As far back as S. Natesh can remember, he has been fascinated by plants, although it was not until college that he decided to specialize in botany. He has spent over a decade travelling to far-flung places to research and document the most interesting trees in India, from a historical, cultural and botanical perspective. He brings the rigour of a former IIT professor and combines it with his deep passion for the subject. Iconic Trees of India is the result of the author’s conviction that India’s iconic trees are an inseparable part of our national heritage and deserve to be known and highly regarded by the public.
Here is a candid interview with him.
1. What is the last book you read?
A Walk Up the Hill, Madhav Gadgil’s memoir.
2. A guilty pleasure?
Buying books, even though I’ve no space for them anymore!
3. Where do you write? Do you have a favourite spot?
I sit at my desk in my bedroom, which overlooks a window. Next to it is a large kapok tree. In season,
a crow or a kite makes a nest in its branches.
4. What is a book that has stayed with you?
That’s a rather tough one, to single out just one. St Joan by Bernard Shaw. I read it in college, and
the play and its introduction (longer than the play itself!) left a great impression on me. I was struck
by the way Shaw uses dark humour and sensitivity to illustrate the nexus between religion and
politics – and how people become pawns that are sacrificed without concern. Two others would be
My Experiments with Truth by Mahatma Gandhi and Dickens’ David Copperfield.
5. What, apart from what you do today, do you wish you could do or pursue as a career?
I worked for the Department of Biotechnology for most of my career and led science R&D and
outreach programmes after I retired. I also taught Botany at Delhi University for close to a decade,
so they’re all somewhat related. In another life, I might have been a musicologist studying Carnatic
music.
6. Your greatest fear?
Fear, I’m not very sure. But I regret not having read any Shakespeare. There’s still time though, and
maybe I’ll end up reading him!
7. A trait you admire in yourself?
‘Admire’ is too strong a word. I think I’m persistent, and I work very hard.
8. Who would be the guests at your perfect dinner party?
For a ‘perfect’ dinner party, I’d want it to be relaxing, where everyone’s at ease, and there’s no
formality. So, I’d want my close friends and family as guests.
9. A book you’d recommend to someone to get them out of a reading slump?
I find short stories work really well to get me out of a slump. And if they’re thrillers, even better!
Iconic Trees of India
No two trees are the same. To really know trees, we must understand them. Because to understand trees is to
understand life itself.
Iconic Trees of India is a celebration of the country’s most remarkable trees that have stood witness to its vibrant history and become envoys of its culture. Complemented by original watercolours, the book details
each legendary tree along with…
