Articles by Chintan Girish Modi
Vanessa R Sasson - Each time we learn, our world becomes bigger
The professor of religious studies at Marianopolis College in Quebec, who was in India earlier this year for the Jaipur Literature Festival, talks about her novels Yasodhara and The Gathering that she places in the tradition of Buddhist hagiographic fiction
Published on May 28, 2024 05:07 PM IST
Ruskin Bond: Laughing into his 90th year
The author’s nature diaries, ghost stories, novels and essays have instilled a love of reading in generations of Indian readers. On the eve of his birthday on May 19, he speaks about his rich inner world, the wonderful compensations of old age, and how not to give in to despair in the face of mankind’s violent impulses
Updated on May 18, 2024 05:10 AM IST
Raghuram G Rajan - “Everyone should have a chance to succeed”
The former RBI Governor Raghuram G Rajan and economist Rohit Lamba spoke about their book at the Kolkata Literary Meet earlier this year
Published on May 16, 2024 08:07 PM IST
Review: The Boy Who Built a Secret Garden by Lavanya Karthik
A heartwarming biography of Nek Chand Saini, creator of the Rock Garden in Chandigarh, a crown jewel in the built heritage of post Independence India
Published on May 10, 2024 09:53 PM IST
John Boyne – “Simplicity can be really wonderful”
At the Kolkata Literary Meet 2024, the Irish author spoke about the strides made by his country in terms of gay rights, why novelists should imagine others lives, and about mentoring writers
Published on May 03, 2024 09:55 PM IST
Interview: Satish Arora, co-author, Sweets and Bitters
At 26, Satish Arora became the youngest executive chef in the world when the Taj Mahal Palace hotel in Mumbai chose him to lead their kitchen in 1970. He spoke about his culinary adventures at the Kolkata Literary Meet 2024
Published on Apr 30, 2024 09:29 PM IST
Yuvan Aves, author, Intertidal – “Sometimes I write to think”
Intertidal, a diary on Chennai's coast, wetlands, and climate, evolved from personal observation to a public resource. It explores the interplay of nature, activism, and self, offering meditative reflections for all readers.
Updated on Apr 19, 2024 09:56 PM IST
Report: Sacred Spirit Festival 2024
The festival, which featured some outstanding Indian and international performers, reaffirmed the idea that the sacred is not the monopoly of any one religion, ideology or tradition
Updated on Apr 11, 2024 08:22 PM IST
Katherine M Hedeen - “Raul’s poetics challenge US-centric notions of queerness”
The professor of Spanish at Kenyon College in Ohio, USA, talks about translating Almost Obscene by marginalized Colombian queer poet Raúl Gòmez Jattin
Updated on Apr 08, 2024 08:57 PM IST
Report: Apeejay Kolkata Literary Festival 2024
With sessions on biographies, climate fiction, feminist publishing, fantasy fiction and women’s empowerment, the festival provided much food for thought
Published on Apr 05, 2024 09:26 PM IST
Shyam Selvadurai – “Writing is a strange process”
At the Jaipur Literature Festival, the Sri Lankan-Canadian novelist spoke about his latest book, Mansions of the Moon, that revolves around Yasodhara, wife of Siddhartha Gautama, the man who became the Buddha
Published on Apr 05, 2024 09:18 PM IST
Report: The Kolkata Literary Meet 2024
With conversations about multilingualism, Bhakti poetry and performances by Naseeruddin Shah and Jacek Luminski, the event was wide-ranging and inspiring
Published on Apr 02, 2024 01:01 AM IST
Daniel Bosley – “I never dreamed of going somewhere like the Maldives”
The author of Descent into Paradise: A Journalist’s Memoir of the Untold Maldives on embracing his voice and perspective, close friends in the Maldives who were killed by Islamist vigilantes, and how the people of the island nation don’t have any genuine animosity towards Indians
Published on Mar 15, 2024 08:01 PM IST
Víctor Rodríguez Núñez - “Poetry helps me to live”
During an interview conducted at the Mumbai Poetry Festival, Núñez spoke about the racism against Latin Americans in the US, and poetry’s power to oppose
Published on Mar 04, 2024 09:33 PM IST
Manju Kapur – “Artists cannot create meaningful works if they are not free”
The author of The Gallery on censorship, making the Indian art world the subject of her new novel, and how her Buddhist practice helps her writing
Published on Mar 01, 2024 10:55 PM IST
JLF 2024: United by stories
This year’s edition of the Jaipur Literature Festival was attended by a range of celebrated authors from Paul Lynch and Georgi Gospodinov to Perumal Murugan, Shyam Selvadurai and Kai Bird. This ability to gather some of the finest minds from around the world under one roof remains the festival’s unique selling proposition
Updated on Feb 24, 2024 05:34 AM IST
Paul Lynch - “Art must be free, like dreams must be free”
At the Jaipur Literature Festival, Paul Lynch, winner of the 2023 Booker Prize for Prophet Song, talked about dystopian fiction, being inspired by cinema, his native Ireland’s break with Catholicism, and the need for art to be free
Published on Feb 17, 2024 08:09 AM IST
Interview: Katherine Butler Schofield, author, Music and Musicians in Late Mughal India “I am interested in what music means to people”
At the Jaipur Literature Festival 2024, the historian of Hindustani classical music spoke about forgotten musicians, the histories of the ephemeral, and being involved with the International Campaign for Afghanistan’s Musicians
Updated on Feb 10, 2024 08:44 AM IST
Bhuvanesh Komkali - “There is no one bigger than the guru. Not even God”
The Hindustani classical singer, who performed at the Mahindra Kabira Festival in Varanasi in December, talks about being introduced to the poetry of Kabir through his grandfather Kumar Gandharva
Updated on Jan 31, 2024 05:48 AM IST
Akshaya Mukul – “Your job as a biographer is to dig and document, not to judge”
Winner of the ₹15 lakh Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay NIF Book Prize 2023, Akshaya Mukul, author, Writer, Rebel, Soldier, Lover: The Many Lives of Agyeya, talks about his biography of Sachchidanand Hirananda Vatsyayan, a towering figure in Hindi literature
Published on Jan 26, 2024 10:26 PM IST
Report: The Mumbai Poetry Festival 2024
The two-day event, which included poets from India, Colombia, Malta, the Dominican Republic, Croatia, Slovenia, Greece and the US, brimmed with camaraderie
Published on Jan 23, 2024 09:18 PM IST
An evening of tributes to Gieve Patel
A tribute event was held at the NCPA in Mumbai to honor Gieve Patel, a polymath who was a poet, doctor, translator, playwright, sculptor, painter, and teacher. The event featured poetry readings, theatrical performances, and tributes from notable figures in the arts.
Updated on Jan 20, 2024 08:30 AM IST
“Each Kabir poem is like a wake-up call” - Vasu Dixit
The singer, composer and filmmaker, who performed at the Mahindra Kabira Festival in Varanasi recently, talks about documenting folk music, giving Kabir’s dohas an electronic touch, and the continuing relevance of the 15th century mystic’s poetry
Published on Jan 15, 2024 09:15 PM IST
Report: The Mahindra Kabira Festival
Poetry, music, art, food, walks and conversation unfolded over three magical evenings and two eventful days in Varanasi
Published on Jan 10, 2024 10:11 PM IST
Interview: Janani Kannan, translator
On translating the award-winning Fire Bird by Perumal Murugan and how her training as a marathon runner, an architect and a singer all show up in her work with words
Published on Jan 05, 2024 10:26 PM IST
Review: From Manjunath to Manjamma by B Manjamma Jogathi with Harsha Bhat
Transgender folk dancer Padma Shri B Manjamma Jogathi’s memoir offers comfort and inspiration to many LGBTQIA+ people who feel rejected by families and society
Published on Dec 25, 2023 08:35 PM IST
HT reviewer Chintan Girish Modi picks his favourite read of 2023
Chetna Maroo's debut novel "Western Lane" is a moving story about three sisters navigating grief and relationships, with a focus on sport as a means of healing. The novel offers a rare portrayal of a Jain family and explores themes of diversity and adoption.
Updated on Dec 23, 2023 10:31 AM IST
Honouring an Indian hero who lobbied against the apartheid regime in South Africa
A festschrift honoring Indian diplomat ES Reddy, who fought against apartheid in South Africa, was launched in Mumbai, highlighting historic ties between the two countries. The book includes essays from various fields and was co-edited by scholars from South Africa. The event took place at the Mani Bhavan Gandhi Sangrahalaya, a focal point of Gandhi's activities in Mumbai. Speakers emphasized the need to counter negative portrayals of Gandhi and celebrate the deep ties between India and South Africa. Reddy's contributions to anti-apartheid actions were recognized, and his work has been honored by both India and South Africa.
Updated on Dec 22, 2023 08:26 AM IST
Review: Entering the Maze by Krishnagopal Mallick
Awarded the Book of the Year at the Rainbow Awards, this collection of short fiction offers a window into queer life in the pre-Internet era
Published on Dec 15, 2023 06:28 PM IST
Rakhshanda Jalil – “I refuse to be bullied or marginalised”
On Urdu: The Best Stories of Our Times, the new anthology she has edited and translated, that features fiction by Surendra Prakash, Qurratulain Hyder, Zakia Mashhadi, Gulzar, Khalid Jawed, and Ali Imam Naqvi, among others
Updated on Dec 09, 2023 09:34 AM IST