Vivek Kumar Singh
ISBN: 978-93-81115-35-0
Frog Books; Price: Rs 95; US $6; Pages: 124
This is a story about a young man faced with a decision — to follow his heart or brain. The heart wants happiness in India, among his family, friends and people who are like him. His brain wants money — without it what security does he have?
All his friends are all relocating to the USA. He feels isolated. And so he decides to follow ‘the rat race’. He travels to America.
Will the journey to a foreign land bring happiness? Will money be the answer to his prayers? Or will he finally realise that true joy is the sense of belonging?
About the Author
Vivek Kumar Singh belongs to Class of ’96 of IIT-Kanpur. Since then, he has been part of the IT revolution — travelling across the globe and working for various companies. He learned conscience and sensitiveness in the jungles of Jharkhand where he did his schooling, at Netarhat, a government residential public school, and a spell at Science College, Patna, made him a politically sensitive animal. Presently Vivek is based in Bangalore and can be reached at vivek_ks@hotmail.com
(The Afternoon Dispatch & Courier, Bombay, 20 May 2011)
Ravi Kumar R
ISBN: 978-93-81115-28-2
Frog Books; Price: Rs 95; US $6; Pages: 120
Four friends — Siddharth, Surya, Swetha and Imran — in their early twenties from different social and economic backgrounds and with different ideologies, live in the metropolis of Hyderabad. Siddharth, frustrated with the way the world is, constantly questions the basis of the existing systems of the modern world. Driven by his keen observation of mankind and interest in worldly affairs, Siddharth comes up with the role he needs to play. Surya, in the meantime, is shocked to learn about his sudden marriage proposal. All of them leave for a remote village to attend his marriage along with Surya’s cousin Akanksha. The village, with its age-old stories and diverse characters, is eagerly waiting to change their lives forever.
The book features the struggle between the rich and the poor, love and lust, wants and responsibilities… With its contrasting characters set against the backdrop of two contrasting locations, the story highlights the unrecognised potential of our neglected rural areas.
About the Author
Ravi Kumar R was born and brought up in Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, where he did his entire schooling. He graduated in 2009 from IIT Kharagpur with a B Tech in Electrical Engineering. He is presently working as an Engineer in BHEL, RC Puram unit, Hyderabad.
Jayanta Ray
ISBN: 978-93-81115-34-3
Frog Books; Price: Rs 130; US $8; Pages: 130
Based on the multicultural experience set in a significant point in modern history, this novel starts with a scene in Heidelberg, in the then West Germany. Siddhartha, or Sid, an exchange student from India studying at the university, explores the progress made by the post-WW II German society, often contrasting the conditions back home. With his youthful energy and curiosity, Sid becomes a part of the Schulz family he stays with. Frau Schulz, her introvert husband Kurt, perhaps suffering from a sense of guilt about being part of Hitler’s Wehrmacht during WW II, and their friendly teenaged son bond with Sid in more ways than one, thus providing him with insights into contemporary German mind. The city and the charming Neckar that lazily flows past it come alive as he roams around with Barbara, his new-found friend and exchanges his experience with his ex-girlfriend back home. The Berlin Wall stands as a reminder of the nation divided and a symbol of stifled human aspirations. Sid returns to his homeland — sombre and uncertain — shackled by Emergency.
Using a variety of events and characters, the book narrates the time and life in a small town in the erstwhile West Germany in vivid details.
About the Author
Jayanta Ray, a foreign-language translator by profession, entered the world of creative writing with his first work of fiction A Town by the River (2009), followed by Withered Leaves. He holds a graduation degree in science, besides a post-graduation in the German language and a postgraduate diploma in journalism. He has been a recipient of the DAAD scholarship for studies at the University of Heidelberg, Germany. He has regularly contributed articles on the Indian translation scene to Professional Translator and Interpreter, London. He has been enlisted in the International Who’s Who in Translation and Terminology, published by Praetorius, UK, 1996. For his contribution to the promotion of scientific-technical translation in India, he was awarded the Scroll of Honour by the Indian Scientific Translators Association in 2005. He has a number of publications in professional journals (both national and international) including two German<>English technical dictionaries published by Elsevier Science Publishers, Amsterdam. Jayanta can be contacted at ray.jayanta@gmail.com
Lakshmi Prathivadi
ISBN: 978-93-81115-32-9
Frog Books; Price: Rs 150; US $8; Pages: 164
Four shots rang out in the silent darkness — one, two, three… and four. Four lives are taken in a moment. This is witnessed by three children: fifteen-year-old Ram and his two younger siblings. They see their parents, grandfather and brother Gaurav die in front of them.
Ram also sees the face of the killer in the darkness; he sees the eyes — bloodshot red, eyes that he will never forget. Ram then learns that the killer is a British police officer.
The deaths leave the three children homeless and orphaned until they are rescued by Ravi, Gaurav’s best friend.
It was the British rule in India. The Freedom Movement was strong. Indians were willing to die for their country’s freedom; freedom from the British. Will Ram take revenge? Will he succeed? A saga of a broken family and the journey of a patriotic teenager…
About the Author
Born in 1993 in Bangalore, and currently a senior in a high school in Temecula, California, Lakshmi Prathivadi scripted this story that is set in pre-colonial India. The story draws from her childhood experiences in India, before moving to the US when she was eight. By applying modern writing techniques and style to a more traditional storyline, the book draws from various historical sources to portray a society bound by colonial chains. She first developed her zeal for writing in fourth grade, when she wrote short stories that were later published in the school publication. In middle school, she began to read a variety of books that inspired her to write her own book. In high school, she finally decided to script a story that related to her own background after she visited India in 2009. Expecting only a relaxing and fun-filled vacation, she instead found herself enthralled by the extent of Indian history. This book captures the essence of India in the 1930s when the country was embroiled in political upheaval and the social struggle for independence, which is revealed through the eyes of the protagonist Ram Sarvarkar. Lakshmi can be contacted at lakshmi_prathivadi22@hotmail.com
Manhardeep Singh Ahluwalia
ISBN: 978-93-81115-33-6
Body & Soul Books; Price: Rs 50; US $4; Pages: 54
Life is an unknown, mysterious journey that offers us diverse experiences. These experiences mould our personalities and our outlook to life. In the course of life, our experiences can be good or bad. While good experiences give us a sense of comfort, it is the ‘bad’ experiences that truly teach us truths about life. Some of us become strong after facing such ‘bad’ experiences while others simply give up.
The author has beautifully described Rama’s journey through a dark, unknown forest and Michel’s journey through a dark, unknown tunnel. What does Rama learn from his journey? How does he deal with his experiences? What about Michel? The Journey of the Unknown Path narrates their fascinating experiences.
“You will be given what you need at the right time on your journey without you knowing about it.”
About the Author
Manhardeep Singh Ahluwalia lives in Moga City, Punjab. He is pursuing his graduation in business administration along with a diploma in aviation, hospitality and travel management. He is also an entrepreneur, Reiki master and has as black-belt in martial arts. With all these experiences at a young age, he cherishes a wish to share his thoughts, dreams, aspirations and ideas with the people of this world through his writings. He can be contacted at authormanhardeep@gmail.com
By Aruna V. Iyer
Big names in their respective vernaculars, three women writers who are into the eighth decade of their lives are debuting in English this year. Meet Dhiruben Patel, Gouri Dash and Ambika Sirkar
Dhiruben Patel
She shot to fame with her very first novel, Vadvanaal, written in the early 1950s, and has since then been a beacon in Gujarati writing. Modelling major decisions in life around the belief that she would be a writer, Dhiruben Patel, today 85, has to her credit a number of novels, short stories, literature for children and young adults, scripts for radio and television shows and plays.
Her Sahitya Akademi Award-winning novel Agantuk tells the story of a sadhu returning home in Bombay. It has been translated into English by Raj Supe, and the translated work marks her entry into the English language. Speaking about translations and how much is lost and gained in the process, the author feels that it is easier to translate works in one Indian language into another, because the cultural settings are similar. Achieving the same in a translation into English, she says, would be a challenge that can be faced well if the translator is versatile in both languages.
Children and young adults being her main readers, she thinks that the present generation, armed with the internet, has more information than a book can ever hope to provide. “But children will still remain children and if an author is able to win their hearts and splash some new color into their thoughts, they will take to reading,” she says.
Dhiruben Patel is the recipient of several awards and has served as the President of the Gujrati Sahitya Parishad.
Gouri Dash
At 85 year, Gouri Dash has behind her a literary career spanning over 30 years in Bengali and Oriya. Her works, aimed at the young reader, has been included in the curriculum of several state boards in the country. Her foray into English writing is with the series titled, Stories from Piplivan. The first story, Kuna Kuni Take Flight, is about how twin parrots Kuna and Kuni manage to escape from a cowherd who has captured them in Piplivan. Bright and colourful illustrations depict the different characters with Indian elements – like the red bindi on the forehead of Tuni, the mother parrot – packed in. .
Having had no formal education in English, Gouri Dash picked up English while bringing up her children and now her grandchildren. Though she is not yet comfortable in the language and her vocabulary is basic, the author is confident that with the help of her editors she will be able to continue writing for the series.
Talking about practical problems she faced while writing in English, she says, “The primary issue is to get as close to the original story, without losing the essence.” There is a huge list of stories that have rhymes in Oriya, which have been impossible to translate into English. “So, I had to leave out a few of my favourite stories in the Piplivan stories,” she adds.
Gouri, when she is not writing, enjoys cooking and narrating stories to her grandchildren.
Ambika Sirkar
Though fluent in English, Ambika Sirkar has thus far been content with translating writings in other languages into Marathi. Some of her translations include The Reader by Bernard Schlink, The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery, and The Bodhisatva Ideal and other works by Sangharakshita. In her own words, the author’s two novels and two short story collections in Marathi have been acknowledged by the Maharashtra state government as the best work in the respective years of their publication. Her latest book, No Crystal Stair, was originally written in Marathi and called Eka Schwasache Antar, and has been translated by her into English. Ask her if it was difficult or easy to translate her own work into English, she says that every language has its idioms and to translate well, one has to have a good knowledge of idioms in both languages. “Proverbs from Indian languages are often impossible to translate into English. Finding similar sayings is difficult,” she adds. The novel received the Marathi Sahitya Parishad and was translated into Hindi as well.
(The Hindu, May 16, 2011)
Sofi Adelbrand
ISBN: 978-93-81115-31-2
Frog Books; Price: Rs 195; US $10; Pages: 254
If a man is pushed over the cliff of oppression, will he learn to fly or will he fall into a pit? When violence in one’s environment is a greater enemy than any other, what does a person do to survive? Must they resist the temptation of falling in with the bad crowd or settle differences by way of weapons and violence?
This edge-of-your-seat novel, set in the 1940s and 50s, explores how the characters are influenced by and react to hostility, threats, oppression, and being exiled from their homes. What can happen to prevent moral and emotional death? What if people decide to fight back? What will become of them if they don’t?
This emotional travel through the lives of a group of people, all connected in one way or another, will bring the reality of tyranny to your doorstep.
About the Author
Sofi Adelbrand is a born bookworm and scored well in writing assignments throughout her school and tertiary education career. She has a degree in Language and Literature, majoring in English. She is currently a freelance writer and is an enthusiastic poet. This is her first novel. She lives in Pretoria, South Africa, with her husband and son. She can be contacted at runaprinsloo@gmail.com
Rahul Taunk
ISBN: 978-93-81115-29-9
Frog Books; Price: Rs 195; US $10; Pages: 214
Roshan is a dynamic and ambitious youngster who leads a carefree life in college along with his close mates. They’re young and crazy. Pranks, fun, love, crushes, infatuation, and mystery are all part of their rollercoaster lives. Adventure and humour are their trusted companions until life deals them their destiny’s card. Roshan sees himself as his father’s successor, taking his company to greater heights. He has big plans and his dreams are almost coming true when the love of his life walks into his life. She is there, but not quite there. They want to, but they can’t. They belong to two different worlds, and try their best to stay apart. But there seems to be an unseen force that is intent on making their paths cross. Roshan keeps oscillating between hope and despair. The novel is set in picturesque Darjeeling — the crucible of everything that is Roshan.
Sarah is everyone’s story. It’s a bumpy ride in the lives of a bunch of young people, and the way their future unfolds. The story is a kaleidoscope of love, passion, maturity, sacrifice, tragedy, ambition, responsibility, commitment, sorrow, regret and lament. Almost all of life’s myriad emotions find expression in this little saga of love and life.
About the Author
Rahul D Taunk belongs to the picturesque town of Jeypore. After his graduation he joined his family business. He is interested in adventure sports, trekking, dancing and yoga, apart from reading and writing. Sarah is his first novel and he can be contacted at rahultaunk80@gmail.com
Abhinava Shilpi Paliwal
ISBN: 978-93-81115-30-5
Frog Books; Price: Rs 150; US $8; Pages: 170
In life, one faces a number of crossroads where various internal and external voices confront one and one stops to think about which direction to take. Each one of us has faced situations where we have been challenged with making the ‘right’ decision.
The author has been able to elucidate and express a number of such situations in this collection of short stories.
- Should you be bogged down by social norms, your prejudices or follow your heart? Find out in the story Never Too Late.
- What is holding India back? Why is China doing better? Read through Harvard Professor Dr. Ajay Sharma’s attempt to find out India’s problem and the solution that he recommends in The Report Card.
- Do you have the courage to give up a lucrative career to do what you love? While Sameer did not, Neha did. Who succeeded? Even Elephants Dance has the answers.
- Are you willing and able to stick your neck out and fight for the improvement of the country? Read The Delay to discover how Dipankar Sharma was determined to hold the government accountable because he believed that ‘justice delayed is justice denied’.
- You may be able to hide a scar on the outside but can you do so when you get a scar within? Meet ‘Scarry’ Rohan in The Scar.
- Who is a winner — a person who comes first or a person who supports others to move ahead? Browse through army officers Deepak and Vikram’s endeavour to win in Victory.
- To what extent will you go to clear a blot on your family’s name and seek justice for a loved one? Find out about Rohit’s encounter with this tricky situation in The Athlete.
About the Author
Abhinava Shilpi Paliwal was born and brought up in New Delhi and was educated at St. Stephen’s College and the Faculty of Management Studies, Delhi University. He is currently working in a Delhi-based private sector firm.
He started writing in 1997 when he was based in Calcutta and his first literary work was a series of short stories that appeared in The Statesman. Contact him at abhinavplwl@yahoo.co.in
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