Books

'30 Timeless Compositions of Carnatic Music' review: A masterclass in mindful listening

With a conversational yet sophisticated intellect, Vidya Bhavani Suresh seeks to bridge the chasm between the casual listener and an art form often perceived as hermetically sealed

5 Works by Kafka You Should Not Miss

‘1 More Than 8’ review: On humanity in nine shades

In ‘1 More Than 8’, the author chooses to drag out the nine emotions into the vicissitudes of ordinary life, rather than keeping them hidden behind tough concepts and verbose language

Remembering Marjane Satrapi: Art, resistance, and love

Satrapi used her art to express anger and resentment towards injustices, transforming her experiences into a "universal fable" recognised for its tenderness and irony.

S. Hareesh and Jayasree Kalathil interview: Reimagining an independent Travancore in new book 'August 17'

Blending fictional characters with historical figures such as Vaikom Muhammad Basheer, the novel moves beyond historical fiction into an exploration of storytelling itself, and how stories shape nations, politics, and collective memory

'Indonesia: The Beautiful Archipelago' review: An Indian lens on post-independence Indonesia

At the core of ex-Ambassador Aftab Seth's book is the melding together of a multi-ethnic and multi-religious society during the 8 decades since Indonesia’s independence

'Between Tehran and Tel Aviv' book review: The Gaza catalyst in the West Asian crisis

Originally intended to focus on Palestine, the book ends up being currently relevant by tracing the seeds of the Israel/US-Iran conflict to the killing fields of Gaza

‘The Courtesan, Her Lover and I’ book review: From Rampur, with love

What has drawn writers and poets to the character of the 'tawaif' (courtesan) is the paradox—they sell intimacy on one hand, while yearning for 'real' love on the other

'Table for Four' book review: Mapping Delhi’s culinary memory through friendship and flavour

'Table for Four' reminds us that the story of a city is often best told not through monuments or maps, but through meals shared over time

Anirudh Tewari's ‘Contemplations of Ram Sewak’: Bridging ancient wisdom and modern life

'Contemplations of Ram Sewak' by Anirudh Tewari delves into the shared philosophical wisdom of the Bhagavad Gita and the Ramcharitmanas, offering reflective essays that connect ancient teachings to contemporary life

‘The Unbecoming’ book review: A familiar spiritual quest gets a contemporary spin

'The Unbecoming', written by Kartikeya Vajpai, presents a contemporary spin on the tales of Siddharthas who have walked the path of 'unbecoming'

'Travels in the Other Place' book review: A breath of fresh perspective

Travel, for Pallavi Aiyar, is not about geography as much as it is about discovery

Ukraine displays resilient culture at 49th International Kolkata Book Fair amid ongoing war against Russia

The Ukraine stall is also portraying determination in the face of Russian aggression by putting up a map that includes disputed areas

Is geopolitics behind US, Bangladesh omission from 49th International Kolkata Book Fair?

There are around 1,100 stalls and nearly 20 countries participating in the 49th edition of the International Kolkata Book Fair from Jan 22 to Feb 3

What a novel set in 1953 Tehran reveals about Iran’s present crisis: Revisiting Marjan Kamali's 'The Stationery Shop'

While the characters Roya and Bahman in Marjan Kamali's 'The Stationery Shop of Tehran' are fictional, the backdrop is not

Manish Tewari launches his book 'A World Adrift' amid debate on global uncertainty

Calling the book 'exceptionally brilliant', former Union finance minister and veteran diplomat Yashwant Sinha said A World Adrift goes far beyond being a parliamentarian’s perspective on global affairs

Recalling a lost inheritance: Tracing India's intellectual amnesia in Shashi Ranjan Kumar's 'The Decline of Hindu Civilisation'

In 'The Decline of Hindu Civilisation', author and senior bureaucrat Shashi Ranjan Kumar argued that India continues to celebrate fragments of its past without understanding the intellectual systems that once sustained them

Why Amitav Ghosh is writing a book no one will read until 2114

Future Library is a 100-year artistic undertaking. Founded in 2014 by Katie Paterson, the project invites one acclaimed author each year to submit a manuscript that will be held in trust, unread, until 2114

Who are Romulus Whitaker's favourite nature writers? THIS Chennai author is one of them

At the Blue & Green Climate LitFest in Kochi, herpetologist Romulus Whitaker picked his top two nature writers. One evergreen, and the second one from the younger crop

'One Hundred Years of Solitude' - Part 2: Streaming window for second volume of Netflix's Gabriel Garcia Marquez adaptation OUT

Following the successful premiere of Part 1, Netflix has officially set an August release window for the second and final volume of its Gabriel Garcia Marquez adaptation, 'One Hundred Years of Solitude'

‘Kolkata Crimes’ book review: The 8th addition to the crime series is ‘well worth the effort’

Krishnan Srinivasan’s ‘Kolkata Crimes’ is a set of 7 detective tales full of suspense, intrigue and mystery, which unfold mainly in the erstwhile city of Calcutta

'The Enforcer' review: A unique portrait of the cop who dismantled UP’s crime machine

In writing about Prashant Kumar, journalist Anirudhya Mitra tries to grasp the person beneath one of India’s most-debated police chapters

PM Modi pens foreword for Italian PM Giorgia Meloni's memoir: Is it the first?

Calling her a 'patriot and outstanding contemporary leader', PM Modi wrote that it was a 'great' honour for him to contribute to her book in this manner

'Crooked Plow' review: Itamar Vieira Junior decodes subaltern faith, resistance in a sea of misery

'Crooked Plow' is the story of the struggles and misery of subsistence farmers in the rural areas of Bahia, northeastern Brazil—poor in development, but rich in culture

'The Lion of Naushera' review: The story of a Muslim soldier who died for India

His refusal to join Pakistani forces, despite personal appeals from even Muhammad Ali Jinnah, remains a defining testament to his belief that patriotism transcends religion