Kalaghoda art and literary festival , David Sasoon library, Feb 2013

poet, Art historian and author Ranjit Hoskote in Conversation with author/Poet Jeet Thayil And german author Ula

Style Diary of a Bollywood Diva- A new Imprint Sde from Penguin

Kareena Kapoor puts her pen to her own  sartorial style  with able help from Rochelle Pinto and Shobha De resulting in this new Imprint called Sde books from Penguin.  This is a first for all three women. For Shobha De it marked her own individual entry into publishing an Imprint for Penguin Books. For Rochelle Pinto, The erstwhile fashion-police columnist from Hindistan Times it was her first attempt to write a book, albeit as the voice of Kareena Kapoor. And for the Bollywood Diva Kareena Kapoor it marked her first attempt to pen her own style statement in book form. The three firsts were celebrated with champagne from Moet at the Shangri-La ballroom in an event that saw a number of paparazzi and celebrities angling for space and face in the hullabaloo of the book release. Shobha De and Rochelle Pinto were excited while Kareena was luminous in a black outfit, cinched at the waist by an 8 kilo gold belt, looking startlingly beautiful and making her vision of style clear- It's all about taking care of yourself , both body and mind!

Janki Krishnan's Breaking Barriers

Janaki Krishan’s book – BREAKING BARRIERS

Media will be addressed by:

Author Janaki Krishnan, Shanti Ekambaram- President, Corporate & Investment Banking, Kotak Mahindra Bank Ltd & Shaheen Mistri- Indian social activist and educator

 

Details:

                                                             Date: Friday, 2^nd November, 2012

                     Time:6:30 pm

                                 Venue: Crossword Bookstore, Kemps Corner, Mumbai

About the Book: 

BREAKING BARRIERS is a book chronicling the lives of some prominent Indian women entrepreneurs, who have followed their dreams and fulfilled their ambitions. They refused to succumb to the pressures and established norms that society insists on imposing on women. This book has been written to encourage girls and women (and indeed anyone who aspires to do anything out of the ordinary) to know that they are the sole arbiters of their lives. They have the Power.

About the Author
Janaki Krishnan is a financial journalist who has worked across cities and across media, covering developments in the Indian economy and in the corporate sector right since liberalisation. She is no stranger to boardroom battles, takeover attempts and regulatory probes, which is what keeps her adrenaline pumping. When not writing, she loves to travel, trek, swim, climb mountains and learn languages. Her idea of bliss is to be atop a mountain, feeling the wind in her face, a few dogs frolicking nearby, and with a book in her hand, to contemplate the mysteries of nature.

Abhisar Sharma’s ‘THE EDGE OF MACHETE’

Westland Limited and Crossword launch Abhisar Sharma’s

‘THE EDGE OF MACHETE’

Mumbai, 9th November, 2012: Leading publishing house, Westland Limited and Crossword – India’s leading lifestyle bookstore, launched Abhisar Sharma’s book ‘THE EDGE OF MACHETE’. Also present at the launch was actor Manoj Bajpai, actress and social activist Gul Panag, noted Bollywood Film Maker & novelist Piyush Jha and revered author Hussain Zaidi.

An exciting thriller, ‘The Edge of Machete’ studies the Afghanistan-Pakistan geopolitical situation, and uncovers the forces operating within the region (such as the Taliban). It is a riveting blend of genres, with suspense, romance, mystery and reportage. The book revolves around Aamir Sherzai, a new whiz-kid in the Pakistan-wing of the Taliban, a CIA operative Ed Gomez, on a mission to get even with Aamir Sherzai, responsible for the execution of his best buddy and fellow agent, Jason. The storyline follows ‘The Beast’, somewhere in the Khyber, Pakistan, and to eliminate Jason’s killer, Gomez has to infiltrate a conglomeration of the most ferocious terror outfits in The Beast as Sarfaraz Khan. But as the boundaries between Gomez and Sarfaraz blur, the CIA agent must not only plunge headlong into the battle in the Khyber, but also wage a war within. Simultaneously, Indian journalist Rahul Sharma is kidnapped and held hostage within The Beast, must find a way back to the woman he loves. And British white Muslim, Shaun Marsh aka Shahid Khan, sucked into the gathering at the Khyber, must learn to exorcise the ghosts of the past. Most of all, all three must try to escape the edge of Aamir Sherzai’s machete. Will they get away unscathed? Or meet a fate similar to Jason’s?

Following the book launch, Abhisar Sharma, Gul Panag, Piyush Jha, Hussian Zaidi led a discussion about plotting terror and how do the grim realities of politics interact with fiction.

Anushree Banerjee, Marketing and Publicity Head, Westland Ltd said, “We at Westland Ltd are glad to be associated with Abhisar Sharma. He is one of the finest authors we have on board and wish him all the success for his book The Edge Of The Machete.”

Mr. Kinjal Shah, COO, Crossword Bookstores said, “Political thrillers make for an exciting read and are a rage right now. It is wonderful to see Indian authors exploring this genre. We are happy to launch Abhisar Sharma’s book at Crossword. And wish him all the best.”

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About the Author: With seventeen years of broadcast journalism behind him, Abhisar Sherzai considers himself a passionate observer of the AfPak region. As a journalist, Abhisar has covered several historical events, from the aftermath of Benazir Bhutto’s assassination and the Jasmine revolution in Egypt to the Gujarat riots. His story ‘Laal Masjid Ka Safed Sach’ (The True Story of the Red Mosque) won him India’s highest journalism award, the Ramnath Goenka Indian Express Award, in 2008-2009, though he has never been able to travel to Pakistan since. An avid traveller, a voracious writer and a foodie, Abhisar stays in Delhi with his wife and two children.

About Westland: Westland Limited is a subsidiary of Trent Limited, the retail arm of the Tata group, the largest diversified industrial group in India. The group includes EastWest Books and Tranquebar Press. They publish literary as well as commercial fiction and non-fiction, and are engaged in both the publishing and distribution of books. After more than 50 years of experience in import and distribution of major academic and English language trade publications from all over the world, Westland’s focus has shifted to publishing in the last few years. Today, Westland is the fifth-largest English-language trade publisher in India and has published a host of bestsellers.

About Crossword: Crossword is India’s leading bookstore chain, which has pioneered the lifestyle bookstore concept in India. It was ranked the 6th most admired retailer in India by Business World for the year 2006 and was the only book retailer in the top 10. Crossword won the Reid & Taylor Award for Best Retailer of the year – Leisure & Specialty at the India Retail Summit 2005, 2007 & 2009. It won the Retailer of the Year Award - Leisure (Books, Music and Gifts Category) at the Images Retail Awards 2005 & 2007. Crossword received the Federation of Indian Publishers Award for excellence in Publishing for the year 2004 on 18th June 2005 at the hands of Shri Arjun Singh, Minister of Human Resource Development.

Launched in 1992, Crossword currently has 81 stores across 23 cities in the country in Ahmedabad, Amritsar, Bengaluru, Bhopal, Chennai, Delhi, Durgapur, Hyderabad, Indore, Jaipur, Kolkata, Kota, Lucknow, Mumbai, Nashik, Nagpur, Pune, Siliguri, Udaipur, Vadodara Vapi and Vijayawada.

 

Gulzar and Mahesh Bhatt release Zia Us Salam’s book “Housefull”

Zia Us Salam’s book “Housefull” was released recently in presence of many eminent personalities of bollywood. To name a few, famous lyricist Gulzar, actress Tisca Chopra, renowned director Mahesh Bhatt and documentary filmmaker Umesh Aggarwal were present on the occasion.

Zia Us Salam is a renowned journalist/critic and feature editor of The Hindu. This talented writer and editor has written more than 1000 articles.
Zia Us Salam’s book Housefull is about the “Golden Era of Bollywood”

Fashion Designer Wendell Rodricks’ book ‘The Green Room’.

Wendell Rodricks’ book ‘The Green Room’.

 The book is a witty and candid memoir of one of India’s most talented and best-known fashion designers. Also present with Wendell at the launch was Actor Arshad Warsi & VJ-Model–Actress Maria Goretti, at Crossword’s Juhu outlet.

Peppered with wry observations and startling insights, ‘The Green Room’ is more than just the story about one man. It is also about the evolution of the Indian fashion industry over twenty- five years. It is both a deep personal journey and a window into the enchanting yet fickle world of the rich and the famous, the beautiful and the neurotic, the gossips and the bores. Candid, irreverent and unfailingly entertaining, the book is a memoir of the man who gave India minimalism, resort wear and eco-friendly clothing long before these words became fashionable. It tells us the gripping tale of a fascinating life lived with unusual courage and flair.

Speaking on the occasion Mr. Kinjal Shah, COO, Crossword Bookstores said, “We are delighted to launch Wendell Rodricks’ book on the Crossword platform. Being one of India’s pioneering fashion designers, there is so much to learn and discover from a book like ‘The Green Room.’ I look forward to reading it and I wish him all the very best.”

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About The Author:

Wendell Rodricks’, spent his childhood in Mumbai and started his working life in Muscat. He then moved to Los Angeles and Paris to study fashion design and couture. He returned to India in 1988 and quickly gained repute as a designer, working with renowned brands such as Garden Vareli, Lakme and De Beers. He established his own label in 1990 and moved base in 1993 to Colvale, Goa. A pioneer in the world of Indian fashion, Wendell is considered one of the most influential designers in the country and has received international acclaim for his work. Wendell also writes about fashion and lectures on world costume history. His book on the history of Goan costume, Moda Goa, was published in 2012. He is passionate about art, music, literature, food, travel and Goa’s environment

 

'A Handbook of Ecological and Environmental Reporting in India

 A book of FACTS on Ecology and Biodiversity in India. 'A Handbook of Ecological and Environmental Reporting in India -  for the Media, NGOs & People' aims to empower constituents of the Indian media, NGOs and the general public; through building awareness about stark realities of critical Nature and Environment issues in India. 

• Covers a wide ranges of topics - Sustainability, Biodiversity, Land, Water, Forest, Tiger and Wildlife, Law, Policies, Governmental Issues, Climate Change.
• First of its kind in India and South Asia in English and Marathi language editions. Authentic and researched content, supported by striking photos and carefully worked infographics, illustrations and maps.
• Offers the right perspective of Environmental issues to all.
• It aims to inculcate an Environmental approach in media persons of all streams, rather than labeling a few as environmental journalists. Also includes a political manifesto of the Environmental movement – for the first time in India.
• Content also includes three companion topics - Women and Environment, EIA and Environmental movements and mainstream politics in India.
• It includes a much needed glossary of 161 ecological terms and phrases required in daily working (meanings in Marathi for Marathi edition).
• It is a pioneering capacity building tool. For mainstream journalists and reporters it will be as handy reference volume. An inalienable part of their work table.
• Many NGOs with their own publications, activists and people who enjoy a presence in alternative media will also find it useful.
• Fresh students of all media and communication streams all across the country is yet another segment this handbook aims to reach. It will introduce them to the fundamentals of Environmental Journalism with emphasis on the Indian context - from code of ethics for environmental journalists to investigative methods. It will also offer them the right perspective and information about topics like reporting on Biodiversity, Wild life Journalism and True Sustainability.
• Students of courses of social work - M.S.W. or alike, from where the NGOs get their working cadre, may also find it as a useful reference. 
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