I belong to the generation that grew up before TVs were quite accessible in our country. Those days, we got most of our info-tainment from reading. There were occasional excursions to the cinema hall too, but these were very rare treats. So the great rage was comic books and novels, circulated widely among friends and strangers.
Nothing could compare to the pleasure of reading ‘School girl’, ‘Western’ and ‘Classic’ comics on the way back from school. Parents frowned upon reading anything other than school lessons, so it had to be done when they couldn’t see you. Novels had to be hidden under pillows and read on the sly. Oh, the half guilty thrill one got out of Ivanhoe and The Black Arrow at age 14! Such magical experiences!
When my daughter was six and in class one, she asked, “After finishing school, do we have to go to college?”
“What else do you want to do?” i counter questioned.
“Stay home and read stories,” she replied.
I do connect with the sentiment.
Once you enter adulthood with all its responsibilities, finding time to read becomes harder than ever. Several weeks ago, after dithering a long time, i picked up Shantaram. I’ve reached only half of it till now.
When it takes so long to read it, how much time and energy it would take to write! No wonder the author spent thirteen long years at it.
My little book has come out at last. It has only 189 pages with the photos and all. But it took me nearly a year to finish. It often felt like hard work as i tapped on the keyboard at midnight, bleary eyed, after a full day at office. And i’m glad, so glad, that it’s ready for reading now.
It’s published by GLS Publishing, Udyog Bhavan, 250-D, Worli Colony, Mumbai 400 030, india. They can be contacted by e-mail: glsindia@vsnl.com or by phone: 022 2493 0116/6662 7243.
Here’s it’s cover picture.
14 comments:
Dear visitors, this post got all wonky, don't know why. the text got underlined of its own will, the book cover colour has changed from blue to this one. after trying a long time i gave it up.
Lol the post is wonky all right. Dont worry the whiz kids will come and tell you how to fix it.
I grew up reading books and comic books, and still find myself buying comics now and again. Once we were studying and I kept a magazine inside my notebook and read it, and my brother immediately reported me to my mother.
I haven't read Shantaram yet, it's so thick and intimidating. I will try to get hold of your book, will it be available at big bookstores like Crossword, Odyssey etc?
E khai Hotunu, lehkhabu pakhat mai pawh nilo, lehkhabu pali lai i lo ziak tawh ani maw ! I lo ngaihsan awm hle mai. Ziakmite hi ka ngaisang ania. Congrats !
Chhiarve theih avan chakawm em ! Lo hawn hunah leive dan ngaihtuah tur anih hi !
Aduhi, yeah, i'll have to wait for the whiz kids.
I too still love some comics though i hardly buy them now. That was mean of your brother (lol).
My book will not be available in the big bookshops. You can order it from the publishers to be sent by post.
Seki, lehkhabu te tak te te alom. Ziakmi amateur chauh ka nia. Han tihchhuah ve chhun lah hi kan lawm thei viau si.
A nih hi, kan hotunu ber i lo ni e! Zoram lamah i lehkhabu chu lei tur a awm ve mial em??
Awww congrats on the new book. It's going to be a good read again with your easy, untaxing prose. Now if only you would apply that formidable brain to simple things like formatting your blog posts lol.
Weren't the Malory Towers books great? I read one again recently and it was just as good as it was all those years ago. Oh, and I didn't get to even half of Shantaram. Too busy with adult responsibilities like surfing the net and sending and receiving sms-es hehe
Zaia, hotu lo teh mai! Lehkhabu chu nakin deuhvah Synod bookroomah a la awm ka beisei, and order duh chuan.
Calliopia, machines just seem to love harassing me. They know i can't outwit them so they keep doing it.
Thanks for the comment on my prose. Coming from you, it has to be reliable. So i can brag, hehehe!
ha good to know im not alone in the once-bookworm-now-havnt-read-in-a-while club.
but il make an exception and try and get hold of ur book....where can I get it in south India(im based in Vellore) Chennai emaw Bangalore emaw ah?
Hi I've read some of your poetry and really liked them. Can you tell me what your new book is about? And whether I can get a copy in Aizawl?
Opa, some of us would have remained such happy bookworms if circumstances allowed, right? My book should be available in ELS Vellore, and ELS Purshawalkam, Chennai. I'm told they ordered it.
Diary, thanks for reading and liking my poems. I don't know right now, but Aizawl Synod Bookroom should have it sooner or later - i hope. Otherwise you could order from the publisher. They can be contacted by e-mail: glsindia@vsnl.com
so many of us read, but how many can actually go a step further and put our love for words into writing, get a book published? a big congratulations..
i feel like you daughter even now. wanting to leave everything and just read. and too at some place pristine in the mountains :)
Gauri, thanks.
Yeah, won't it be wonderful to sit under a tree and read the whole day, without a care in the world?
@mesjay.. Can we expect this book to hit the bookstore round here in Mumbai.. I'd like to read this book.. and about the post.. I think you haven't closed the link of like this.. please check that..I can help you with that.. though I'm not a geek here though :). If you need me.. don't hesitate to poke on twitter or here or facebook
whoops.. ! My HTML tag example doesn't work.. it is like < a h_r_e_f(without the underscores) and < /.a> without the period there .. if i typed the real html here it doesn't take it
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