Ferranti’s magnificent photographs to illustrate what makes India the country it is.

The sweep of this book captures the many aspects of everyday life in the country—from the busy ghats of the holy Ganga to the excitement of Bollywood; from the ancient Buddhist caves of Ajanta to the high-tech IT hubs of Bangalore.

Fear and Forgiveness: The Aftermath of Massacre Harsh Mander Penguin, Non-fiction Fear and Forgiveness is an honest and intensely personal account of the events that took place in Gujarat in 2002, and their aftermath. Harsh Mander not only talks about the circumstances that led to these riots, but also draws on other such incidents and the relationships between different communities throughout history to explain how riot situations are born and can be managed, or preferably averted. The book compels us to acknowledge the flaws in our judicial, social and rehabilitative structures while showing that the way forward must be one of sympathy, understanding and forgiveness.

Madhavrao Scindia: A Life Vir Sanghvi and Namita Bhandare Viking, Biography This is the story of a man who was born a maharaja but chose to live as a democratic citizen of India. Madhavrao Scindia, son of the last ruling king of Gwalior, was one of the most fascinating figures in contemporary Indian politics. Born with life’s plan neatly laid out for him—the title to a 21-gun salute state; a political career chosen for him by his mother; and vast estates in several cities—he sought instead to tread a path that was neither predictable nor easy. Vir Sanghvi and Namita Bhandare bring alive his tale in this riveting biography that is as much a chronicle of modern Indian politics as it is a portrait of a fascinating life.

A Place Within: Rediscovering India M.G. Vassanji Viking, Non-fiction Part travelogue and description, part history and meditation, and above all a quest for a lost homeland, A Place Within begins with Vassanji’s very first wide-eyed trip to India in 1993, then moves on to accounts from his subsequent and obsessive visits. An intimate chronicle filled with fantastic stories and unforgettable characters, it is rich with images of bustling city streets and contrasting Indian landscapes. Here, too, are the amazing histories of Delhi, Shimla, Gujarat and Kerala, and of Vassanji’s own family, members of the Khoja sect that draws on both Hinduism and Islam. Intelligent, deeply personal, beautifully written in a voice close in style to Vassanji’s brilliantly evocative fiction, A Place Within is a powerfully moving tale of personal discovery.

Delhi: Adventures in a Megacity Sam Miller Viking, Non-fiction This is a quirky, idiosyncratic walk through the city’s celebrated spots and its fascinating hidden places.

Miller’s encounters with Dilliwalas—from band masters to astrophysics professors—are vividly and warmly described and he has an unerring eye for the humanity, humour and the sheer diversity of this amazing megacity. With photographs.

Siddharth Dhanvant Shanghvi The Lost Flamingoes of Bombay Viking, Fiction This new novel by the best-selling author of The Last Song of Dusk follows the destinies of four lives that intersect in the great metropolis that is Bombay. When a gruesome incident draws them into a murky world of sex, crime and politics, the city is laid bare in all its menace and capriciousness. A riveting exposé of contemporary urban society and its perverse fascination with celebrity, The Lost Flamingoes of Bombay is equally about the terrible things we do in the name of love, and the redemptive powers of friendship.

Shortlisted for the Man Asian Literary Prize 2008

Nationalism Rabindranath Tagore (Introduction by Ramachandra Guha) Penguin, Modern Classics Nationalism is based on lectures delivered

by Rabindranath Tagore during the First World War. While the nations of Europe were doing battle, Tagore urged his audiences in Japan and the United States to eschew political aggressiveness and cultural arrogance. His mission: to synthesize East and West, tradition and modernity. The lectures were not always well received at the time, but they were chillingly prophetic. As Ramachandra Guha shows in his brilliant and erudite introduction, it was by reading and speaking to Tagore that those founders of modern India, Gandhi and Nehru, developed a theory of nationalism that was inclusive rather than exclusive.

Nationalism should be mandatory reading in today’s climate of xenophobia, sectarianism, violence and intolerance.

Why I Supported the Emergency: Essays and Profiles Khushwant Singh (Compiled and edited by Sheela Reddy)

The Al Qaeda Connection: Terror in Pakistan’s Tribal Areas Imtiaz Gul Viking, Non-fiction Known as Pakistan’s ‘epicentre of terror’, the remote and rugged regions on the Pakistan– Afghanistan border have become the refuge for Al Qaeda and Taliban leaders and fighters fleeing US forces in Afghanistan.

Pakistani journalist Imtiaz Gul traces how the tribal areas have become a cauldron of militancy that threatens the region and beyond.

Sam’s Story Elmo Jayawardena Viking, Fiction

Viking, Non-fiction Covering three quarters of a century, this provocative and thought-provoking collection by the grand old man of Indian letters includes essays on Indira and Sanjay Gandhi’s Emergency regime, the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, the life and loves of Amrita Shergil, the art of kissing and the importance of bathing.

Alongside these are candid and often intimate profiles of the people—ranging from the very famous to the very strange—he has known over the years. Compiled and edited by Sheela Reddy, Why I Supported the Emergency: Essays and Profiles is unadulterated Khushwant Singh.

Winner of the prestigious Gratiaen Award, Sam’s Story is an unforgettable tale about contemporary Sri Lanka: village life, urban life, ethnic conflict and poverty, global families and political corruption; of egg hoppers, Christmas parties, boxing dogs, love affairs and gin and tonics. But ultimately, it is the story of a country in the midst of an unending civil war and the effect it has on its people, afflicting every life, and leaving none untouched. A startling novel reminiscent of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the NightTime and Reef.

A Better India: A Better World N.R. Narayana Murthy Allen Lane, Non-fiction

The Hotel at the End of the World Parismita Singh Penguin, Fiction

One of the great visionary corporate leaders of our times, N.R. Narayana Murthy offers his insights on a variety of issues that face the nation—from education and entrepreneurship to globalization and national values—which must be tackled if we are to make the jump from ‘good’ to ‘better’.

This is a visionary and inspirational book about tomorrow’s India from a game-changing entrepreneur.

In the hotel at the end of the world it’s business as usual, as Pema dishes up rice and pork curry to travellers who stop by for a drink and refuge from the rains. Everyone here has a story to tell, and at times they end up revealing more than they want to...

Drawing from various oral story-telling and folklore traditions, and with influences ranging from Commando war comics to World War II history and Buddhist art, The Hotel at the End of the World marks a new height in graphic fiction in India.

You’re Hired!: How to Get That Job and Keep It Too Nasha Fitter Penguin, Self-Help

Red Sun: Travels in Naxalite Country (PB) Sudeep Chakravarti

You’re Hired! is an easy, step-bystep guide to appearing for job interviews and getting hired. It is written specially for Indian job contexts and situations, and provides a comprehensive guide to written and spoken English. It also has tips on e-mail and telephone etiquette, as well as tips on personal grooming and dressing for success. This is an essential book for both first-time job seekers and those looking to improve their communication skills and their position on the corporate ladder.

Penguin, Non-fiction In this brilliant and sobering examination of the ‘Other India’, Sudeep Chakravarti combines reportage, political analysis and individual case histories as he takes us to the heart of Maoist zones in the country—areas of extreme destitution, bad governance and perpetual war.

‘Chakravarti is a gifted writer…

Red Sun is an important work, because it chronicles a forbidden India whose reality we deny.’— The Telegraph

The Strike Anand Mahadevan Penguin, Fiction

Notes from a Small Room A wonderfully accomplished debut, and a tender story about childhood and family that is also evocative of a whole era.

—M.G. Vassanji The outpouring of public grief at the death of the film star turned politician MGR paralyses the city of Madras, and young Hari and his mother are trapped in a train.

Events unfold at a dramatic pace and innocence ends in tragedy.

Vivid, often erotic, and laced with humour, Mahadevan’s remarkable first novel is a coming-of-age tale replete with family ambitions, adolescent curiosity, sensuality, shame and danger.

Ruskin Bond Viking, Non-fiction ‘It’s the simple things in life that keep us from going crazy,’ Ruskin Bond writes in this delightful collection of essays, a celebration of the simple pleasures of a life welllived. Contemplating the sound of a tropical downpour, or on a year spent with his cat Suzie, or on the fragrance of lime trees in the Himalayas, one of India’s best-loved authors transports us to a quieter, more beautiful world where time moves at a generous pace. With insight, wisdom and wit, he invites us to revel in the elegance and intricacies of life and to poke fun at its absurdities.

On the Difficulty of Being Good: The Subtle Art of Dharma Gurcharan Das Allen Lane, Non-fiction

The Middleman Sankar

The author of India Unbound seeks to cast light on our contemporary moral dilemmas—personal and social, political and economic—by interrogating the Mahabharata, whose world of moral haziness and uncertainty is uncannily close to our experience today. What emerges is a doctrine of dharma that we can apply to our daily lives, our business decisions, and our interpersonal relationships.

(Translated by Arunava Sinha, winner of the Crossword Award for Best Translation 2008) Penguin, Fiction When Somnath, a young college graduate from Calcutta, fails to get a job in spite of his qualifications, he goes into business as a middleman, which, he soon discovers, imposes a painful choice between morality and survival. The trafficking of goods becomes human trafficking as he begins supplying call girls to his clients, and Somnath grows, from an idealistic individual, into a corrupt businessman who ends up offering his best friend's sister for a business favour.

Satyajit Ray’s award-winning film Jana Aranya (The Middleman) was based on this novel.

Swapnalok Society: The Good News Reporter Suchitra Krishnamoorthi Puffin, Fiction A cool gang of friends grapple with their complicated lives as they deal with eccentric neighbours, dog kidnappers, nosy relatives and many issues of the heart. A hip and breezy fiction series about growing up in Mumbai’s most happening residential complex: the Swapnalok Society.

The National Interest: The Decade of Decision Shekhar Gupta Viking, Non-fiction

One of the country’s best known journalists takes an incisive and provocative look at the events of 1998 to 2008—the decade that transformed India—challenging our assumptions on issues that range from modernity to identity, and from politics to cricket.

The Rediscovery of India Meghnad Desai Allen Lane, Non-fiction Meghnad Desai’s scholarly and original look at India over the last five hundred years traces the leaders and narratives that shaped India’s past, as well as all the collisions of ideas, narratives and aspirations that shape the present. This is a provocative, intelligent and absorbing look at India today.

Bollywood Musings: Selected Writings Anupama Chopra Foreword by Shahrukh Khan Viking, Cinema Anupama Chopra has been writing on Bollywood for the best part of two decades, in which time the film industry has transformed itself from a tinseltown of fragile dreams looking nervously to next Friday to a globally respected and fashionable moviemaking factory. This book contains her best pieces, including film reviews, personality profiles and articles on changing mores, as well as excerpts from her three books on Sholay, DDLJ and Shahrukh Khan.

The Wish Maker Ali Sethi Viking, Fiction

The Great Indian Love Story Ira Trivedi Penguin, Fiction

An exhilarating and richly human saga of love, friendship, politics and family ties, The Wish Maker, set in 1990s’ Pakistan, is the debut of an extraordinary storyteller.

Told in the voice of young Zaki, the lone male in a family of strong, independent women, it is the story of people looking for love and freedom, of the great metropolis, Lahore, of Benazir Bhutto and the promise she once held for a country oppressed by military rule, of Bollywood movie stars and the dreams they inspire.

The Great Indian Love Story is a darkly fascinating snapshot of the glittering and brittle lives of the rich and famous of Delhi, its glamorous ‘Page 3’ swish-set. It is the story of Riya, whose complacent torpor is shattered by a tragic love affair. It is the story of Amar Khanna—popular celebrity, trophy husband, cokeaddict and serial-adulterer; of Serena Prasad—an insecure, emotionally-battered hanger-on; and of their corrosive love. It is also the story of Parmeet, Serena’s mother, who finds passion outside her marriage, with disastrous consequences. Sex, revenge, hate, glitz, drugs, friendship, faith and a chilling murder come together to create a potent cocktail in this unputdownable novel on the perfidious nature of love, money and fame.

Monkeyman Usha K.R. (Winner of the 2008 Crossword Award for Best Fiction) Viking, Fiction Sightings of a ‘Monkeyman’ terrify Bangalore and four residents come together on a radio talk show to discuss the phenomenon. Usha K.R. tracks their very different destinies, and how the ‘Monkeyman’ personifies everyone’s most secret and terrible fears.

Gods of War

Stories Sudha Murthy Puffin, Fiction A charming collection that features, among others, a rare golden fish, a kind stepmother, a princess who lives in a banana tree and a king with the ears of a donkey. Told with tenderness, simplicity and gentle humour, these are stories that both entertain and educate. A treat for young readers from the best-selling author of How I Taught My Grandmother to Read and The Magic Drum.

Fugitive Histories

Ashok Banker

Githa Hariharan

Penguin, Fiction

Viking, Fiction

When a mysterious object the size of a small moon appears in the sky, the human race is thrown into disarray. Bizarre changes begin to occur, with many people manifesting strange, powerful mutations. When the infrastructure on earth collapses completely, it is left to a small, rag-tag group of strangers, gathered together by an alien entity that may or may not be an ancient Indian god, to escape from a crumbling Earth and set off for the stars on a mission to save the future of the human race...

Science fiction on a truly epic scale, Gods of War is a gripping new novel by the author of the hugely popular multi-volume retelling of the Ramayana.

In the aftermath of the unimaginable brutality that ravaged Gujarat in 2002, three women find their lives irreversibly altered. As their story unfolds, others emerge—of lives caught in a mesh of memory, anguish and hate, and of others seeking release in private dreams and valiant hopes.

In prose that is elegant, playful and startlingly inventive, Fugitive Histories exposes the legacy of prejudice that continues to affect disparate lives in present-day India.

Aryabhatta’s Children: How Science Will Transform India in the Twenty-first Century A.P.J. Abdul Kalam and Y.S. Rajan Allen Lane, Non-fiction Nuclear capability, agricultural selfsufficiency, an unmanned moon mission—India’s achievements in the scientific domain in recent years have been spectacular. But as this book shows, we’ve only just begun. The way ahead, according to Kalam and Rajan, lies through innovations in biofuel technologies, water resource management, climate control and recycling projects, and advances in the IT, space and consumer durable sectors.

Becoming Indian: The Unfinished Revolution

In the Name of the People: Reflections on Politics, Democracy and Development K.R. Narayanan Allen Lane, Non-fiction The Indian Constitution was born of secular, egalitarian and democratic traditions. But the guiding principles behind India’s democratic unity are scarcely understood today, and this has led to a corrosion of our political and administrative systems.

Narayanan charts a future course of development for India along a democratic path, where the focus will once again be on the individual citizen.

Pavan K. Varma Viking, Non-fiction In this important book, the acclaimed and best-selling author of The Great Indian Middle Class and Being Indian, examines the consequence of colonialism on the Indian psyche. Using examples and stories from recent Indian history, the contemporary social and political scene and personal experience, he shows how the legacy of colonialism persists ‘in a hundred myriad ways, affecting our language, culture, politics, everyday interactions across class, self-esteem, creative expression’ and our systems of governance. This insightful and rigorously argued book shows why India, and other formerly colonized nations, can never truly be free—and certainly not in any position of global leadership—unless they reclaim their cultural identity.

The Ethical Worker Subroto Bagchi Portfolio As India’s new achievers strive harder and harder to break records in profitability, what often tends to get overlooked is the ethical framework that any business of repute must be governed by. The result, a Satyam fiasco, or worse. For the responsible manager, personal integrity and adherence to workplace ethics must indicate part of a larger understanding of ethicality that applies to human transactions and business systems worldwide. Entrepreneurship expert Subroto Bagchi’s new book shows why, in order to be a successful manager, it is important to first be a responsible citizen.

A Tale of Two Revolts: India 1857 and the American Civil War Rajmohan Gandhi Viking, Non-fiction Rajmohan Gandhi’s new book takes a joint view of two events that took place on opposite sides of the globe at virtually the same time: the Indian Rebellion of 1857 and the American Civil War. The result is a story of two revolts, three countries (India, America and England) and one century (the nineteenth). It is a fascinating story that features five extraordinary Indians—Sayyid Ahmed Khan, Ishwarchandra Vidyasagar, Jyotiba Phule, Allan Octavian Hume and Bankimchandra Chatterjee; two towering figures of world history—Karl Marx and Leo Tolstoy: and William Howard Russell, perhaps the world’s first war correspondent, who witnessed both events.

A Time of Transition: Rajiv Gandhi to the 21st Century Mani Shankar Aiyar Viking, Non-fiction The two decades since Rajiv Gandhi’s term as prime minister have been a crucial time of transition for India.

Mani Shankar Aiyar has had a ringside view of the defining moments which have taken the country into an era of coalition politics, economic reforms, combating terrorism and repositioning its relations with Pakistan. These columns for the Indian Express, written in the author’s inimitable style, shed light on a critically significant era in contemporary India.

Also watch out for these exciting new titles in 2009

India’s Soft Power

Sethji

Book of Essays

Shobhaa Dé

Arundhati Roy

Shashi Tharoor

Penguin, Fiction

Viking, Non-fiction

Viking, Non-fiction

Vengeance of Ravana Sons of Sita Novel

Stupid Cupid

Upamanyu Chatterjee

Mamang Dai

Viking, Fiction

Penguin, Fiction

(The final two books in the Ramayana series)

Ashok Banker

Penguin, Fiction

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