Writers of India – Booknomics

Interview: Writing Haiku, Haiga and Haibun with Salil Chaturvedi

We had the opportunity to chat with Salil Chaturvedi, author of love and longing in the anthropocene.

Salil Chaturvedi is the author of short fiction and poetry and dabbles in photography. His stories and poems have been published in various journals and anthologies. He loves creating haiku, haiga (a combination of a visual and a haiku) and haibun ( a short prose piece, combined with haiku), which have been published in international journals dedicated to the Japanese forms. His poetry collection, In the Sanctuary of a Poem was published in 2017 and is available on Amazon. In 2019 he was conferred the Hindi Seva Samman by the Hindi Academy, New Delhi, for his collection of Hindi poems, Ya Ra La Va Sha Sa Ha. He lives in Chorao, Goa.

Pothi.com: Tell us about your writing process.

Salil Chaturvedi: It’s quite a messy and reiterative process. Once the first draft of something is down on paper, I tend to look at it from many angles, trying out different ways of saying it, different voices and viewpoints, so that I frequently end up with quite a few versions of a piece, complicating my life. But when one finds such joy in working with words it is a welcome complication. I can happily spend a day fussing over a single word in a poem, or a punctuation mark! The way things sound plays an important role, too. For some poems, their shape on the page becomes exceedingly important. But there are enough of those times when things happen in a more spontaneous manner and any fiddling would only spoil things.

Pothi.com: How did you develop an interest in haiku, haiga and haibun? Please tell your readers about how these forms of Japanese poetry differ from each other and which one is your favorite?

Salil Chaturvedi: Let’s tackle the forms first:

A haiku is a short poem, usually juxtaposing two images to find a leap of meaning, and in English, about 10-12 syllables long.
A haibun is a short prose piece, written imagistically and usually in the present tense, with a haiku attached, though there are other variations to it. A haiga is an image, traditionally a monochrome ink painting, with a haiku attached to it in such a way that they expand each other’s meaning.

I had known about haiku for a long time, but my serious engagement with the form began after reading Basho’s classic The Narrow Road to the Deep North. It’s a book I return to regularly. I honed my skills through reading haikus of the masters, the various online journals dedicated to Japanese forms and books. There are plenty of educational resources online, especially on the Modern Haiku website, such as essays that explore various dimensions of the form, its historic development and other finer points. Since I like taking pictures, haiga, where a haiku is juxtaposed with an image, was a natural progression.

Amongst the three, haiku remains my favourite form.

What I like most about it is how it hones your attentiveness to the world. If poetry can be imagined as a net made out of words, I think of haiku as a finely meshed net that is ideal for capturing the littlest of mundane things. As Basho said, for haiku the interest is not duck soup, but vegetable broth. For me, the single most important aspect of the haiku is the kigo (the season word) which is a nod to the larger world in which all the happenings take place. In that sense, Ecopoetics runs in the DNA of haiku. I am reminded of the feminist scholar and philosopher Donna Haraway who says: The biotic and abiotic powers of the Earth are the main story.

Overall, I can sum up my encounter with haiku thus:

thunder
inside a curled leaf
a cocoon shifts

Pothi.com: You write in Hindi and English- how different is it writing in different languages?

Salil Chaturvedi: That’s an interesting question. One doesn’t make a conscious choice, of course. The poems seem to choose a language of their own accord. I guess my Hindi roots are still alive and their tentacles seek out some vernacular nutrition. On rare occasions, I translate a poem from one language to another, but otherwise, it’s an automatic process. The Hindi poems seem to say things that I can’t possibly say in English because the idioms are so different. Taking the first few lines of a poem, Kuch Hai—

Kuch hai hawa me is vakt—
Dopahar ke sapno ki svarna lahar

Gilahariyon ki chulbul cheekhein
Baadlon ke maylon ke dholak

I wouldn’t know how to say it in English and maintain the same cadence!

I do write haiku in Hindi as well, just so your readers know that that’s possible. In fact, there are a few of them in the Hindi book Ya Ra La Va Sha Sa Ha available at Pothi.com.

Pothi.com: Tell us about how you arrived at the fascinating title: love and longing in the anthropocene.

Salil Chaturvedi: It just popped into the head! There are three sections in the book, and ‘love and longing in the anthropocene’ is the first section which brings together the body, love, techno-science, nature, refugees, wars, runaway capitalism, disappearing species…in short, everything that marks the consumptive and polluting Anthropocene era. The work was born from a dream in which I wrote a short poem, the only time I have written a poem in a dream. It was an erotic/love poem. I woke up and wrote it down immediately, and for about six months after that, I kept writing these poems to an imagined lover where the body (and the earth as an extension of the body) takes a central place. So, yes, it was a fascinating and intense process in which I seemed to be taken along for the ride. Later, I realized that the title forms a nice acronym — LALITA, meaning, pleasant, playful.

Pothi.com: How do you put a book of poems together- what is the glue that holds your poems in a certain order? Is the ordering of your poems planned or organic?

Salil Chaturvedi: So, this is how it works—I will struggle with the sequencing and arrangement of the poems for weeks, trying out many combinations. I will see myself as a reader and read through the work noticing how a poem on a page reacts with another on the facing page. I will also pay attention to the way the tone of the book develops, what moods are evoked. I will play with all this. It’s a thrilling sort of game. The poems will keep shifting and changing places and then, one day, will come together. Then I am ready to publish. After publication, I will find that I might have wanted to do it slightly differently. So, it goes! That doesn’t mean that all the thinking has been a waste, just that there is always scope for improvement.

Pothi.com: Writers are usually apprehensive about publishing their poetry. Could you advise aspiring poets about which avenues they should consider for publishing their poems?

Salil Chaturvedi: I think the best way to go about it is to first send poems to journals that accept poetry. There are a plethora of online journals these days. The advantage is that you get some feedback on your work from editors and readers. While it is easier to publish through self-publication options, including with Pothi, I feel that many people rush to publish their work. I have had a few aspiring poets who have sent me manuscripts, and my advice generally has been to take a little longer to publish, allowing the work to gestate and mature. I’m just passing on the advice that I have received from seniors.

Pothi.com: Tell us about your experience self-publishing with us.

Salil Chaturvedi: The process is easy and smooth. The staff is ultra-professional and accessible. The author dashboard is a great feature that lets you track your sales and royalties. But, one drawback of self-publishing remains marketing. While some writers are good at it, most that I know, including myself, would rather write than promote their work. But, that’s a whole different conversation. Also, self-publishing means that mainstream publications do not review your work and you have to work harder at developing your market and finding readers.

Pothi.com: Your favorite poet.

Salil Chaturvedi: That’s an unfair question, but for now, I’ll say Arun Kolatkar.

Pothi.com:Your favorite beverage.

Salil Chaturvedi: Sikkim Temi Tea.

Pothi.com: Future projects you are excited about.

Salil Chaturvedi: Right now, I’m looking forward to bringing out a short story collection which is titled The Inexact Room. It should be ready by March-April, if all goes well. Apart from that, I have a vague idea for a collection of haibun.

Thanks for the informative session, Salil! Wish you all the best for your writing!

India Public Domain 2022: Twelve Indian Authors whose Works are Entering the Public Domain in 2022

Some of our regular readers asked us if we would be publishing our yearly list of authors whose works have come out of the public domain. We usually publish it early in January but this time, it got delayed a bit.

Every year on January 1, the copyright of a number of creative works expires and they enter the public domain in India and in other countries of the world. The criteria for creating this list for 2022 is that the author died in the calendar year 1961 and the work was published before his death. In case the work was published after the author’s death, it will only come out of copyright after 60 years from the date of publication.

These are the Public Domain Lists we have created in the previous years: 2012,2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020,2021

A book in the public domain is now free to be republished, translated, and converted to different formats.

Our primary source is Wikipedia but we do consult other secondary sources if we come across them. Let us know if you think we have made any errors and also feel free to comment on any author we may have missed out.

Saralabala sarkar (1866- 1961)

Saralabala Sarkar was a politically active Bengali novelist, short story writer, essayist and poet who served as a Member of the Women Satyagraha Samity of the Satyagraha movement in British India. Her books of poetry include Prabaha in 1904 and Arghya in 1938. Her memoir, Harano Atit, was published in 1953. Her works were published in journals like the Antahpur, Bharatbarsa, Jahnabi, Prabasi, Suprabhat, Sahitya Pradip, Utsaha, etc.

Sachindranath Sengupta (1873 – 1961)

Sachin Sengupta was a prominent Bengali playwright and the producer and director of theatrical plays in Calcutta, India. He traveled all over the world as part of the non-governmental troupe. His famous plays include Raktakamal, Rashtrabirohi, Desher dabi, Sirajdullah. Like many writers of his era, he was involved in the nationalist movement and his plays are replete with nationalistic fervor. You can listen to the radio play – Yug Yugantar by Sachindranath Sengupta here.

Chandradhar Barua (1874 – 1961)

Chandradhar Barua was an eminent writer, poet, dramatist and lyricist from Assam. He was inspired by the literary works of Michael Madhusudan and is remembered for his kavyas like Meghnad badh, Ranjan, Bidyut Bikash, Kamrup Jiyari and Muktaboli. What stands out in his writing is his satirical stance. He was the second president of the Assam Sahitya Sabha in 1918 and was the founder secretary of Asam Sahitya Sabha Patrika. He also represented India at the Round Table Conference held in London in 1930.

Bhupendranath Datta (1880 – 1961)

Bhupendranath Datta’s reputation is often overshadowed by his brother Swami Vivekananda. He was an erudite scholar, revolutionary, sociologist, anthropologist and writer. Datta studied in Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar’s Metropolitan Institution and later joined the Brahmo Samaj. He joined the Bengal Revolutionary Society and served as the editor of Jugantar Patrika during which time he built a strong rapport with Sri Aurobindo. He was imprisoned for a year and then left for the US where he indulged in political activities, later relocating to Berlin. He returned to India and immersed himself in political activities. A famous book by him is Swami Vivekananda : Patriot-Prophet. Other Bengali political books by him include Aprakasita Rajnitik Itihas (1953) Bharater Dvitiya Svadhinatar Sagram (1949), Jati Samgathan (1928-29),Yuga Samasya
(1926-27), etc.

Nalam Krishna Rao (1881 – 1961)

Nalam Krishna Rao was an accomplished Telugu writer, magazine editor and social activist. He founded Gowthami Grandhalayam at Rajahmundry in 1898. His famous works include Sri Krishnaraya Andhra Vignana Sarwasvamu and Jateeya Lokoktulu. The Nalam Krishna Rao Memorial Award is given to the Best Woman Writer in Telugu.

Charu Chandra Bhattacharya (1883 – 1961)

Charu Chandra Bhattacharya was a science teacher and Bengali science writer. He was a brilliant student and ended up doing his Masters in Physics at the University of Calcutta. One of his mentors was none other than Jagdish Chandra Bosu. When he wrote, he preferred the simple dialect Chalit Bhasha. In 1939, he joined the publication department of Visva Bharati, Shantiniketan. He published the Rabindra Rochonaboli (Collected works by Rabindranath) and aided Rabindranath Tagore in publishing a series of books to promote literacy. He then started writing more books of the Bishwa Vidya Songroho series and his books featured mostly science. He edited several Bengali magazines and even wrote textbooks. Here is a book by him: Bidyapati O Chandidas: Buy Bidyapati O Chandidas.

Shaukat Ali Khan Fani Badayuni (1883 – 1961)

Shaukat Ali Khan or Fani Badayuni was an Indian Urdu poet. He graduated from Bareilly College in 1901, studied law at Aligarh Muslim University, and started composing poetry in his twenties. He moved to Hyderabad when he was appointed in the department of education. His first collection of poems was published in 1917 by Naqib Press. His other published works include Baqiyat-e-Fani (1926), Irfaniyat-e-Fani (1938), etc.

Rathindranath Tagore (1888 – 1961)

Rathindranath Tagore, son of Rabindranath Tagore and Mrilanini Devi, was an educationist, agriculturist, carpenter, architect, writer, painter and teacher of genetics. He studied at Shantiniketan and then after a stint in Japan moved to the US. Later he returned to India and served as the first vice-chancellor of the Visva-Bharati University. To know more about this eclectic character, read this account of him by his foster son.

Some books by him are available here: Pitrsmriti and On the Edges of Time.

Suryakant Tripathi (1896- 1961)

Suryakant Tripathi ‘Nirala’ was truly unique. With a background in Bangla, he ended up being a Hindi poet, novelist, artist and essayist. His life was punctuated by several tragedies- an unhappy childhood, a short-lived marriage, the death of his daughter and a subsequent bout of schizophrenia.

He made a mark with his verse and was the pioneer of the Chhayavaad (Neo-Romantic) movement of Hindi literature (a movement that also included Jaishankar Prasad, Sumitranandan Pant and Mahadevi Varma).His craft was not reserved to poetry- he also wrote novels like Nirupama, Prabhavati, Choti ki Pakad, and Kulli Bhat. There are several stories woven around this poet- for instance, American novelist and translator David Rubin praised Nirala’s poem Saroj Smriti, which was dedicated to his daughter Saroj, and when Gandhi complemented Nirala by calling him the Tagore of Hindi literature, he was not flattered.

R. P. Sethu Pillai (1896 – 1961)

R. P. Sethu Pillai was a Tamil scholar, writer and professor at the University of Madras. He studied law and after a short political stint began teaching. He ended up becoming the Head of the Tamil department. In 1955, he won the first-ever Sahitya Akademi Award for Tamil for his series of essays titled Tamil inbam. He was awarded a D. Litt degree and he wrote over twenty-five books. His famous work is the biography of Bishop Robert Caldwell titled Caldwell Aiyar Sarithram. He was also involved in the creation of the Tamil encyclopedia and the last volume of the Tamil lexicon. He wrote prolifically in English as well.

Vattikota Alwar Swamy (1915- 1961)

Vattikota Alwar Swamy is the first Telugu novelist. He had humble beginnings but his love for books led him to fight against the Nizam. A famous book by him is Jailu Lopala about his experience while being imprisoned. His other novels include Prajala Manishi (People’s Man) (1952) and Gangu (1940–45). he established Deshoddaraka Granthamala and published 35 books. He also published a newspaper called Telangana.

Nalin Vilochan Sharma (1916 – 1961)

Professor Pandit Nalin Vilochan Sarma taught Hindi Literature in the University of Patna. He was born to a scholarly family and is credited with having started the Nakenwad movement in Hindi literature. He was heavily influenced by trends in European literature and his erudition had no parallel at the time.

Professor Nalin Vilochan Sharma believed that diction in poetry mattered more than content. He believed in simplicity and found the phrases of the literature at the time too cumbersome. He was also a well-known dramatist and critic. Some works by him include Bibbo ka Bibbok, Drishtikon, Jagjivan Ram: A Biography, Naken ke Prapadya, Swarna Manjusha.

If you have links to any other work of theirs for download or for purchase, please leave a comment.

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Interview: Conan Karchang Doley Writes About Love and Dreams in Delhi

We caught up with Conan Karchang Doley , the author of I Don’t Think Straight.

Conan Karchang Doley was born on November 14, 1992. He completed his graduation and post graduation from Delhi University. He lives in Majuli Island, Assam, where he was born. He spends his time reading, writing, and taking and bringing his seven-year-old younger brother to and from school.

Pothi.com: Tell us about what inspired you to write the book I Don’t Think Straight. You could tell us if you were inspired by campus life or if any book/movie set your pen rolling.

Conan Karchang Doley : The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger inspired me to write I Don’t Think Straight. I read it when I was sixteen and the experience was mind-blowing. I instantly wanted to write a book like that. The character Omo is somewhat like Holden Caulfield—I was very happy that I could include a chapter where Omo visits her favorite teacher in her apartment, just like Holden Caulfield does in The Catcher in the Rye. I love Holden Caulfield and I think I can understand him, just like the millions of individuals who have read The Catcher in the Rye—and as an adult I am still sad, in a way, that he never looked forward to growing up—and that’s one of the reasons I love him so much—so I changed that in I Don’t Think Straight. Towards the end of Omo’s narrative, she is not afraid to grow up. Her final words are: “I have no clue where my life is headed, what lies ahead is a vast unknown. All I know is that there is going to be some love and compassion in it.”

Pothi.com: Do you plan the story in advance or do you plot it out beforehand?

Conan Karchang Doley: So far I haven’t plotted it out beforehand. There is a theme, an idea to begin with, and then the rest happens as it happens. I Don’t Think Straight is my second novel so I consider myself pretty new to writing novels. I am not good at it, in my opinion.

Pothi.com: How much has the city Delhi influenced your story? Are there any passages in the book that talk about life in Delhi?

Conan Karchang Doley: Delhi has influenced the book a lot. One of the titles I had considered for I Don’t Think Straight was ‘A Pilgrim in the City’ and another was ‘Love and Loathing in New Delhi’. (I thank you for asking this question, it’s like a load has been released from my shoulders.) Yes, there are passages that talk about life in Delhi; one reader beautifully put it in her Amazon review, “The book isn’t just about the journey of two people, it’s a heartwarming read that will take you on the roads of Delhi, the metro and the protagonist’s world.”

Pothi.com: Tell us a little more about Omo and Domo.

Conan Karchang Doley: Omo and Domo are the two protagonists of I Don’t Think Straight. They are similar in that they are both attracted to people of the same sex. And different in that Omo comes out of her loneliness and frustrations at the end of her narrative, while Domo is pretty much stuck in a rut till the very end. His final words are: “I thought that I was happy but I had a keen sense that I was stuck in a rut.” This self-knowledge that “he is stuck in a rut” although hints that there is something taking place inside him. We all know the old adage ‘Know Thyself’ and Domo suddenly arrives there at the end of the novel.

Pothi.com: Your favorite books.

Conan Karchang Doley: I love everything written by—someone, who probaby does not want to be named. (I think he does not want to gain any kind of authority or become famous in any way so I would rather not name him. But his books are my favorite.) Apart from his books, there are the Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling, Aunt Julia and the Scriptwriter by Mario Vargas Llosa, Pow! by Mo Yan and recently I chanced upon a novel, In Custody by Anita Desai, at a friend’s place—some writings can make you breathe like a dragon, Mo Yan for example and Anita Desai’s writing can make you fall in love, be in love, become love itself.

Pothi.com: Your favorite beverage.

Conan Karchang Doley: Tea and Coffee both.

Pothi.com: What has your experience with Pothi.com been like?

Conan Karchang Doley: I came to Pothi.com because their website said, ‘Writing is Hard. Publishing Should be Easy.’ Something about it attracted me when I saw it the first time. Then I read about their service. I agreed with what they were doing and I especially loved that they were not providing any ISBN but were telling us how to obtain an ISBN for free. And flashforward to one year later: I self-published a novel with Pothi.com.

Self-publishing I Don’t Think Straight with Pothi.com was not so easy for me- the process was not a smooth ride for me, I was trying to get things done quickly and got too anxious when the process got stuck. But every problem was sorted out step-by-step by the Pothi.com Team, which I found very satisfying. I am happy about the way things worked out and I am currently self-publishing my new book with Pothi.com again. The Cover Designing is being done as I speak.

Pothi.com: Your advice to aspiring writers when it comes to writing, publishing and marketing the book.

Conan Karchang Doley: If you know that you have something important to discuss then discuss it through your writing. It could be anything.

If you have self-published a book and want it to sell a lot then you have got to market the book, because no one is doing the marketing for you. But if you are happy with five readers enjoying your book then don’t bother about marketing, and begin writing your next book because those five readers of yours are waiting for your next book.

Pothi.com: Your next project?

Conan Karchang Doley: My next project, (not the one whose cover is currently being designed—it is almost ready) is about an island where people know how to disappear. I began writing it as a homage to the The Invisible Man and the Harry Potter books.

Pothi.com: Thank you so much for talking to us, Conan 🙂 We wish you lots of luck for your future writing journey!

World Vegetarian Day: 5 Vegetarian Cookbooks at the Pothi.com Store

World Vegetarian Day is observed by vegetarians world over on October 1. It was established by the North American Vegetarian Society in 1977 and endorsed by the International Vegetarian Union in 1978. The aim: To promote the joy, compassion and life-enhancing possibilities of vegetarianism.

We found a couple of vegetarian recipe books at the Store.

VEGETARIAN DELIACIES VEGETARIAN DELICACIES by Bridget White | Pothi.com

Soups, salads, curries, stir fries, rice dishes, casseroles and bakes all featured here with easy instructions. The book also highlights the nutritive value of each vegetable and its role in helping cure ailments. Bridget White is a Cookery Book Author and Food Consultant. She has authored seven recipe books on Anglo-Indian Cuisine. Read her interview here.

The Vegetarian Diet Guru | Pothi.com

The Vegetarian Diet Guru is a nutrients-based menu planning guidebook with 150+ recipes that explains and provides strategies to design diets that meet nutritional specifications according to individual requirements.Dr. Shanta Kumar has authored several articles and books on Nutrition and a 3-in-1 Diet Cookbook. The purpose of this book is to provide individuals with the information necessary to plan a healthy and balanced vegetarian diet based on specific criteria. A scientific approach to diet planning is used primarily to aid weight control, diabetic management as well as normal health.

ALL-INDIA Vegetarian Cookbook | Pothi.com

Over 150 recipes with both American and European measurements, this book draws its great-tasting recipes from throughout India. A corporate chef and a past participant in OCLD, Zubin D’Souza has worked all over the world and traveled much of India to showcase regional recipes that he has refined.

Indian Grandmas' Secret Recipes Indian Grandmas’ Secret Recipes | Pothi.com

This is a book of authentic recipes by 16 Indian grandmothers from all over India- Assam, West Bengal, Punjab, UP, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala.

BAKE WITH KOTHARIS (B/W version) BAKE WITH KOTHARIS | Pothi.com

The science of baking eggless recipes of cookies, cakes, muffins, breads, buns, pizzas, and more… free from preservatives, stabilizers, bread improvers, calcium propionate, and harmful chemicals.

Are there any vegetarian cookbooks that you would recommend? Tell us in the comments.

International Translation Day: 5 Translated Books at the Pothi.com Store

Today is International Translation Day!

On this day translators are celebrated all over the world. It’s held on September 30, on the day of the feast of St. Jerome, the patron saint of translators.

We located a couple of translated books at the Pothi.com Store:

Select Translations of Rabindranath Tagore: Volume I | Pothi.com

Five of the best short stories written by Rabindranath Tagore and a play all translated into American English. Rabindranath Tagore (1861-1941) was a storyteller, mystic poet, composer, playwright and philosopher, all rolled into one.

Gulliver’s Travel (Assamese Translation) | Pothi.com

We have an Assamese version of Gulliver’s Travels at the Pothi Store. Have you read this bizarre story of a large man in a land of the smallest people?

Translations of Mankutimmana Kagga | Pothi.com

This book is a tribute to the great Kannada Philosopher-poet D. V. Gundappa popularly known as DVG. Translations of his best-known work: a collection of quadruplet verses on life known as Mankutimmana Kagga is an effort to let know the non-Kannada readers of this gem of Kannada literature. DVG’s verses are short but powerful.

Siddhartha By Hermann Hesse (Translated Tamil Edition)(Colour Print) | Pothi.com

This is a Tamil translated version of Siddhartha, a 1922 novel by Hermann Hesse. The book, Hesse’s ninth, was written in German, in a simple, lyrical style.

Sivakamiyin Sabadham – An English Translation (Volume 1) | Pothi.com

A masterpiece by Kalki Krishnamurthy, recipient of the Sahitya Akademi Award, ‘Sivakamiyin Sabadham’ is a historical Tamil novel set in seventh-century South India. The story deals with the battle for supremacy between the Chalukya Emperor, Pulikesi II, and the Pallava Emperor, Mahendra Varmar and at a later stage, his son, Narasimha Varmar.

You can also check out Volumes 2 and 3 to read the entire series.

Tell us about any translated works that have made a great impression on you.

9 Travel Books from the Pothi.com Store on World Tourism Day

Today is World Tourism Day. During an era when travel has receded into the shadows of the pandemic, we thought we would talk about some of the travel literature available at the Pothi.com Store. There are quite a few books as self-publishing is an ideal medium for travel bloggers and explorers.

Travels of an Indian backpacker girl by Munia Pakhi| Pothi.com

Thirty-something Munia was always an explorer and her wanderlust leads her to Europe. She knew no one there but with a lot of careful planning she managed to travel on a shoestring budget. ‘She got lost in forests in Germany, became witness to a road accident, got scammed under the Eiffel tower, drank glacier water, walked on an active volcano, swam in the Mediterranean, saw celebrities, lived the history of places and saw spooky things in Austria. Eight different countries, 5 different languages, 42 days.’

Traveling To An Enchanted Land Of Castles: Facts And Information On The Castles Of Britain by Herbert Howard| Pothi.com

Herbert is a travel enthusiast with a long alphabetical list of castles on his itinerary- Allington Castle, Ashby Castle, Barnard Castle, Barnwell Castle, Bedford Castle, Beeston Castle, Berkeley Castle, Berkhamsted Castle, Berry Pomeroy Castle, Brancepeth Castle, Buckden Palace, Caister Castle, Canterbury Castle, Carisbrooke Castle, Carlisle Castle, Castle Rising, Chester Castle, Christchurch Castle…….

BEYOND SOUVENIRS by Amrutha Langs | Pothi.com

Amrutha Langs is an explorer. In this travel book, she provides useful information for any explorer who is out on a world tour. Her knowledge snippets may benefit anyone who is trying to get a headstart in a new land.

Everest by Almond Syiem and George Tetlow| Pothi.com

Singer-songwriter and poet Almond Syiem and George Tetlow, book designer, illustrator and lecturer synthesize poetry and artwork based on the Himalayas in a beautiful book.

Mamallapuram (Mahabalipuram) For Beginners by Krishnakumar T K | Pothi.com

A detailed travel guide about several Pallava era monuments of the historic Mamallapuram (Mahabalipuram) town. The author is a traveler and blogger.

One Man Gets the Sack by Ketan Joshi | Pothi.com

A travel fiction filled with adventure and humor. Ketan Joshi is the author of the ‘Three Men on Motorcycles’ series and the ‘One Man Goes Backpacking’ series.

REGARDING LUCKNOW by Syed Rizwan | Pothi.com

A collection of essays on the city of Lucknow from a historical perspective. The author has majored in History. His book talks about the culture and etiquette of the place.

An Indian Goes Around the World – II: WHAT I LEARNED FROM MY THIRTY-DAY EUROPEAN ODYSSEY by M. P. Prabhakaran | Pothi.com

M. P. Prabhakaran writes about the tour he undertook through ten countries of Europe in the summer of 2009

‘The 2009 tour, he says, opened his mind to various aspects of European cultures he had been quite ignorant of until then. It cleansed his mind, he adds, of the many misconceptions he had about peoples and events that shaped the destiny of Europe. It convinced him, once again, that bookish knowledge is no substitute for the knowledge one gains from the people he interacts with, events he witnesses, and things he gets exposed to during his travels to new places.’

TALES OF KURLA STATION by Debashis Mitra | Pothi.com

A collection of short stories set in one of the oldest stations of India. ‘To ones that have had the dubious fortune of having traveled the trains of Mumbai, the stories easily relate to their personal observations and compels them to ponder.’ Debashis Mitra is an architect with an eye toward fiction.

Tell us about any travel literature you have enjoyed recently. If you have traveled and want to self-publish your travel fiction, get in touch with us

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World Pharmacists Day: Six Pharma Books at The Pothi.com Store

The World Pharmacists Day commenced at the FIP Council 2009 in Istanbul to encourage activities that promoted the role of the pharmacist in improving health in every corner of the world.

We have a large number of books at the Store that have to do with the pharma field:

PHARMA FIRST-LINE LEADER TO CEO: THE ROADMAP TO SUCCESS | Pothi.com

A roadmap to success and brief autobiographies of four eminent persons from the Indian pharmaceutical industry who have risen from medical representatives to managing directors / CEOs. The author, Prof. Vivek Hattangadi has put in over 30 years in the pharmaceutical industry, beginning his career as a medical representative, later working in brand management and rising to the position of Head of Sales and Marketing in India’s topmost transnational pharmaceutical house. In January 2004, he started his own consultancy firm The Enablers that specializes in pharma brand management & training.

HOW TO GET DOCTORS ADDICTED TO YOUR BRAND – 13 UNSHAKABLE LAWS OF PHARMA BRANDING | Pothi.com

Another book by Vivel Hattangadi, here the author talks about the 13 virtues that Benjamin Franklin advocated and the 13 laws of pharma branding. The author focuses on Good Marketing Practices and each law is the culmination of observation and experience.

WHAT THE PHARMA CEO WANTS FROM THE BRAND MANAGER: OVERCOME THE TOUGH CHALLENGES OF PHARMA BRANDING (Edition III) | Pothi.com

The Chinese bamboo tree is the miracle that all brands can learn from. It doesn’t grow until after five years of nurture but when it does it shoots up extremely high. What happens in the five years of watering the bamboo is that it grows an elaborate network of roots. So keep working on the brand and it will come into the limelight eventually.

CONCEPTUAL PHARMACY | Pothi.com

Like many books at the Store, this one is academic and designed for the candidates who are preparing for competitive examination. This book contains important portions covering almost all major areas of Pharmacy subject such as Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Pharmacognosy, Pharmacology, Pharmaceutics, Biochemistry, Analytical Chemistry, Forensic Pharmacy and Microbiology to some extent.

Indian Pharmaceutical Regulations by Dr. Premnath Shenoy | Pothi.com

The book explains key Indian pharmaceutical regulations in an easy-to-understand presentation. The book targets Pharmacy and Life sciences graduates seeking to make a career in Pharmaceutical Industry. It is also beneficial to key professionals and startup sector in the pharmaceutical industry to ensure compliance. Dr Premnath Shenoy has nearly four decades of rich experience in the area of Pharmaceutical Research, Quality, Regulatory affairs and compliance.

Pharmacology for Nurses: Pharmacology Study Checklist, Questions and Rationales to easily Pass the NCLEX test | Pothi.com

The book provides ample practice for the NCLEX. 15% of the NCLEX test plan comprises pharmacology questions. The aim of this book is to provide an NCLEX pharmacology study checklist that highlights the most important topics.

Go to the Store for more titles.

World Rose Day: Seven Books That Talk About Cancer, Hope and Survival

World Rose Day is celebrated on September 22 keeping in mind the welfare of cancer patients. Cancer is often looked upon with fear but those who must battle the diagnosis need as much support from fearless caretakers in the community as they can get. On this occasion, we thought we would look at some cancer literature.

TOUGH: WOMEN WHO SURVIVED CANCER edited by Marquina Ilieve-Piselli

Forty women tell their stories about their cancer experience. Although the journey is long and hard, the stories are filled with hope. Creativity is sometimes the best cure for any illness and many of the survivors talk about their tryst with creative pursuits.

The Anatomy of Hope: How People Prevail in the Face of Illness by Jerome Groopman

A must-read book for caregivers and the afflicted. Groopman doesn’t believe in providing false hope but he wants to explore how important hope is in the face of adversity. I

Close to the Bone by Lisa Ray

This autobiography of actor and model Lisa Ray is no-holds-barred account of her life. She suffered from multiple myeloma at age thirty-seven.

‘How fortunate it is when life alters you without warning.’

The Test of My Life: From Cricket to Cancer and Back by Yuvraj Singh

Yuvraj Singh gives a brave, honest account of his tryst with cancer and chemotherapy. The book is an account of his cricket journey and his own personal growth.

Healed: How Cancer Gave Me a New Life by Manisha Koirala

Another celebrity cancer autobiography. Here Manisha Koirala speaks about her triumphant win against ovarian cancer.

My Cancer is Me: The Journey from Illness to Wholeness by Vijay Bhat

Cancer is a disease with many stereotypical notions attached to it. Vijay Bhat writes about how the disease can be used as a transformative experience. He explores perspectives toward the disease and holistic and scientific approaches that can help cure the afflicted.

Unafraid by Niyati Tamaskar

At the Pothi.com Store, we have a book by cancer survivor Niyati Tamaskar. She was a thirty-four-year-old breastfeeding mother when she got the diagnosis. She grew up in India where the c-word was taboo and so she opens up about her journey. Her words give strength- watch her Ted Talk here.

What books would you recommend for cancer survivors and caregivers? Tell us in the comments section.

Syed Mujtaba Ali: The Bengali Polyglot Who Captured South Asia With His Pen

Syed Mujtaba Ali was born on this day in 1904. He was a Bengali author, journalist, scholar, polyglot and global citizen.

He was born in Assam to a family of intellectuals. His brother Murtaza Ali also was a writer of great stature. Mujtaba Ali studied at Shantiniketan. His work in education and religious studies took him across the world.

His travel narrative Deshe Bideshe captured a snapshot of the upheavals in South Asia and it’s a good idea to read the book right now if you are interested in the goings-on in Afghanistan.

He was awarded the Narsinghadas Prize, the Ananda Puraskar and the Ekushey Padak, the second-highest civilian award in Bangladesh.

Bibhutibhushan Bandyopadhyay- the Bengali Storyteller who Inspired Satyajit Ray

Bibhutibhushan Bandyopadhyay was born on this day in 1894. He grew up in a village in West Bengal. Storytelling ran through the family- his father was a storyteller and a Sanskrit scholar. He was a prized student but since his family fell in a hard way, once his studies were complete, he enrolled as a teacher in a school in Hooghly before he went on to become a writer full time.

His setting was primarily rural Bengal. The Apu trilogy based on Pather Panchali and Aparajito caught Satyajit Ray’s attention and since then Bandyopadhyay’s works have become immortal on the silver screen.

His best-known works are the autobiographical novel, Pather Panchali (The Song of the Road), Chader Pahar, and Aranyak. He’s been called “perhaps the best of all modern Indian novelists” and his legacy is substantial- over a dozen novels, hundreds of short stories, memoirs and essays. His style is rooted in an almost romantic love for his environment and a traditional mode of storytelling- yet his voice is modernist and relevant even today, especially when he speaks about the disappearance of the rural fabric in the face of capitalism.

He died in 1950.