PanMacmillan India | Jaya's blog

“The Shortest History of Music” by Andrew Ford

Music is not only widely discussed but also the most readily available form of art known to mankind. At just the click of a button, one can now listen to any song of any genre – even from the last century! But it wasn’t always this way.

In this brisk, breakneck journey across millennia, award-winning musician and broadcaster Andrew Ford paints a glorious picture to show what really draws us to this sonic art form and how it has evolved. He traces the inventions and reinventions that have contributed to the popularity and accessibility of modern music; early oral forms; the invention of notations; the first recording technology and record companies, and explores how the multibillion-dollar industry we know today came to be.

Read an excerpt from the book on Moneycontrol. The Shortest History of Music is published by Picador India/ PanMacmillan India.

Andrew Ford’s music has been performed and recorded around the world, played by ensembles such as the Australian Chamber Orchestra, the Brodsky Quartet and the New Juilliard Ensemble, and sung by the likes of Yvonne Kenny, Katie Noonan and Iva Bittová. He presents The Music Show on ABC Radio National and has written ten books ranging from a study of sound in film to the songs of Van Morrison to the compulsion of composers to explore the primitive in their music.

25 Oct 2025

“The Shortest History of Migration” by Ian Goldin

05 09 , 2025 No Comments

From the earliest human wanderings to the rise of the digital nomad

For hundreds of thousands of years, the ability of Homo sapiens to travel across vast distances and adapt to new environments has been key to their survival as a species. Yet this deep migratory impulse is being tested like never before as governments build ever-stronger walls that adversely impact the lives of migrants and the well-being of our societies.

In The Shortest History of Migration (published by PanMacmillan India), visionary thinker and a migrant himself, Ian Goldin chronicles the movement of peoples that spans every age and continent to arrive at the heart of what truly makes us human. He recounts strange, terrible and uplifting tales of migrants past and present, examining the legacies of empire, slavery and war. Learn about how the first humans originating in Africa populated the world; the exchange of knowledge, food, language and religion through migration, and the exploited migrant populations that built the modern Western world, only to be shut out of it.

Finally, Goldin turns his attention to today’s increasingly fragmented world, bringing together historical evidence and recent data to suggest how we might create a more humane future where we can reap the tremendous benefits that migration has to offer.

Read an extract from the book on Moneycontrol.

Ian Goldin is Professor of Globalisation and Development at the University of Oxford, Fellow at Balliol College, Oxford University, was the founding Director of Oxford University’s Oxford Martin School, and leads its research programmes on Technological and Economic Change, Future of Work and Future of Development.

He has an MSc from the London School of Economics, and a MA and Doctorate from the University of Oxford.

From 1996 to 2001, he was chief executive and managing director of the Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA) and at that time also served as an adviser to President Nelson Mandela.

From 2001 to 2006 Ian was Vice President of the World Bank and the Group’s Director of Policy and Special Representative at the United Nations. Previously, Ian served as Principal Economist at the EBRD and the Director of Programmes at the OECD Development Centre.

He has been knighted by the French Government and received numerous awards. He has published over 60 journal articles and 23 books. His most recent is Rescue: From Global Crisis to a Better World. His previous books include Terra Incognita: 100 Maps to Survive the Next 100 Years, Age of Discovery: Navigating the Storms of Our Second Renaissance and The Butterfly Defect: Why Globalization Creates Systemic Risks and What to Do, in which he predicted that a pandemic was the most likely cause of the next financial crisis. Other books include: Development: A Very Short Introduction; and Is the Planet Full? He has authored and presented three BBC Documentary Series After The Crash; Will AI Kill Development? and The Pandemic that Changed the World. He has provided advisory services to the IMF, UN, EU, OECD and has served as a non-executive Director on six globally listed companies. Ian is an acclaimed speaker at TED, Google Zeitgeist, WEF and other meetings and is Chair of the core-econ.org initiative to transform economics.

5 Sept 2025

“What’s Up With Women and Money?: How to Do All the Financial Stuff You’ve Been Avoiding”

22 08 , 2025 No Comments

Former CNN/CNN International Anchor and Business Correspondent Alison Kosik —recognised around the globe as the face of Wall Street for the network — found herself trapped in a failing marriage. The savvy mother of two, was terrified to leave her husband. Why? She didn’t have the confidence to take on big financial decisions on her own. Despite spending her working hours explaining financial and business concepts, she had allowed her husband to take charge of all their big money decisions — from buying a house and how to finance it to their investments and retirement savings — and had no clue how to do any of it on her own. It sounds crazy, doesn’t it? But Alison is far from atypical. It turns out plenty of educated and high-achieving women — married or single — avoid getting involved with managing their financial lives. In What’s Up With Women and Money? Alison gives a step-by-step action plan on a variety of money topics. Alison also interviews dozens of women who share their cautionary tales of why avoiding money decisions can lead to bad outcomes. Alison also talks one on one with inspirational women like Sheryl Sandberg, Rebecca Minkoff, Jessica Alba, Barbara Corcoran, and Deepica Mutyala — women who inspire other women and help them gain confidence — to take control of their financial lives. Alison simplifies complicated financial topics of investing, car buying and paying down debt, breaking them down into easy-to-follow steps, with practical tidbits that make each page accessible, digestible and fun. By the end of What’s Up With Women and Money?, women will not only feel empowered and confident about their finances, but they will also feel ready to take action after being motivated without judgment.

Read an extract from the book on Moneycontrol. It is published by Harriman House/ PanMacmillan India.

Alison Kosik is a Journalist and Freelance Correspondent and Anchor at ABC News. Prior to joining ABC, Kosik was a Business Correspondent and Anchor at CNN and CNN International. Alison has interviewed leading CEOs, investors, executives, international dignitaries, musicians, and sports figures. She has interviewed some of the biggest names in business, politics and technology, from Warren Buffett to Hillary Clinton to Mark Cuban and Michael Saylor.

22 August 2025

“Mango Millionaire: Smart Money Management for a Sweeter Life” by Radhika Gupta with Niranjan Avasthi

24 07 , 2025 No Comments

PanMacmillan India has launched a new imprint called Macmillan Business. As the name suggests, its focus will be books tackling business, wealth, money management etc. There is already a vast number of such books in the market but when a publishing company that has been around since 1843 makes this announcement, it is worth noticing. They quite literally mean business. This is a company that has published notable authors such as Lewis Carroll, Alfred Lord Tennyson, Charles Kingsley, T.H. Huxley, Tom Hughes, and Christina Rossetti. Sure, these are not business writers but the long tail of their books that spans centuries makes for excellent business. It is in the DNA of the company to commission/publish books with a long shelf life. Presumably, this is the context for the inaugural title being Mango Millionaire: Smart Money Management for a Sweeter Life. It has been co-authored by Radhika Gupta, Managing Director & CEO of Edelweiss Mutual Fund and Niranjan Avasthi, who is known for his deep insights on mutual funds, investor behaviour and market trends.

The current practice amongst business management books across the spectrum are to analyse and dissect one, maximum two principles. These inevitably also contribute to the title of the book, and slowly, if word-of-mouth popularity confirms the value of the book, in the wisdom it imparts, then the title/phrase synonymous with the book enters modern language. Providing examples will merely narrow it down to a few but think of some books in this genre and you will know what I mean. Perhaps “mango millionaire” will also follow suit? Who knows.

For now, the details provided in the book pertaining to personal finance are interesting to read. They range from your relationship with money, debt, saving versus investing, taxes, real estate, gold, fixed income, equities, mutual funds, money hygiene, portfolio building, money and the family etc. Very basic headers but those that will appeal to the middle class. These are thoughts that are constantly plaguing the common wo/man on how to secure their future. Given the hype in the media regarding markets, mutual funds, bank interests and the general shrill noise that exists in this ecosystem, it is hard to discern the difference between a valuable personal finance product vs a dud sold by an overenthusiastic sales person eager to meet their KRAs.

Mango Millionaire offers advice interpsersed with anecdotes/case studies of people whom the authors have encountered in their work. It sort of straddles the space between offering a broad picture of the personal finance sector and that of a handy manual. Given the low price point of Rs 399, it will appeal to the mass market and may even find its way into being adopted by specialist courses. It could become a prescribed textbook too. This will definitely ensure that the ROI on the book will prove to be lucrative. Only time will tell!

The book blurb reads:

An easy and straightforward guide to mastering your money – from two trusted experts

How much should you spend and how much should you save? Should you rent or buy? How much debt is too much? Which insurance policy is right for you? How do you choose the best investment product?

If you’ve ever found yourself grappling with these questions, you’re not alone. As India’s financial landscape has evolved, the sheer number of choices have grown, but so have the myths and misinformation. Managing money isn’t just for the privileged few; it’s for everyone – especially the aam janta, or the mango people.

Radhika Gupta and Niranjan Avasthi draw from their extensive experience at Edelweiss Mutual Fund – one of India’s leading and fastest-growing asset management companies – to bring you Mango Millionaire – a crisp, reliable and no-nonsense guide to smart financial planning.

From budgeting and saving to investing, debt management, risk and taxes, it lays down practical advice in bite-sized, easy-to-read chapters. Packed with insightful stories from real investors and easy-to-follow steps, Mango Millionaire slices through the jargon and serves up practical answers to empower you to take control of your financial future.

Meanwhile, there is one detail that I am unable to wrap my head around. If both the authors are veterans in the field and can dispense with sound advice regarding money, then why is it that Radhika Gupta’s name is in a larger and bolder font than that of Niranjan Avasthi. Is it an ego clash? It begins with the design of the book cover. Then it spills into the text itself. Truth be told, the introduction is pleasant enough with Radhika Gupta acknowledging the efforts of her co-author but largely talking about her own encounters. These may be random strangers at the airport who recognise her or even an uncle at a wedding, who will tap her on the shoulder for advice. Nevertheless, the ellision between objectivity and the use of the first person is slippery. It carries on through the text. For many readers it may not matter but to me it does. It bothers me that people who are meant to be dispensing advice about finance, a very personal and sensitive matter, are not sufficiently objective. Thus, making for an unstable and a volatile mix. The trust factor is built knowing that the personal finance advice being dispensed is provided objectively and with the best interests of the consumer/client at hand. For now there is a gap. While it is understandable that a business/personal finance/self help book can only speak in general terms, and perhaps that is why the reliance on the first person, to establish credentials via firsthand experience. Nevertheless, it does come across a little rough around the edges.

Business books published overseas use the first person as well. But the structure of the book is clearly spelt out. There is a range of ways in which this can be tackled but most often than not, the case studies are distinctively highlighted and the author(s) do not shy away from using the first person. But when they do, they do it with conviction. Even books that have more than one author make it a point to duly acknowledge each other throughout the book, making it clear to the reader, which topic is an author’s strength.

Despite my reservations about the book, I have been recommending it to various folks. It offers sound advice. Use it as a guide, not necessarily as the gospel truth.

The launch of Macmillan Business is a good effort and it should be lauded. Let’s see what the future holds. If the firm’s DNA exists in this imprint, then it will be a success. Time will tell.

24 July 2025

“Rosarita” by Anita Desai

19 05 , 2025 No Comments

Anita Desai’s novella published on 7 July 2024. Rosarita is about a young student from India called Bonita who is visiting San Miguel, Mexico to learn Spanish. One day, while sitting quietly, she is approached by a flamboyantly dressed elderly woman, swishing her skirt, who plonks herself down next to Bonita, insisting that Bonita is “my adored Rosarita’s little girl. You are the image of her when she first came to us as an Oriental bird!” Later, Bonita refers to this stranger as the “Trickster”.

In the pages that follow, Bonita is mystified by the story spun about her mother being an exceptional artist, who stayed in various artist communes and travelled around the country. The Trickster takes Bonita to the various locations, but most of the buildings have been reduced to rubble. Despite her disbelief at her late mother’s life before marriage to her father, Bonita accompanies the Trickster to find out more. She doesn’t find much else. But she does find a sense of belonging in this distant land and realises she need not search any more.

When this book goes out into the world, there will be much said about motherhood and memory. Perhaps, even about grief and finding one’s own space and identity. Whereas, my understanding of reading this stupendous story is the energy criss-crossing generations. It is also making visible the lives women, especially married women, put in one lifetime. Their younger selves and their histories are blanked out in their marriages and thus, to their children too. It takes a special effort to make one’s life visible and share details of the past. Bonita feels bewildered about her mother’s past and her exceptional talent as a painter but she does nothing about it. Instead, she gets caught in a whirlpool of memories that do not help her in any way. She seems to recall her mother publicly being a good wife, hostess, and mum but who was in private, resentful of the chores that fell her way. It’s not said explicitly but mentioned.

The gaps in a mother’s life, before and after marriage, is a violent break that few talk about openly. In Rosarita it is merely displayed but at least it is made visible. Such an important task.

*****

When Pan Macmillan India announced that they were publishing in South Asia #AnitaDesai‘s forthcoming novella “#Rosarita“, it caused quite a stir. I read an ARC and enjoyed it immensely. Later, I was fortunate to record a conversation with the legendary writer. It was late at night for us and at her end, Mrs Desai and her daughter had been battling the aftermath of a terrible storm that had cut off their telephone lines and caused a few other inconveniences. Yet, there they were at the other end, bright and chirpy, ready for this special edition of #TOIBookmark podcast, a Times Special offering on books and literature. It was truly an honour and a privilege to speak with Anita Desai.

*****

Here is a snippet from the recording:

“Yes, I suppose we all do but maybe we only find a little key to that story, that is all and if you have that lingering in your mind, when we have so many encounters, we meet so many people, forget them, forget their names even, others you may have only spent two minutes with but they linger in your mind and that gives you a little key to unlock what you do not know about them. So, like all fiction writers I have to invent their stories for them which of course involves some research like I had to do for Baumgartner, his Jewish European past to do no research for the family in Clear Light of Day. It was a familiar world, I knew everything about it.”

19 May 2025

The Edible Series

08 05 , 2025 No Comments

The Edible Series is a fascinating collection of books that PanMacmillan India is making available locally. Although these originated in the UK with the incredible Reaktion Books making it a sturdy and regular offering in their frontlists. But it seems that this series has proven to be a steady bestseller, so the back and front lists exist side by side. The template it fairly simple with a detailed and concise history of the food. These are heavily illustrated with four-colour images that complement the written text beautifully. There are images from historical sources, contemporary sources, photographs, illustrations etc. At the end of every book there is a collection of recipes — a combination of the familiar and unfamiliar as the authors prefer to give a balanced representation to the geographies where the food under discussion is to be found/cooked/consumed. It is truly remarkable that in the internet age when recipes are to be easily found on the internet as well as histories, a print book series on food history has found its niche and continues to sell.

On Moneycontrol, I curate the book’s section, and carried an extract from Tea. Read here.

8 May 2025

Aleksander Hemon’s “The World and All That It Holds”

30 01 , 2023 No Comments

My Padri Avram used to say that Heaven is a revolving wheel, Pinto said. Even if you never move from your place, everything around you will change, and the world and all that it holds will be the same and not the same. We could stay right here and just watch the wheel turn. But if we move, if we keep moving, everything will always be only different, and we will never be the same. There had to have been a world where no one was ever at home, where everyone was always going from one place to another. The Lord must’ve destroyed such a world and with relish too — for what kind of a place would’ve been a world consisting only of strangers? There would’ve been no righteous ones there, nonthing and nobody older than a day. The people in that world could never be still long enough to see anything. Everything in such a world would’ve been dimmed by incomprehension.
I have no idea what you’re talking about, Isak Abramovich said, his gaze still stuck to the firmament.
See what I have to live with? Osman chuckled and kissed Pinto’s forehead.
Just love each other whatever the world you think you might be in, Isak Abramovich said. There is nothing else you can do. And who knows, maybe all this insanity will produce a better world, where everyone could love whoever they want. Stranger things have happened.
p.103

Aleksander Hemon’s The World and All That It Holds ( Picador) is the classic family novel formula with a difference. The norm in literary fiction is to have a family novel spanning three to four generations, ideally set at the beginning of the twentieth century or in the world wars. The author employs various literary techniques to make it accessible to a modern reader. Usually family novels are easily read for they have a straightforward chronology and a single language is used for the storytelling. In exceptional cases, phrases and words may be borrowed from other languages, if the circumstances of the plot demand it. The World and All that it Holds upturns such preconceived notions of this form of literary fiction.

Hemon’s new novel is about Osman, a Muslim, and Pinto, a Jew, who grew up in multilingual Sarajevo. They are young, when conscripted into the Austro-Hungarian army to fight in the Great War. After becoming POWs, they move to the Great Steppes and get caught in the Russian Revolution. They somehow manage to join a refugee caravan, relying upon the kindness of strangers whose language they could not speak, till it reached Shanghai. Along the way, they acquire a daughter, Rahela, and a ghost. Osman gets left behind. Pinto is responsible for the infant and brings her up as his own. There are innumerable conversations about a God.

Historical fiction serves many purposes. Most often, it enables the writer to discuss contemporary events without going into the specifics; but tackling issues sufficiently that they resonate with the reader effectively. In this case, it is the migrants or mercenaries or refugees — use any terminology that you will. Through the lives of Osman and Pinto, a young couple, crossing boundaries at so many multiple levels — love, physical migration, religious laws, etc. There are many conversations that are recorded, whether between the Osman and Pinto or with the people whom they meet that make one pause and think. One of the most powerful moments was when Pinto yearns for the simple things in life such as a stable existence and a room with a bed and a light.

The novel prompts questions regarding borders, identities ( is it official as designated by a passport or humaneness), gender, notion of a family, idea of language and the very act of a journey. How does time affect an individual or a community? What are the external factors such as war, politics, socio-economic considerations that determine the space and respect accorded to an individual? Who determines these?

The elegantly sophisticated craftsmanship of Hemon is on display when he plays with language (s) in the text. He uses languages in a way that the characters would, without any explanation. There are no words in brackets or a glossary at the end to explain. It is almost as if as the reader has to be prepared for this deep immersion and like the ghost, to walk along side the characters. Taking a deep dive into multiple languages is more than just a noisy experience, it is shattering. It makes the head spin. Yet, to remain focussed and moving on, hopefully achieving a goal, is a struggle. Intially, the first few pages of the story are very difficult to read and need to be read over and over again to get into the rhythm, but then slowly it develops a familiar pattern. Try reading it out aloud and parts of the story would seem nonsensical but within the story, it makes perfect sense. This is precisely what happens to Rahela. As she grows, she picks up bits and pieces of languages from the refugees in their caravan or from the locals in whose houses they stay. Later, as an adult, she realises that the language she speaks and thought was understood by everyone is only spoken by her “father” Pinto and her. Once she is separated from him, she is very lonely.

Languages form a culture. They create an identity for the speaker. There are cultural references embedded in the language that get conveyed from generation to generation. What happens to people such as Pinto and his daughter, who have travelled for years and years. Do they have an identity? A tradition? A place to call their own?

Later, the older and pregnant Rahela returns to China to collect her father and take him back to Serbia. Unfortunately, he does not survive. Only Rahela arrives. She is lost and has not a clue how to begin her life. Fortunately, a good samaritan ( if you will) recognises her surname and realises she is a descendant of the apothecary Pinto they all knew once upon a time and to whom they sold medicinal herbs. This tiny piece of her genealogical history preserved in social memory enables her to be awarded a Serbian passport and using it, she is able to travel to Israel, the new land for the Jews.

This is where the novel and its conclusion becomes modernist. Hemon uses the popular autofictional style of storytelling to recount his visit as a new author to a literary festival in Jerusalem. While waiting at the signing desk for people to bring copies of the book, he was approached by a frail lady and her son. She did not introduce herself but sang an old Bosnian song. She is Rahela. She tells him the story of her two fathers and her incredible childhood. And thus sparked the idea of this story.

The World and All That It Holds is an extraordinarily magnificent novel. Read it. It is going to be on many prize lists in 2023 and beyond.

30 Jan 2023

“Kratu” by Samarpan

15 01 , 2021 No Comments

When I first heard about Kratu ( PanMacmillan India), I wanted to read it. I wanted to know what a Hindu monk, as the author describes himself, had to say about mortality, spiritual awakening and perhaps even about “moh-maya” that we are taught about in Hindi poetry. But it all came to a grinding halt when I read the book blurb. I have been unable to process the description of the book especially when it describes the protagonist of the novel “burdened by deathless memory”. I am so lost as to what it means. I was advised to read the book and understand what the author is conveying. But this phrase instead of making me curious has just left me baffled. Life is too short to read an entire book-length exposition on the subject when the blurb itself fails to communicate clearly. I am deeply disappointed.

I strongly urge those with a spiritual bent of mind or who are keen readers of MBS ( Mind, Body, Spirit) literature to pick this book up. They are probably the intended audience.

14 Jan 2021

Oliver Sacks’s “The River of Consciousness”

14 08 , 2018 No Comments

Sometimes it is impossible to “review” a book except to say “Read it”. Oliver Sacks The River of Consciousness is a fine example of this. It is a collection of his essays on diverse topics but with one objective — how does the brain work? How does it process? How does it affect memories? What is true and what is false? What is a figment of our imagination? What does science reveal? This is precisely the fundamental argument Siddharth Mukherjee makes in his Laws of Medicine TED talk. Irrespective of all the advancements in technology, it is the brain which remains the most important for the speed at which it analyses and processes information, constantly pushing known boundaries to discover new frontiers of knowledge that are so far unimaginable.

The River of Consciousness is a posthumous publication but in it is much food for thought. Whether it is discussing creative energies to how the brain works while analysing information as in the case of Charles Darwin or even how do children learn and process information are fascinating points to ponder upon. For instance Prof. Sacks says “Children have an elemental hunger for knowledge and understanding, for mental food and stimulation. They do not need to be told or ‘motivated’ to explore or play, for play, like all creative or proto-creative activities, is deeply pleasurable in itself.”

The River of Consciousness is an excellent book to possess and to return to often too.

To buy The River of Consciousness ( On Kindle ; Paperback ; Hardcover)

14 August 2018

Guest post: Historicizing Myths, Mythologizing History, Sami Ahmad Khan

26 08 , 2014 No Comments

( On 21 February 2014, during the World Book Fair, New Delhi, Sami Ahmad Khan was in conversation with thriller writer Aroon Raman and Sangeeta Bahadur. Aroon Raman had just released his latest novel, a historical thriller – The Treasure of Kafoor and Sangeeta Bahadur had published Jaal. Both the authors are published by PanMacmillan India. Here is an account of the event sent by Sami Khan. )

Historicizing Myths, Mythologizing History

We’re a nation built around myths. Or maybe we’re just a myth built around a nation. Whatever the case may be, can we ascribe historicity to myths and study such mythologies as running parallel to certain socio-historical processes spawned by the material realities of their times? More importantly, where does mythology end and where does history begin?

Similar questions raged in my mind as I strode towards the Authors’ Corner at Hall 10-11 of Pragati Maidan on February 21, 2014. The Delhi World Book Fair 2014 was in full swing and I was moderating a session scheduled to begin at 2.30 pm. Wading past Siren-esque stalls (that featured books on sale) and Charybdian crowds (replete with delightfully engrossed bookworms), I odysseyed to my destination to converse with two brilliant minds and wonderful writers – Sangeeta Bahadur and Aroon Raman.

I knew Aroon Raman from before, having read him earlier with much gusto. Raman had obtained his masters degree from JNU, Delhi, an MBA from the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, and was now an entrepreneur based out of Bengaluru. The Shadow Throne was Aroon Raman’s debut – an electrifying thriller involving the R&AW, ISI and an India-Pakistan nuclear standoff. The Treasure of Kafur, his second published novel, was incidentally written first. A fast-paced, historical thriller set in Mughal India, the novel fictionalized the treasure of Malik Kafur being sought after by contemporary figures such as Akbar, Rana Pratap, and (quasi-historical?) characters such as Asaf Baig (of Khandesh) to wage war for the control of Hindustan.

On the other hand, it was the first time I was going to meet Sangeeta Bahadur, writer of Jaal and Vikraal. I was told she had graduated from Sophia College (Mumbai), an institution I admire a lot. Bahadur is an Indian Foreign Service officer who is currently posted as the Director of the Nehru Centre, London. If Raman writes about politics, coming-of-age, and action, Bahadur too weaves a deep, engrossing web of inner conflict – this one around mythological fiction. She utilizes Indian spirituality and metaphysics, fuses them with the world created by her own mind, and comes up with a whole new mythos. Bahadur’s Jaal is the first of a trilogy – set in a syncretic, eclectic past where a young boy must train himself to become the ultimate fighting machine to combat the forces of Maya, the novel is a more spiritual version of LOTR set in a land that resembles India. A sequel called Vikraal will be out soon.

How do we comprehend, decode, and analyze mythological and historical fiction written by people from such varied backgrounds and visions? As Bruce Lincoln defines myth as “ideology in narrative form,” one of the first questions I asked Bahadur and Raman was how mythology and history interacted in their minds and in their texts – and if they chose their respective genres to enable them to fuse their narrative styles with the content, i.e. what (and how) they wanted to say.

Their answers were complementary to each other (an aspect that continued throughout the duration of the conversation) – both made me realize something I had so criminally overlooked – writers make genres, genres do not make writers. Both regarded writing as an act of unbridled creation – unfettered by the limitations of any genre. Yes, they wrote about mythology and history, but as fiction writers, they perceived both as two sides of the same coin. Both clarified that rather than being true to the narrative conventions of any genre, culture or style, they rather wanted to be true to the reader and to themselves. The end-result, for both Bahadur and Raman, was to use any template close to them that could give the readers a fast-paced, layered and interesting narrative for the reader.

I then raised the question of spirituality – both Bahadur and Raman draw upon Indian classical traditions. While Bahadur’s primary lens to synthesize different mythologies and traditions and further the plot is primarily aastik in its outlook, advaita-vedanta in particular (which becomes explicit at times), Raman has his implicit groundings in the naastik traditions of Buddhism. Both Jaal and Kafur have a dense spiritual/philosophical subtext that not only drives the plot further but also seeks to define why characters do what they do. It is their belief in fixed ideological structures that make these characters come alive – and shapes their behavioral patterns.

For individual questions, I asked Aroon Raman why his second book was markedly different from his first, and why he chose to jump across genres despite the commercial success of his debut venture. The Shadow Throne is a contemporary military/political thriller, whereas The Treasure of Kafur is historical fiction. Apart from reiterating that genres do not matter for a creator, and that thoughts and ideas rarely come to writers filtered and censored via the sieve of pre-existing notions and genres, Raman made me realize that the end-goal was to write a book that was fun to read, and that a writer should concern himself with creating without worrying about genre pigeonholing – and that the two books weren’t that different after all. Both his books have a central character caught in hostile surroundings and his constant striving to prevent evil from triumphing – the temporal dislocation does little to blunt this action-oriented narrative.

I then asked Bahadur that while Raman may write about ISI and RAW, she, as a serving government officer, cannot. So was this mythological fiction, replete with betrayals, realpolitik, machtpolitik, coups, warring kingdoms and political federations, actually a political allegory meant for the contemporary times? In response, while Bahadur graciously acknowledged that although historicity did shape some parts of Jaal, the novel was in no way a political allegory. She was not merely utilizing an already established ideological narrative, but creating a whole new ideating philosophy, politics, sociology and world in her head.

The two also talked about how, as writers, both were aware of the social implications of the outlooks of their characters. Raman talked about spending time in Tihar as a student-activist (and a member of the JNU Students’ Union) almost 30 years ago – but then accepted that now he was a capitalist entrepreneur, though that did not render him politically unconscious or reactionary. His characters, to prove a point, are strongly feminist, anti-casteist, pro-hoi polloi, progressive, and anti-parochial – people who speak up for the masses. Bahadur also has some similar characters who seek unity in diversity (rather than differences), and raise their voices against injustices and hegemony. This forms the basis for a layered characterization by both the writers.

The session concluded with both Sangeeta Bahadur and Aroon Raman giving the audience some tips about writing fiction. They urged budding writers to break free from the shackles of form and classification – and just go write a good story that was fun to read and did not spoon feed the reader what the writer thought.

It was great talking to these two thinkers – they just proved that to write one sentence, one must think an hour at least! Lastly, all this is based on my understanding on what the writers said and meant, not to mention a failing short-term memory – it may not wholly coincide with what they actually meant, but I hope I’ve been able to be true to their ideas.

I look forward to more such opportunities.

Sami Ahmad Khan read Literature at Hindu College, Delhi University, completed his master’s in English at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) and then went to the University of Iowa, USA, on a Fulbright grant. Currently, Sami teaches at IIT-Delhi, apart from being a Doctoral Candidate at JNU, where he is working on Techno-culture Studies. He has engaged in theater, writing, and teaching. His debut thriller Red Jihad won the “Muse India Young Writer (Runner-Up) Award” at the Hyderabad Literary Festival 2013 and Ministry of Human Resource Development/NBT’s “National Debut Youth Fiction Award – Excellence in Youth Fiction Writing” at the Delhi World Book Fair 2013. He is now working on a SF sequel to Red Jihad. He can be reached at sakhan1607@gmail.com

( On Sunday, 24 August 2014, Sheila Kumar wrote a lovely review of the novel in the Hindu Literary Review – http://www.thehindu.com/books/books-reviews/more-than-just-a-treasure-hunt/article6344815.ece . On 26 August 2014, Aroon Raman will be in conversation with Sumeet Shetty at Literati, SAP Labs Book Club, Bangalore. http://bit.ly/1pazgf4 )

26 August 2014

PanMacmillan India Posts