Getting The Girl
Vikram Seth has thrown himself back fully into the writing of A Suitable Girl, says an editor working closely with him. After over two decades of A Suitable Boy, probably the only bestseller at 1,488 pages, Seth has now and then talked about this new book, while getting immersed in a myriad other things like Chinese calligraphy, opera librettos and Italian poetry. There were reports that A Suitable Girl, or the lack of it, as there was no sign of it getting written, was the reason for his fallout with Penguin. But now it appears the big book is coming along well, Seth is in the throes of writing furiously, and is accepting fewer social outings.
Captain’s Words
Former Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh, who is just out with his Honour and Fidelity: India’s Military Contributions to the Great War 1914-1918 (Roli Books), is working on a new book on the last 30 years of Punjab. It will be interesting to see what line a Congressman, who is a Sikh, will take on the 1984 riots and its aftermath. The book will deal with the growth of the Khalistan movement, the militancy years and the intriguing politics of that period.
A Vape-ish Coil
Have you heard of vape? No? It’s the word of the year selected by Oxford Dictionaries and it’s defined thus: “to inhale and exhale the vapour produced by an electronic cigarette or similar device”. A bit of a stale choice, but its use has doubled in the last year.
