Category: Features

Syeda Bilgrami Imam is an award-winning writer and editor of The Making of Advertising (Macmillan), The Positive Side (Roli Books) and The Untold Charminar (Penguin). After working as Executive Creative Director at India’s three foremost advertising agencies, Syeda joined the Government of India in the Ministry of Minority Affairs and External Affairs. In Like Fine Wine, she makes short and sensitive forays into the real

Janamsakhis are stories about the life of Guru Nanak (1469–1539). They have been circulating orally, inwriting, and in paintings and illustrations. B40 is one such documented artistic expression held at the British Library in London. Its fifty-seven beautiful iconotexts narrate the life of the first Sikh Guru from his first day at school to his final moments. Along with the artwork, there is the rich

It was April 2009 and I was in Paris researching to see if there was enough material and substance for us to publish a book on the theme of how India inspired the world in terms of design, fashion, textiles and jewelry. I met with luxury brands such as Boucheron, Chaumet and Van Cleef & Arpels at their majestic, impressive offices at Place Vendome as

As the winter gives way to spring, we bring to you two healthy beverages from Gita Ramesh’s The Ayurvedic Wellness Cookbook that are good for the constitution as also for the soul. Best had between 10:30 and 11:30 am as part of the morning routine, the beverages are specifically crafted to rejuvenate the body, using easily available, nutritious ingredients. Unnitant PaniyamBanana stem buttermilkServes: 2 Cooking

Inspired by India‘s cover by Phyllida Jay features the necklace made for Daisy Fellowes in 1936 that has inspired a wealth of similar designs, which became known as ‘Tutti Frutti’ by jewellery and media experts from the 1970s onwards. It is an exploration of more than six centuries of trade, cultural exchange, and inspiration between India and the West. 

The first fiction title I worked on editing from scratch was Gods of Willow, the debut novel of Amrish Kumar. A coming-of-age story of an extremely relatable protagonist and his journey from Hyderabad to Bombay and back again to Hyderabad, with all the nuances and uncertainties of young adulthood captured just so.In fact, Gods of Willow turned out to be a story of many firsts,

Rashmi Sadana is an Associate Professor of Anthropology at George Mason University and author of English Heart, Hindi Heartland: The Political Life of Literature in India. Her latest book Metronama: Scenes From the Delhi Metro is a rich and intimate account of urban transformation told through the story of Delhi’s Metro. Ushnav Shroff, Copyeditor at Roli Books, exclusively interviewed her for you to know more

Achappam Rose Cookies Rose cookies are made during Christmas. It is also part of the repertoire of festival sweets among the Goans and Anglo Indians, but a favourite in Kerala. Serves 4 Ingredients 2 cups (480 ml) oil 1 cup (160 g) rice flour, soaked in water for 2 hours and ground fine 1 cup (240 ml) medium-thick coconut milk (page 14), plus more as

Introduction The long-sought and hard-won struggle for freedom was witness to an overwhelming participation of people throughout the country. Some of the most iconic images of India’s fight for freedom include the Dandi March led by Mahatma Gandhi in 1930, the ‘Simon Go Back’ protests in 1928, and Jawaharlal Nehru’s iconic Red Fort speech at the stroke of midnight on 15 August 1947. With independent

Moin Mir is a London-based writer of Indian origin. He began writing under the influence of his grandfather, a scholar of Sufism, Omar Khayyam, and Mirza Ghalib. He is the author of the critically acclaimed book Surat: Fall of a Port, Rise of a Prince. The Lost Fragrance of Infinity is his second book. Mir speaks frequently at leading international literature festivals on topics ranging