Knife
Salman Rushdie
Penguin Random House
Pp 320, Rs 699
On the morning of August 12, 2022, Salman Rushdie was standing onstage at the Chautauqua Institution when a man rushed down the aisle towards him, wielding a knife. What followed was a horrific act of violence that shook the literary world and beyond. Now, for the first time, and in unforgettable detail, Rushdie relives the traumatic events of that day and its aftermath, as well as his journey towards physical recovery and healing.
The Dirty Dozen
N Sundaresha Subramanian
Pan Macmillan
Pp 310, Rs 499
In June 2017, the RBI sent shockwaves through the nation as it disclosed a list of the 12 biggest defaulters responsible for approximately a quarter of all bad loans in the Indian banking system. The alarming discovery of the ‘dirty dozen’ pulled back the curtain on the murky landscape of corporate irresponsibility and regulatory neglect, revealing the harsh reality of gross economic disparity, complacent gov-ernance and coordinated deceit.
Before I Forget
MK Raina
Penguin Random House
Pp 424, Rs 999
MK Raina, one of the most celebrated and respected directors in Indian theatre and film fraternities, pens down the highs and lows of his life and career in this memoir. Raina’s life story spans the length and breadth of India, with its beginning in Kashmir. Before he documents his life as an actor, he recounts his childhood in Kashmir and looks back at the changes this erstwhile state underwent as he grew up.
Late-Blooming Cherries
Kynpham Sing Nongkynrih & Rimi Nath
HarperCollins
Pp 248, Rs 399
Late-Blooming Cherries captures fleeting moments in the concise beauty of haikus and senryus. Compiled and edited by haiku writers Kynpham Sing Nongkynrih and Rimi Nath, the book features contributions from prominent haiku artists in India. True, in essence, to the meaning of ‘haiku’, or ‘pleasure verse’, and much like the late-blooming cherries of Shillong, this book—which invites readers to reflect on life, nature and human bonds—is meant to be savoured slowly.
The Gentleman From Peru
André Aciman
Penguin Random House
Pp 176
A group of college friends find themselves marooned at a luxurious hotel on the Amalfi Coast in Italy. While their boat is being repaired, they can’t help but observe the daily routine of a fellow hotel guest—a mysterious stranger who sits on the veranda each night and smokes one cigarette, some-times two. Deeply atmospheric and sensual, The Gentleman From Peru weaves achingly poignant insight into a story of regret, fate, and epic love.
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