Born into an untouchable community, Anna Bhau Sathe’s upbringing and experiences shaped his writings and political activism. Winner of the Maharashtra Government’s ‘best novel’ award, Fakira, among his best-known works, is one of the first prominent Dalit novels in Marathi.
The undaunted and ceaseless battle of the eponymous character, Fakira, for the collective welfare of his community forms the narrative. He revolts against the rural orthodox caste system and the British Raj to save his village from utter starvation, humiliation, and death. His efforts are dramatic and daring, and his methods in violation of the law. When attempts to capture him fail, the British authorities hold the community hostage, stating that unless Fakira surrenders, they will torture his people to death.
Translated by Prof. Baliram Gaikwad, Dalit magnanimity, fighting spirit, and thirst to live a dignified existence are at the core of the novel. Encompassing both historical and contemporary reality as well as the truest human emotions and situations, Fakira is part of a powerful literary genre that brings to the forefront the most encouraging, moving and realistic delineation of Dalit lives.
Archives: Books
Job Search Secrets
A practical guide to helping readers find their dream jobs.
Searching for a job is always stressful-the majority of job seekers experience nervousness, anxiety and tension during their job search. While one’s qualifications, experience and talent are important, all these are of no consequence if one cannot locate the right job, identify the right time to pitch for it and find the people who can help in getting it.
Job Search Secrets provides much-needed guidance to readers on how they can get their dream job easily. It includes tips on choosing the right career, finding hidden jobs, reaching people who can help in the job search, building long-term networks, using social media, cracking campus and virtual interviews, and more.
It is a step-by-step guide and practical manual with exercises and free tools, which anyone can use to find the dream job faster.
Farside
When Charulata Srinivasan returns from the US to Mumbai following the unexpected death of her brother, Ravi, in an accident, she stumbles on something that suggests a more sinister game is in play.
With her suspicions that Ravi may have been murdered dismissed by the police, Charu has no choice but to turn to Ravi’s best friend, David, and retired-policeman-turned-detective Anand to help her piece together the truth.
A startling discovery brings to light an immaculate blackmailing scheme, not only placing Charu in grave danger but also forcing her to grapple with the terrifying possibility that her brother was not the honest, decent man she thought him to be.
Can Charu deal with the horrifying truth to unravel the twisted threads of a conspiracy that has left her brother . . . and others . . . dead?
Like the farside of the moon, everyone has a face that has never been seen.
Does Charu have it in her to find the other side?
Praise for Krishna Udayasankar‘s previous works:
‘Spectacular’-Sonam Kapoor for The Aryavarta Chronicles
‘A fast-paced book, full of intrigue and guile’-Sunday Tribune for The Aryavarta Chronicles
‘. . . a thrilling page-turner that keeps you hooked from the start’-The Hindu for Beast
The Custodian of Trust
He was silently managing the crisis in India’s banking sector then.
Now he shares these stories in his memoir.
It began from a modest house in one of the narrowest lanes of the old city of Meerut. From being a probationary officer in the State Bank of India (SBI) in 1980 to its Chairman in 2017, Rajnish Kumar had an amazingly interesting journey in which he saw the many changes in India’s banking sector that greatly impacted the country and its economy.
As the Chairman of SBI, Kumar recounts, his term was rather momentous as the period-from 2017 to 2020-during which he shouldered this responsibility was rather unique under any circumstances. The Indian banking sector was going through one of its most tumultuous phases. The problem of non-performing loans (NPLs) had severely impacted the balance sheet and profitability of banks, especially those in the public sector.
In the aftermath of demonetization, the YES Bank fiasco, the crisis in Jet Airways and NPLs, among others, The Custodian of Trust is a candid memoir by the former Chairman of India’s largest commercial bank. Anecdotal, engaging and evocative, this book is an unputdownable memoir of a former banker.
Writing for My Life (Digitally Signed Copy)
Experience the very best of Ruskin Bond’s writings in one book.
If only the world had no boundaries and we could move about without having to produce passports and documents everywhere, it really would be ‘a great wide beautiful, wonderful world’, says Ruskin Bond.
From his most loved stories to poems, memoirs and essays, Writing for My Life opens a window to the myriad worlds of Ruskin Bond, India’s most loved author. Capturing dreams of childhood, anecdotes of Rusty and his friends, the Ripley-Bean mysteries, accounts of his life with his father and his adventures in Jersey and London among others, this book is full of beauty and joy-two things Ruskin’s writing is mostly known for.
With a comprehensive introduction, this is the perfect gift to all the ardent readers and lovers of Ruskin’s effervescent writing. A wide collection of carefully curated and beautifully designed stories, this book is a collector’s edition.
On the Open Road (Author Signed Limited Edition)
Myra wants to quit her job.
Kabir is looking to resign from the board.
Sandy just dropped out of college.
Discover yourself within these restless twenty-somethings as they stand on the cusp of making life-changing decisions. Battling their inner demons and societal taboos, they wish to live life on their own terms. Their passion brings them together and with nothing but Ramy’s travel blog as their guiding star, they set out on the open road to follow what they desire.
But their journey entails a devastating personal loss, an undying fear and a host of obstacles. Will they be able to
realize their shared dream? Or will they succumb to the hardships on their road to freedom?
On the Open Road is an inspirational story of three ordinary individuals who refuse to give up on themselves.
The Book of Hope
The Book of Hope is perfect for a nation that refuses to give up. Curated by The Better India, these are stories of resolve, love, faith, entrepreneurship, and compassion that will uplift your spirit. These stories serve as a pick-me-up when you’re feeling down, or when you need a reminder that in the end, we’ll make it through.
This book is an archive of a nation’s collective goodness. Stories are what connect us and remind us that hope is always possible, and the lives of these ordinary Indians will surely inspire you. These are the experiences of real people who found love, overcame loss, worked towards achieving their dreams, or those who bravely fought against societal norms. This book is a testament to the fact that anyone can do it - even you.
When all seems dull and bleak, think of this book as a ray of hope brightening up your heart, mind, and soul.
Foreword by Anand Mahindra.
Actually … I Met Them (Digitally Signed Copy)
Personal. Intimate. Deeply moving.
An absolutely unputdownable memoir.
Do memories ever fade away? They never ‘dry up’, says Gulzar Saab, ‘They keep floating somewhere between the conscious and the subconscious mind. It’s a great feeling to swim there sometime. Pick up a few bubbly moments and cherish them again.’
From Bimal Roy to Satyajit Ray, R.D. Burman, Kishore Kumar, Ritwik Ghatak, Hrishikesh Mukherjee, Pandit Ravi Shankar, Pandit Bhimsen Joshi, Mahasweta Devi and Samaresh Basu, among others, in this fascinating book, Gulzar Saab goes down memory lane to bring to light his relationship with the doyens of cinema, music and literature, who he had known and worked with over a long period of time. In his words, ‘It seems like a dream when I revisit my memories of such great gurus and colleagues, and I feel overwhelmed that I have really interacted with them. I have to pinch myself on realizing that actually . . . I met them.’
Chatty, anecdotal and deeply personal, this book of memories will chronicle Gulzar Saab’s life and career through different eras of Indian cinema as he successfully transcended commercial and critical arts. Studded with rare photographs, Actually .. I Met Them will be a treat for his huge and devoted fan base.
An auto biography by Gulzar Saab.
Pitch Perfect
What do you do when you hear of an interesting brand or person?
You Google them, and visit their website and social media. It’s their storytelling that draws you in, and what locks you down are the stories being told about them. In today’s hyperconnected, hypercompetitive reality, everyone is vying for the same space on a screen with about 10 seconds of a potential client’s attention. So what’s the secret recipe to building a sticky brand while winning over and retaining consumers?
This is where Srimoyi Bhattacharya comes in to help you get your Pitch Perfect.
With more than 25 years of experience across three continents as a top publicist and strategist, Srimoyi is the founder of Peepul Consulting, one of India’s leading brand relations agencies. Respected for her depth of experience, she is an expert at helping brands find their most effective story, find their niche positioning or scale up, build conversations and amplify that message.
In Pitch Perfect, Srimoyi parts with every insider secret to help you pitch your brand just right. Plus, she’s brought in the finest names in luxury, fashion, beauty, lifestyle, media, social media, communications, and PR to give you valuable advice on building a brand people can’t stop talking about.
Whether you are starting a label, have been running a company for decades, or building a family business, this book is for you. It tells you how to establish your brand language, identify your audience, build creative associations, host memorable events, manage a crisis and much more.
Pitch Perfect is the must-read bible on brand-building, engagement, and amplification for anyone interested in the power of PR.
The Origin Story of India’s States
DO YOU KNOW THE STORY OF YOUR STATE?
You were born in an Indian state.
You went to school in an Indian state.
You live and work in an Indian state.
You, like every other Indian, call at least one state home.
Your state is a big part of your identity.
And yet, do you know the story of how your state was created?
The Origin Story of India’s States is a fascinating and illuminative account of the genesis of India’s states. It presents the incredible origin stories of each of India’s twenty-eight states and eight union territories, spanning from Independence until today.
The state that wasn’t even a part of India until 1975; the union territory that had a prime minister for a single day; the state that has not one or two but three capitals; and the union territory that has beaches on both coasts-this book looks into such unique aspects of Indian history and adds to our understanding of how our nation has been built.