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The beautifully written first biography of one of the world’s finest twentieth-century poets Agha Shahid Ali (1949–2001) was one of the most celebrated American poets of the latter twentieth century, and his works have touched millions of lives around the world. Traversing multiple geographies, cultures, religions, and traditions, he mapped the varied landscapes of the Indian subcontinent and the United States. In this biography, Manan Kapoor narrates Shahid’s evolution, following in the footsteps of the “Beloved Witness” from Kashmir and New Delhi to the American Southwest and Massachusetts. He charts Shahid’s friendships with literary figures such as James Merrill, Salman Rushdie, and Edward Said; explores how Shahid responded to events around the world, including the partition of the Indian subcontinent and the AIDS epidemic in America; and draws on unpublished materials and in-depth interviews to reveal the experiences and relationships that informed his poetry. Hailed upon its release in India as “lush” and “poetic,” A Map of Longings is the story of an extraordinary poet, the works he left behind, and the legacy of his singular poetic vision.
Kashmir - 1991 In between the insurgency and the exodus, Inayat finds solace in the company of Gul, a Kashmiri pundit, and Aaqib. She blooms under the eyes of her father, Maqbool - an alcoholic poet, and her mother - Wahida, who is fraught with sanguinity. They spend their days listening to The Doors in Gul's backyard and attending Shakes-Peer's English lessons at the school. However, as they leave behind their childhood, they realize that the future holds things for them that they have never imagined. Inayat comes face to face with loss as bereavement engulfs Kashmir. The echoing of the machine guns, the wails of her loved ones and the silence that she is bequeathed with is all that is left. The Lamentations of a Sombre Sky is the story of a skirmish with life and the perseverance in the dark times
Maya, a successful young woman, realises she is not fulfilled in her current life despite her accomplishments. One night she has a strange dream, which propels her on a journey to seek answers to questions she doesn’t herself know yet. Maya’s desperate quest brings her to the sacred town of Banaras in India and leads her to a gypsy storyteller—Bohemeenya. Though Maya initially uses Bohemeenya’s stories and conversations as tools of distraction, with each day spent with her, Maya gets closer to what she is seeking. The Dis-becoming is a story of who you have been conditioned to be and to eventually transform into what you are truly meant to be. Though it is Maya’s quest for soul-searching questions, it nudges you to think about what matters and brings meaning to your life. The book marries universal truths from various works on spirituality, positive psychology, and Eastern philosophy that will make you re-examine your own path to finding answers and gradually peel off the outer layers to unravel your true self. Sprinkled with nuggets of wisdom, this book will open your eyes to things larger than life.
Words are a way to express, but poetry is said to be liberating. A stanza adorned by words, decorated by emotions and punctuated with imagination is an enlightenment for the soul. With diverse poets bringing in all the creativity in the world, "Enlighten" the darkest corners of your heart through a whirlwind of emotions.
Amidst rain and fire and ruin, in a land of ‘doomed addresses’, a poet evokes the tragedy of his birthplace. The Country Without a Post Office is a haunted and haunting volume that established Agha Shahid Ali as a seminal voice writing in English. In it are stunning poems of extraordinary formal precision and virtuosity, intensely musical, steeped in history, myth and politics, all merging into Agha Shahid Ali’s finest mode, that of longing.
Media Technology and Cultures of Memory studies narrative memories in India through oral, chirographic and digital cultures. It examines oral cultures of memory culled from diverse geographical and cultural landscapes of India and throws light on multiple aspects of remembering and registering the varied cultural tapestry of the country. The book also explores themes such as oral culture and memory markers; memory and its paratextual services; embodied memory practices in the cultural traditions; between myths and monuments; literary and lived experiences; print culture and memory markers; marginalized memories in hagiographies; displaying memories online; childhood trauma, memory and flashbacks; and the politics of remembering and forgetting. Rich in case studies from across India, this interdisciplinary book is a must-read for scholars and researchers of cultural studies, sociology, political science, English literature, South Asian studies, social anthropology, social history, and post-colonial studies.
An ingenious, devastating, explosive novel about the ramifications of choice from "one of the most original and talented authors working today" (NPR). "How ought one to live?" This is the question that obsesses London-based publisher Ayush, driving him to question every act of consumption. He embarks on a radical experiment in his own life and the lives of those connected to him: his practical economist husband; their twins; and even the authors he edits and publishes. One of those authors, a mysterious M. N. Opie, writes a story about a young academic involved in a car accident that causes her life to veer in an unexpected direction. Another author, an economist, describes how the gift of a cow to an impoverished family on the West Bengal–Bangladesh border sets them on a startling path to tragedy. Together, these connected narratives raise the question: How free are we really to make our own choices? In a scathing, compassionate quarrel with the world, Neel Mukherjee confronts our fundamental assumptions about economics, race, appropriation, and the tangled ethics of contemporary life.
In 1984, Simranjit Singh Mann resigned from the Indian Police Service in protest of Operation Blue Star, the Indian Army operation ordered by Indira Gandhi, then prime minister, that cleared the Golden Temple complex of Sikh militants. Mann was subsequently charged, among other things, with conspiracy to assassinate Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. A passionate Sikh whose radical beliefs were honed by his family, Mann went underground and was apprehended while trying to flee the country. He spent five years in prison, after which all charges were dropped. Three decades after Blue Star, his daughter Pavit Kaur looks back on the years her father spent in prison. In this disarmingly honest and emotionally charged account, Pavit Kaur documents her father’s hellish journey through the Indian prison system. This is also a personal story and the story of a family during one of the most fraught times in India’s history.
The brilliant quiz book for clever kids - answer the questions correctly on your favourite subjects to test if you're a general knowledge genius. Children won't be able to resist the General Knowledge Genius brain-busting challenge. For every topic, pages are packed with eye-popping pictures - but do you know what they show? To help you, "Test Yourself" panels list what you're looking for. With three levels of difficulty, the challenge gets harder as you work your way from Starter, to Challenger, and finally the truly tricky Genius category. If you need it, there's a fun fact with every picture to give a helpful clue. With more than 60 topics, from across the encyclopedia, there's something for everyone. Can you name the most famous rivers worldwide? Do you know your cranium from your clavicle, or do you need to bone up on the parts of the human skeleton? Are you a demon on dinosaurs, and able to spot the difference between an archaeopteryx and an allosaurus? Perhaps you're a brain box and can do all of this standing on your head? You can! Then what are you waiting for? Open the pages of General Knowledge Genius to find out what you know, and challenge yourself to learn even more!
This comprehensive guide is the most complete owner's manual for keeping all types of freshwater and marine fish. The book will take you through all the options in choosing the right fish for any water temperature - tropical and coldwater - and for all types of environment - indoor aquariums or outdoor ponds. Know the difference between keeping marine fish and freshwater fish, including differences in aquarium setups, and feeding and caring for your pet fish. Learn to tell if your fish are healthy and find out everything you need to breed them successfully. The Encyclopedia of Aquarium & Pond Fish contains a huge photographic colour reference directory of over 800 of the most popular fish, which not only shows you what they look like, but also gives you the key information you need, such as how big they will grow, whether they integrate with different fish, what food they eat, and what water type and temperature they prefer.