The Publisher’s Post: Vol I Ed. XIII

Dated: 1st Dec. 2007

The Publisher’s Post is a weekly newsletter that contains information relating to the book publishing and book selling industry in India. A pdf version of the publisher’s post is also available here.

News This Week

Siyahi
Siyahi, according to its website:

is a platform for Indian literature. We are a team of literature experts looking to bring your talent to print and introducing publishers to new, fresh exciting voices from Indian languages.

Siyahi is a forum for researchers and publishers to help evolve and expand scope for Indian literature in all national and international languages.

We facilitate a broad spectrum of literary activities - from publishing opportunities for writers to creating and planning literary events. We advise Event Planners, Corporate Houses, Educational Institutes and NGOs on Literature related programming.

In an article in the Business Standard, Jai Arjun Singh writes about the new venture. In his article, he quotes Mita Kapur, the founder and CEO of Siyahi. Every time I interacted with writers from languages other than English,” she says, “there was a sense of discontent — invariably, they felt that they haven’t been represented well enough in the mainstream.

Taslima bows, removes touchy text in her book
Source: CNN-IBN
The Taslima Nasreen episode may have its share of both opponents and supporters but none can deny that freedom of expression suffered a body blow in democratic India. Two days after the government allowed her to stay on in India, controversial Bangladeshi author Taslima Nasreen withdrew the lines from her book, Dwikhondito. The lines were thought to be anti-Islamic.

“I have done what I have never done in my life. I have compromised even in a secular India,” Taslima said.

Nelasamskruthi
Dr Narahalli Balasubrahmanya’s book titled Nelasamskruthi has been chosen for the Kavyananda Award 2006 by Kannada Sahitya Samavardhaka Trust, Bangalore, instituted in memory of Dr Siddayya Puranik. The award carries a cash award of Rs 20,000 and citation which will be presented at a function in Bangalore in the month of December, 2007, says a press release.

Longest book title ever with 1022 words
Source: webindia123.com
A college principal in a Coimbatore college has authored a book having a title written in 1,022 words containing 4,805 characters without a space!

The book written on Daniel Radcliffe, the man best known for playing school-aged wizard Harry Potter in each of the first five films based on the best-selling Harry Potter book series, is claimed to be the first ever book on a Hollywood character by an Indian.

Elsewhere…
The Hyderabad Book Fair this year will be conducted from December 7 at People’s Plaza grounds on Necklace road.
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The literary meet, ‘Telugu Bhasha Brahmotsavaalu’, held recently at Tirupati, witnessed engaging discussions on the Telugu epics and other legendary works and their impact on the social façade since centuries.
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Uttarakhand Chief Minister B C Khanduri has indicated that the state government was working towards strengthening the teaching and learning of Sanskrit in the state.
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Tinkle, a children’s magazine from the India Book House stable, is now online with the release of tinkleonline.com on Wednesday, 21st November.
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Dr. K. Purushotham, Associate Professor of English, Kakatiya University, has undertaken the challenging task of bringing out an anthology of Dalit Poetry. For further details visit this page . Meanwhile, Dalit Poetry also features in the latest issue of Muse India.
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The Indian Institute of Advanced Study recently concluded a National Seminar on Concept of Social Justice in Contemporary Indian Literature with special reference to Dalit Literature (Samkaleen Bhartiya Sahitya mein Samajik Nyay ki Avdharna: Vishesh Sandarbh Dalit Sahitya) from 14th to 16th November 2007.
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A research project charting the life and times of early Indian students, visitors and migrants to Britain such as Dadabhai Naoroji, Cornelia Sorabji and Rabindranath Tagore has been launched at the University of Oxford. Read the full article here.
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An international seminar on “1857 in Literary Imagination” is being organized by D.A.V College for Girls, Yamuna Nagar, from the 22nd to 24th December, 2007
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THE 18th Doha International Book Fair opened on the 28th of November at the new Qatar International Exhibition Centre (QIEC). It will run until December 8.
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As reported earlier, the second annual O’Reilly TOC Conference, happening February 11-13, 2008 in New York, NY, explores the new technologies that are fundamentally transforming the publishing business. From blogs, print-on-demand, and e-books, to social networking and wikis, TOC helps publishers take the next step and connect with the right ideas, tools, and innovations.

Book Releases & Events

When a Tree Shook Delhi
When a Tree Shook Delhi: The 1984 Carnage and its Aftermath
by Manoj Mitta and H.S.Phoolka
Roli Books, 2007
ISBN:978-81-7436-598-9
On the occasion of the release of this book on Thursday, November 22, 2007, there was a panel discussion on ” Delhi 1984 to Gujarat 2002: Political mileage from communal violence”. The panelists included Salman Khurshid, Ravi Shankar Prasad, Brinda Karat and Rajinder Sachar.

The massacre of Sikhs in the wake of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi’s assassination has turned out to be a reality check on India’s much touted institutions of the rule of law. Responding to the findings of the latest judicial inquiry conducted by the Nanavati Commission, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh conceded in 2005 that ‘we still do not know the truth’. The book seeks to uncover the truth on the basis of the very evidence that came to light during the proceedings of the Nanavati Commission.
Authors Manoj Mitta and HS Phoolka, perhaps the most knowledgeable voices on the subject, present an unsparing account, abounding with insights and revelations, on the 1984 carnage and its aftermath.

Let’s Talk Men
There will be readings and conversation with authors Rana Dasgupta, Mukul Kesavan, Anjum Hasan and Geetanjali Shree entitled Let’s Talk Men on 8th December at 6pm at Alliance Francaise, New Delhi. This will be part of a festival of events, including film screenings, an art exhibition and music concert, in the city sponsored by Partners for Prevention: Working with Men and Boys to Prevent Gender-based Violence . This literary evening is organized by the women’s publishing house, Zubaan. For further information, please contact zubaanwbooks@vsnl.net.

An Evening with Caferati in Delhi
The event will be held on 2nd Dec., 2007 at 3pm at the Lodi Garden Restaurant. View this page for more details.

Lunatic In My Head
On 7th December at 6:30 at The Attic (above The Shop, Sansard Marg, New Delh), author Anjum Hasan will be in coversation with Siddhartha Deb about her new book, Lunatic in My Head , a novel set in Shillong and published by Zubaan-Penguin Books

Other Book Launches
French author Dominique Lapierre’s latest bestseller, Once ‘Upon a Time in Soviet Union, based on his travels in Khrushchev’s USSR 50 years ago, had its worldwide launch in English in New Delhi on November 27.
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Unsung
by Mahesh Bhat & Anita Pratap (Author)
Mahesh Bhat Publishing, 2007
ISBN: 978-8190453509
“…a book about unknown Indians from ordinary backgrounds who have made extraordinary contributions [to] their communities”
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The Other Side of Policing
by Maxwell Pereira
Vitasta Publishing, 2007
ISBN : 81-89766-72-4
The book is based on the author’s own experiences as a policeman for nearly 35 years where he provides an insider’s account of someone who has experienced everything at close quarters and can afford to be critical of the system as a whole. Source: delhievents.com
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Facets of Music
by R Visweswaran
Ananya, 2007
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Job Creation and Poverty Reduction in India
Towards Rapid and Sustained Growth
Edited by Sadiq Ahmed, The World Bank, Washington
Sage, 2008
ISBN:978-0-7619-3651-0
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Islam and Healing: Loss and Recovery of an Indo-Muslim Medical Tradition 1600-1900
by Seema Alavi
Permanent Black, Forthcoming
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Following Muhammad: Rethinking Islam in the Contemporary World
by Carl Ernst
Yoda Press, Forthcoming
ISBN: 81-902272-9-7

Blogs & Articles

Reading Habit Books Nowhere In The National Scheme
Nepal discusses its reading habits:

Efforts must be made to develop the book industry and reading habit among the people. Yet, nothing much is happening on the publishing front in terms of publication, translation, reprint or adaptation. Generally we buy books in English from countries like India, US and UK. Books are nowhere in the national scheme. Only a few believe that books are important to national development, however, not even the leaders and bureaucrats fully realise the connection. A nation without books has no soul. But this is not as urgent or pressing a problem as a nation without food or jobs for its people.

India’s Cheeky ‘Chick Lit’ Finds an Audience
Source: The Washington Post
Books Reveal Modern Women’s Irreverent, Contrary Views on Ancient Cultural Mores

Indian bookstores these days are stocking up on a new kind of English-language novel — the kind in which twentysomething urban women put their careers first, ridicule arranged marriages and wrestle with weight gain.

The internationally trendy fiction genre known as “chick lit,” popularized by “Bridget Jones’s Diary” and “Sex and the City,” now has an Indian avatar.

Language policy for a new social order in Manipur
The author truly believes that language holds a big place as one among the possible factors that could contribute to bringing a new social order in Manipur.

Vaharu- A Subaltern Poet
Rahul Banerjee translates a few poems by Vaharu Sonawane, an adivasi poet from Western India, and points to more translations available on the internet. The original post is available here.

Indians and English: No Flatulence Please
“English in India is the most gloriously alive, playful, intelligent, articulate, and mind-expanding English in the world today”. A review of Hinglish and books on the subject.

Of Pirated Books…
Rimi B. Chatterjee examines a pirated book she bought at an intersection in Delhi.

Jobs

Organizations willing to invite applications for various positions related to publishing are invited to post in this section.
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This newsletter is developed by Queenie Fernandes and Leonard Fernandes, co-founders of CinnamonTeal Print & Publishing Services with inputs from various individuals, publishing houses, websites and blogs.

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