Bibliofile

Another book to be released on the same occasion is a newly edited version of the voluminous correspondence between Nehru and Indira from 1922 to 1964. Two Alone, Two Together is a mercilessly pruned version of the two volumes of letters Sonia originally compiled for Hodder & Stoughton over a decade ago. It has a long introduction where Sonia for the first time speaks at some length about her mother-in-law, portraying her "private, warm, loving side". Speaking as much for herself perhaps as Indira, Sonia writes: "She was a very private person and perhaps because of this, much misunderstood." What's striking about the 648-page book is its extensive footnotes where Sonia reveals her ability to grasp the complexities of Indian politics in the '50s and '60s.

A book of obits is hardly a holiday read but Roli's planning to launch Khushwant Singh's Death At My Door—a collection of obits he's written, including one on himself—at yearend. Says Roli's Pramod Kapoor: "These aren't obits in the ordinary sense, but irreverent, forthright and very interesting pieces on many important personalities."