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flashback
2004
The world is US
M Rajivlochan looks back at the works of non-fiction that were predominantly US-centric
The
George Patton character, in the eponymous film, exhorts American
soldiers to kill enemy soldiers and thus help them make the supreme
sacrifice for their country. Making others sacrifice for a cause,
without doing any on one’s own has been a persistent trait with
Americans.
The rising tide of words
Harsh Desai marks the books on the top of his fiction shelf
My
list of the most significant works of fiction this year is very
personal. Like all book lovers, I frequent bookshops often and get all
excited when I see a new Ghosh or Updike on the shelves.
PUNJABI Literature
Last of Amrita’s love poems
Nirupama Dutt
on the delights of this year: Love poetry by Amrita Pritam and essays on the colourful and brilliant Balwant Gargi
If
the world of Punjabi letters had a promiscuous writer it is Amrita
Pritam. Born in 1919, Barely 12 in 1931, she had published her first
anthology of poetry called Amrit Lehran. However, she got serious
notice as a poet when she turned sweet sixteen in 1935 with the
publication of Thandian Kirnan (Cool Rays).
Da
Vinci Code a clear winner
Have you got your hands on the
bestsellers of 2004, asks Priyanka Singh
after browsing through Chandigarh’s bookstores.
The
year 2004 has been good as far as books go. Book enthusiasts couldn’t
have had a more exhaustive canvas to choose from. By far, the book that
did the best in the fiction category is the The Da Vinci Code by
Dan Brown, which has outstripped all other novels in terms of sales.
Aggressive
foray
The entry of Rupa into the field of
Hindi publishing underscores its potential, says Ashok
Malik
This
year has seen a lot of activity in the Hindi publishing bazaar. As a
result readers have a greater number of titles and a varied platter of
subjects to choose from.
urdu literature
The choicest bits
Kashmiri Lal Zakir
names his fabulous four
The
Urdu readership may be dwindling, but writers in this rich language are
actively pursuing their creative urges. Some of the Urdu publishers are
bringing out works of established writers on both sides of the border.
Some Urdu writers are getting their books published themselves.
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