Booknomics

Amrita Pritam: The Feminist Chronicler of the Horrors of Partition

Amrita Pritam was born on this day in a village in present-day Pakistan in 1919. Her mother’s death left a void in her life that writing was a balm for. She wrote her first anthology when she was just sixteen.

Although she started writing sweet love dirges, Pritam’s heart was with the people. The partition wrenched at her heart and shaped her art. In anguish, she wrote the famous poem Ajj Aakhaan Waris Shah Nu addressed to the Sufi poet Waris Shah. Amrita Pritam was one of the first writers who addressed the horrors of partition through a feminist lens.

Her work has been translated widely and adapted as screenplays, Pinjar being one of her most famous stories. She was the recipient of various awards and was the first woman to win the Sahitya Akademi Award and the Padma Shri. She also received the Jnanpith Award for her lifetime contribution to Punjabi literature.

Find her books here.

Four Fantastic Sports Books on National Sports Day

Today is National Sports Day in India.

The Story Behind National Sports Day

On August 29, 1905, the Indian hockey legend – Major Dhyan Chand was born. Known as ‘The Wizard Of Hockey’, Chand played during the pre-independence years of India and exercised control over Europeans in a sport invented by them, which developed a feeling of pride in Indians. He dominated the sport all through his career and managed to bag three Olympic gold medals for India. One of the country’s most prestigious sports awards, the Khel Ratna, is named after him and his birth anniversary is celebrated as the National Sports Day in the country.

Why Sports Day?

Stressing the need to stay fit and healthy, this auspicious day spreads the message of the importance of sports and daily activities in everyday life. Sports helps to develop a feeling of patriotism and bind people of different backgrounds. As a nation, India has experienced a lot of ups and downs in the field of sports. It isn’t just hockey that has inspired millions of youngsters in the country. Athletes and players from all across the country have taken the game up the ladder.

There’s nothing like experiencing the live sport and for the ones who fail to do so, the closest experience they can get is through books. Books can help people to actually relive the experiences of players and one can know how the legends came to be.

Sports Books from India

Nation at Play: A History of Sport in India by Ronjonoy Singh:

This book traces ancient times when India was beginning to engage with sport along with capturing the political nature behind it. The book consists of wonderful stories, amazing anecdotes and very interesting snippets that engage readers all across the country.

Dreams of a Billion: India and the Olympic Games by Boria Majumdar:

Boria Majumdar and Nalin Mehta compiled a collection of India’s best Olympic moments over the years. The documentary Dreams of a Billion: India and the Olympic Games tells the stories of legends such as MC Mary Kom, PV Sindhu, and Abhinav Bindra. The book also paints a picture of what goes on behind the scenes in the Indian Olympics world.

Unbreakable: An Autobiography by Mary Kom

Unbreakable, the story of the legendary MC Mary Kom, traces the journey of the six-time world champion. Born with limited resources, this book tells the story of Mary Kom’s struggle and passion to reach the pinnacle of her sport. The book chronicles how she balanced her marriage and career, and also describes what it takes for a woman to succeed in a male-dominated sport and country.

Playing it my way: My Autobiography by Sachin Tendulkar:

The autobiography of the former Indian cricketer – Sachin Tendulkar reveals the scenes of his legendary performances and struggles throughout his 24-year career. Tendulkar has won hearts all over the world and his decision to publish this book has been loved by all.

“So here I am, at the end of my final innings, having taken that last walk back to the pavilion, ready to recount as many incidents as I can remember since first picking up a cricket bat as a child in Mumbai thirty-five years ago.” – Sachin Tendulkar

Which sports books have you been inspired by?

The Sorrows of Young Goethe and the Success of Faust

Born in Frankfurt, Germany, on August 28, 1749, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (this is how you pronounce Goethe) was a revered poet, playwright, novelist, and statesman.

Despite having achieved success in the literary world, Goethe believed that his work as a philosopher and scientist- in particular with regard to his theories about color and philosophy- would be his true legacy instead. However, his writings inspired generations of western literature and thought.

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe was tutored extensively in languages as a child. His father, Johann Kaspar Goethe was a lawyer who always prioritized his son’s education, which enabled him to engage in many literary and cultural pursuits. It was when Goethe went to Leipzig University to study law that he fell in love with Anne Katharine Schönkopf, who is known to have been the inspiration behind his first volume of poems called Annette.

Goethe’s Works

At the end of his studies, he had composed many writings like The Partners in Crime and Leipzig Songbook; he also found his love for folk poetry. During that time he developed proclaimed respect for Shakespeare who is also the figure responsible for his ‘personal awakening’.

Throughout the 1770s, along with practicing progressive law across Germany, he also maintained his career as a poet and a playwright. At the age of 24, Goethe wrote his first novel called The Sorrows Of Young Werther. The book was written in a journal form and tells the tale of unrequited love between Werther and Charlotte. In the story, the man falls hopelessly in love with the wife of his friend. The book was an instant hit and it revolutionized European literature. This writing influenced the later Romantic Movement.

All through his career, Goethe is known to have found inspiration from his surroundings. His collaborative works with fellow poet and playwright Friedrich Schiller formed the heart of German literature. It was during this period that his journey to Italy rekindled his love for poetry and that is when he composed a collection of seductive poetry called the Roman Elegies. His most famous work, Faust, was produced after the demise of Schiller in 1805. Faust was an epic play of love and loss which talks about a duel with the devil in the search for supernatural knowledge.

Despite his age, Goethe continued composing more literary works. He published his autobiography – Dichtung und Wahrheit and even composed more poetry. After hearing the news of his son’s death, he fell seriously ill and a few months later, he died on his armchair. He was laid to rest next to Schiller, his other half whom he considered to be his other half, in the ‘tomb of the princes’ in Weimar.

Although his works were mainly famous in Europe and Germany, his most famous poem -cum- play, Faust, has been adapted into an opera and is still performed throughout the world. Goethe’s mergence of science and art has awarded him the title, ‘surpassing intellect of modern times’. George Eliot called him ‘Germany’s greatest man of letters and the last true polymath to walk the earth’. Goethe’s works have made an impact on literary movements like Romanticism and expressionism. His philosophical contributions have left a legacy that is woven into the lives of others.

It’s Time for a Level Playing Field: Six Books to Read on Women’s Equality Day

Women’s Equality Day is an American holiday which marks the day when the Nineteenth Amendment, which prohibited the federal government and states from denying people the right to vote on the basis of their gender. was adopted. It is celebrated on August 26 every year, since its inception in 1971. The day symbolizes the culmination of 72 years of agitation by a massive women’s civil rights movement.

Women have proven existing stereotypes false time and again and the right to vote is a precursor to women’s new roles in society.

What Can You Read On Women’s Equality Day?

We’ve identified a couple of books that talk about Women’s Equality Day in particular and other books where women chart out their journeys toward a better world where their work is appreciated and rewarded.

The Women’s Hour: The great fight to win the vote by Elaine Weiss

The Woman’s Hour is the gripping story of how America’s women won their own freedom and the opening campaign in the great twentieth-century battles for civil rights. The book features the opposition suffragists faced in the state of Tennessee and their subsequent victory.

Let’s Celebrate Women’s Equality Day (Holidays and Heroes) by Barbara deRubertis

Read this tiny book from The Holiday & Heroes series to understand the history of women’s suffrage in the United States, the stalled Equal Rights Amendment, and the gender gap among elected officials.

Becoming by Michelle Obama

Who better to tell us about the political struggle in America than the former First Lady herself? Michelle Obama capitalized on her African American roots to create the most welcoming White House in history. In her memoir, she describes her precarious balancing act between mudslinging politics that she despises and advocacy for women and girls she roots for.

More Than Enough: Claiming Space for Who You Are (No Matter What They Say) by Elaine Welteroth

Welteroth talks about her ascent as a black woman in a white-dominated landscape- she strives for equality. She uses her own experiences to highlight the points she makes about trusting yourself, knowing your worth, and making big decisions in life. The book teaches women how to stand up for each other, especially for those who doubt themselves from time to time. That’s the only path to equality -“We went through what we went through so that you could live, baby girl. So you got to live. Run after it. And know that we are all with you.”

The Moment of Lift: How Empowering Women Changes the World by Melinda Gates

When you raise a woman, you raise your family, your community, your country and so on. In her book, Melinda tells the story of the interesting people she meets through her work around the world. The book is anecdotal and throws light on the strong grit and determination of women across the world even in the face of injustice.

Seeing Like a Feminist by Nivedita Menon

Nivedita Menon gives a 360-degree approach to the idea of feminism and gender equality, specifically in the Indian context. This book is a favorite at the company and one that has been discussed multiple times at our Bring Your Own Book (BYOB) Parties.

So How Can You Make Women’s Equality Day Special?

Even though this event supports American suffragists, August 26 is a good day to celebrate the women in your lives, not just achievers but anyone who has made a difference in some small way. You can talk about them on your social media handles and organize charity drives for any cause spearheaded by women. You can pick up the books we mentioned and go deeper into the issues that plague womankind. It’s a day to recognize how far women have come and how far they have to go.

Paulo Coelho: The Writer Who Believes That Dreams Come True

Paulo Coelho was born on this day. Did you know the Rumi of our times was a lyricist as well?

His most famous book was The Alchemist with sales of over 150 million copies worldwide.

During his adolescence he was sent to an asylum so that he would give up his writing dream and even though he attempted to make a career out of law, he dropped out of the rat race, living a hippie life and traveling widely.

He began working as a songwriter and dabbled in many creative careers. He was even incarcerated by the military government in Brazil for some time.

He began a songwriting career that was interrupted by his sudden awakening to write and follow his dreams. The Alchemist was picked up by an unknown publisher and later Harper Collins. A strong thread of Sufism and pantheism runs through his fiction and non-fiction books.

Happy b’day Paulo Coelho!

V. S. Naipaul: The Nobel Winner of Many Hues

V. S. Naipaul was born on this day in 1932. He put Trinidad and Tobago on the map with the literature he churned out- thirty books in half a century. He won several awards including the Booker Prize, the Jerusalem Prize, the Trinity Cross and the Nobel Prize in Literature.

He was awarded the Nobel “for having united perceptive narrative and incorruptible scrutiny in works that compel us to see the presence of suppressed histories.”

“Naipaul is a modern philosopher carrying on the tradition that started originally with Lettres persanes and Candide. In a vigilant style, which has been deservedly admired, he transforms rage into precision and allows events to speak with their own inherent irony.”

His grandparents were indentured servants who had left India when the Great Famine left them with no choice but to flee the country. His father Seepersad inspired him to be a novelist.

Naipaul ended up moving from Trinidad and Tobago to study at Oxford and he worked as a journalist on a part-time basis with the BBC. When he spoke about his writing process, he often referred to how he was entirely self-taught. He learned about writing from the act of writing itself.

His initial novels were set in the remote region of Trinidad and Tobago. It was A House for Mr Biswas that established Naipaul as a fixture in the British literary scene. His voice is tinged with irony and even his non-fiction has the aspect of fiction. During his Nobel Banquet Speech, he told a little tale of how his watch stopped when he arrived in Stockholm. For him, storytelling was the only mode of expression.

His legacy is, however, one of contradictions, his views are often accused of being controversial and misogynistic.

Graphic of book titles — Books by V. S. Naipaul

Reading the Epic in the Month of Rain and Ramayana

Ramayana Masam or the Month of Ramayana is an important month especially in the southern state Kerala, India. It is observed in the month of ‘Karkidakam’, which refers to the monsoon season between July to August. During this time, the Ramayana epic, which tells the story of Ram and Sita and the travails they face, is read in Hindu households; no other auspicious events take place at this time, only treatments and prayer.

Ramayana at the Pothi.com Store

This is the right time to speak about some Ramayana editions that have been self-published at the Pothi.com Store:

Ajai Kumar Chhawchharia has written several versions of the Ramayan including The Kaagbhusund Ramayan or The Aadi Ramayan, Barvai Ramayan of Goswami Tulsidas , Saint Surdas Ram Charitawali and Geetawali Ramayan of Goswami Tulsidas.

You can see pencil sketches of the Ramayana in a book by Hiru Ray.

Adhyayma Ramayanam by Ezutthachan is a Malayalam poem where a parrot recites the Ramayan to Parvati at Shiva’s bidding. Dr. Sukumar’s book Ramayana in 30 Days is an English translation of this Kilipattu or bird song, thereby making it accessible to non-Malayalam readers as well.

Krishnakumar T K simplifies the Ramayana in seven editions of the work Ramayana Simplified.

Geeta Kasturi is a scholar and author who compares the poetic renditions of the Ramayana. Check out Triveni Sangam.

Listen to Young Voices on International Youth Day

International Youth Day is celebrated annually on 12 August to bring youth issues and young voices to the mainstream. The General Assembly endorsed the recommendation that 12 August be declared International Youth Day.

The 2021 theme for the day is Transforming food systems: Youth Innovation for Human and Planetary Health. As the population grows, there are more and more challenges that younger people must face. The planet needs to be restored to its natural equilibrium and biodiversity must flourish if we want to have food systems that benefit all of mankind.

On that note, Pothi.com would like to celebrate the voices of some of our young writers at the Pothi.com Store:

Footprints on the Moon

Footprints on the Moon is the second Young Author Program Anthology. The Young Author Program (YAP) is a writing workshop designed to give young writers the tools they need to write their own fiction. In this anthology, young writers explore diverse subjects including vampires, wizards, pets, friendship, career choices, magic and dreams.

A Window to Young Minds

A Window to Young Minds is the first of the yearly anthologies, Short Stories by Young Writers. The twenty-three wonderful stories in this book are handpicked from 2017 contest entries. The talent of these young writers shines in their command of storytelling and their unique take on genre—from a pirate love story to the Hindenburg disaster on May 6, 1937, in New Jersey.

Young Voices

YOUNG VOICES features fifteen pieces of fiction from fifteen student writers from around the world. Whether discussing social issues, pondering everyday truths, or examining human relationships, the authors in Young Voices are doing us all a great service. We need them and their artistic peers to keep observing humanity around them and let their words and images move us forward, indeed, to truly guarantee us all a better tomorrow.

Listen to Young Adults

Not by a young adult but pertaining to communicating with them. The myths of adulthood and understanding teenagers in the new age have been busted.

Which book for or by young writers have you enjoyed recently?

Audiobooks: The Shining Prospect in the Publishing Industry

More and more readers are beginning to feel that they are doing justice to a book by listening to it. After all, in India, story has always been more of an oral tradition than a written one.

Even at our BYOB Parties, we had several readers speak about the audiobooks they had listened to including Born a Crime by Trevor Noah; Let Your Mind Run: Thinking Your Way to Victory by Deena Kastor, Olympian runner; Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders; and poetry books as poetry is best listened to.

On that note, we attended the extremely informative workshop ‘Creating an AudioBook Future’ hosted by BEAT Technology in partnership with All About Book Publishing.

The event that was held on Aug 3 included Q&A with experts about creating an audiobook strategy, including curating a list, selecting narrators, studio recordings and marketing.

Some Takeaways From the Session:

Audiobooks are gaining popularity and many publishers are warming up to this model of infusing fiction and non-fiction with radio drama and digital technology. One indication that the audiobook trend is here to stay is that some books are being released exclusively in this format.
While the world over, it is fiction that makes the cut, in India, audiobooks seem to thrive the most in the self-help, financial and wellness segments.
In India, commute time to work is the highest in the world and so this is the perfect time to plug into a device and listen to a book. This is a huge opportunity for audiobook publishers.
Audiobook production is nothing like the making of a paperback or an eBook. The yardsticks are very different- audiobooks are very expensive to create, requiring high-quality narration plus no scope for automation. Yet publishers are diving in and trying to zero in on more optimal publishing and distribution models

What audiobooks have you been listening to recently?