Indian Book Industry

Shivya Nath quit her corporate job at age twenty-three to travel the world. She gave up her home and the need for a permanent address, sold most of her possessions and embarked on a nomadic journey that has taken her everywhere from remote Himalayan villages to the Amazon rainforests of Ecuador. Along the way, she lived with an indigenous Mayan community in Guatemala, hiked alone in the Ecuadorian Andes, got mugged in Costa Rica, swam across the border from Costa Rica to Panama, slept under a meteor shower in the cracked salt desert of Gujarat and learnt to conquer her deepest fears. With its vivid descriptions, cinematic landscapes, moving encounters and uplifting adventures, The Shooting Star is a travel memoir that maps not just the world but the human spirit.

'One of the best books for 2023' Cosmopolitan Against a rising tide of fundamentalism in India, a mother and daughter lose the most important man in their lives. Shashi, fifty-something and suddenly widowed, tries to contact her only daughter, Tara, to break the news, but cannot reach her. As Shashi confronts her loss, she finds, amidst grief, unexpected new freedoms. Meanwhile, Tara, a spoiled but brilliant university student, has retreated to Dharamsala to deal with the fall out from an ill-advised relationship. Her self-imposed solitude makes contact near impossible, so by the time she learns of her loss, the funeral is already over. Without the man that bound them, Shashi and Tara struggle to reconcile. But his absence also makes them a target for an emerging religious group determined to put women in their place, and Shashi and Tara individually prepare to defend their independence. If mother and daughter are to come together, they must find a way to understand both their new world, and each other. But can you ever emerge from an eclipse unscathed? 'Lyrical throughout yet so deceptively easygoing... an extraordinary novel' André Aciman 'Powerful, evocative and accomplished – it's hard to believe The Illuminated is a debut' Alice Ryan 'Gives voice to a new generation' BBC Radio 4

"Are you interested in knowing the intricacies involved in publishing a book? Would you like to explore the diverse mind of a publishing professional working on a best-seller? Does the sight of a best-seller raise your curiosity levels as to how an idea into a book? If yes, then this is the book for you. It provides an insight into the inspiring and active working lives of 14 leading Indian publishing professionals, publishers, editors, booksellers, literary agents. We hope this book will be helpful in encouraging new entrants in the world of publishing and will be a guide to budding industry professionals. From Foreword : I am sure this book will inspire many publishers and others also to take lessons from the careers of these adventurous publishers and do still better in their own fields. Dina Nath Malhotr These are not reminiscences of the good old times but a dynamic collection of dialogues that reflect the unique character of fourteen individuals that have made and continue to make a positive change in the publishing and bookselling industry and in the culture of India. Robert E. Baensch These pieces would repay study by any world publisher. For in them there is much wisdom, a wealth of experience, and a sense of many battles fought and won. Richard Balkwill "

An INDIE NEXT GENERATION BOOK AWARD Finalist, He Knew a Firefly has been described as lyrical, powerfully emotional and suspenseful. Death is inevitable, but what if you could see the exact moment or place you would die. Would you make the best of the time you had, or live in fear, every day? Those are the questions Akshara battles. Because she has an extraordinary curse.Six-year-old Akshara watches her mother die. At thirteen, she watches her best friend die. She's heartbroken, but their deaths don't surprise her. She has a secret ? she can glimpse into the future of those she loves. One defining thing, but that's enough. Thus, every life she touches is thrown into turmoil, friends abandon her, and she is overwhelmed by more guilt than she can bear. Then, one day, she sees her own unhappy fate. Does Akshara bring upon her loved ones the misfortunes they blame her for? Will Akshara be able to save herself after she has lost everyone she loved? Or will she lose her sanity as her mother did?A gripping, evocative, and sometimes surreal page-turner, He Knew a Firefly follows Akshara as she tries to light unknown pathways for her loved ones, before being ultimately consumed by the flames herself.