• January 30, 2019
Until You Come Home
The Endless Wait for a Beloved to Come Home From War, By Mridula Bajpai
Until You Come Home depicts the intensity of love and devotion towards the country, and the difficult and trying conditions of life in the defence forces.
It underlines the immense courage that it takes to lay down one’s life for the country; the endless wait for a beloved who never comes home from war, and also the never-ending wait of a sister for her brother.
About the Author–
Mridula Bajpai is an M.A. and PhD in English Literature.
Mridula is with the Indian Revenue Service, and at present posted as Principal Commissioner, Income Tax.
She has authored four highly acclaimed novels in Hindi, and this is her debut work in English.
• April 14, 2019
Nishant Upadhyay, on Kanupriya
Kanupriya, a book penned down by Dharmveer Bharti in the mid-20th century, has been universally acclaimed as a book way ahead of its times. In this book, the poet has attempted to describe and define the relationship of Radha-Krishna, from the point of view of Radha.
The book, which has four sections, describes the separation of two lovers, their union and the effect of worldly affairs upon their relationship. The poet, in this book, has broken the conventional chain of thoughts and has been daring and brilliant while giving brush strokes to the relationship of the revered couple of Hindu mythology.
About the Speaker–
Nishant Upadhyay is a 23-year old, emerging poet who has been writing relentlessly against the darker shades of society
• April 17, 2019
Half the Night is Gone by Amitabha Bagchi
Amitabha Bagchi’s first novel, Above Average, was published in 2007 by HarperCollins India and became a bestseller in no time. His second novel, The Householder, was published to critical acclaim in 2012 by Fourth Estate, an imprint of HarperCollins India. This Place, his third novel, was published in 2013, also by Fourth Estate. It was nominated for the Dublin IMPAC Literary Prize 2015 and shortlisted for the Raymond Crossword Book Award 2014. His most recent novel, Half the Night is Gone (Juggernaut, 2018), was shortlisted for the inaugural JCB Prize for Literature and the 2018 Hindu Prize for Literature. Half the Night is Gone was declared as one of the most memorable books of 2018 by Times of India, Indian Express, Vogue magazine and The Hindu.
• 27th April 2019– Discussion on Mr Deepak Gupta’s book titled, ‘The Steel Frame – A History of the IAS’.
A1974 batch IAS officer, he has written a book titled, ‘The Steel Frame – A History of the IAS’. It has been published by Roli Books. His other literary works include Documentation of Participatory Irrigation Management, Covering a Billion with DOTS, Achieving Universal Energy Access in India: Challenges and Way Forward, and Caught by the Police. This event was jointly organised by the MPIAS Association in coordination with Noronha Academy of Administration, & The Saturday Club.
• April 28, 2019
Recalling the Man and his Mission
Discussion on the works of late Shri Ajay Singh Yadav
The session was dedicated to Late Shri Ajay Singh Yadav. Excerpts from his prose and poetic works like Why I Am Not a Civil Servant, Two Cheers for the British Raj, Forty Four Poems, and Uncanny Tales were read out by people who knew the man, the poet and the philosopher in him.
• April 30, 2019–May 2, 2019 — Bhopal Shakespeare Fest — Shakespeareana, 2019
A spectacle to celebrate the anniversary of the world’s most acclaimed playwright William Shakespeare from ’19.
• Tuesday
April 30, 2019
The Shakespeare Masterclass
A heartful performance by school students and theatre artists.
• Wednesday
May 1, 2019
Shakespeare My Way
A rendition of members’ favourite Shakespeare passage in their own unique styles.
• Thursday
May 2, 2019
Shakespeare: Drama in Cinema
A day punctuated with film excerpts; a presentation and discussion on the adaptation and relevance of Shakespeare’s plays through the ages by Rajula Shah. Rajula is a faculty member at IIFT, a visual artist and a filmmaker.
• July 21, 2019
Forty Rules of Love
A Book Reading and Discussion Session on ‘Forty Rules of Love’ by Elif Shafak
Forty Rules of Love is a fictionalised account of how the scholar, Jalal ad Din Rumi became a mystic poet, under the influence of his friend, Shams of Tabriz.
The book is an exploration of Sufism, as well as a celebration of friendship, love and life. Kindly find the attachment for the cover and the PDF of the book.
• September 21, 2019
ये जो कुछ मैंने लिखा है
हिन्दी पखवड़े के अवसर पर ‘ ये जो कुछ मैंने लिखा है ‘ का आयोजन
इस कार्यक्रम मे १९८७ बैच के आईएएस, श्री मनोज कुमार श्रीवास्तव की रचित कविताओ पर चर्चा हुई। भारतीय प्रशासनिक सेवा मे कई उच्च पदों पर सेवारत होने के बावजूद श्री मनोज कुमार श्रीवास्तव का झुकाव साहित्य की ओर रहा। हिन्दी साहित्य मे ही स्नातकोत्तर रहे श्री श्रीवास्तव ने कई पुस्तके लिखी और कई कविता संग्रहों को भी प्रकाशित किया। आपकी लिखी कुछ पुस्तके है – पंचशील, वंदेमातरम, यथाकाल, सुंदरकांड (१८ खंड), शक्ति – प्रसंग। आपके द्वारा रची कुछ कविता संग्रह है – मेरी डायरी से, पशुपति, कुरान कविताएं, माँ, हिरण्यगर्भा, इत्यादि। आप भारतीय सांस्कृतिक संबंध परिषद एवं नेहरू केंद्र लंदन द्वारा अंतर्राष्ट्रीय वातायन पुरस्कार से सम्मानित भी है।
• October 19, 2019
‘The Book Thief’ by Markus Zusak
A Book Discussion on The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
It is 1939. Nazi Germany. The country is holding its breath. Death has never been busier and will be busier still.
By her brother’s graveside, Liesel’s life is changed when she picks up a single object, partially hidden in the snow. It is The Gravedigger’s Handbook, left behind there by accident, and it is her first act of book thievery. So begins a love affair with books and words, as Liesel, with the help of her accordion-playing foster father, learns to read. Soon she is stealing books from Nazi book-burnings, the mayor’s wife’s library, wherever there are books to be found.
But these are dangerous times. When Liesel’s foster family hides a Jew in their basement, Liesel’s world is both opened up and closed down.
In superbly crafted writing that burns with intensity, award-winning author Markus Zusak has given us one of the most enduring stories of our time.
• November 3, 2019
No Nation For Women
Book Launch of Priyanka Dubey’s ‘No Nation For Women’, a non-fiction account of sexual violence in India.
No Nation for Women takes a hard, close look at what makes India unsafe for its women – from custodial rapes and honour killings to rapes of minors and trafficking – the author uncovers many unpalatable truths behind what we are familiar with as newspaper headlines only. Priyanka Dubey travels through large swathes of India, over a period of six years, to uncover the accounts of disenfranchised women who are caught in the grip of patriarchy and violence.
Priyanka Dubey works as a bilingual correspondent with The BBC in Delhi. During her decade long reporting career, her investigative reporting on social justice and human rights have won multiple international and national recognitions. This includes the 2018 Chameli Devi Jain Award for an Outstanding Woman Journalist. the 2015 Knight International Journalism Award, the 2014 Kurt Schork Award in International Journalism, the 2013 Red Ink Award for Excellence in Indian Journalism, the 2012 Press Council of India’s Award for Excellence in Investigative Journalism and the 2011 Ramnath Goenka Award for Excellence in Indian Journalism. Her stories were finalists in the 2014 Thomson Foundation Young Journalist from the Developing World Awards and the 2013 German Development Media Awards. Priyanka is also a 3 times Laadli Media Award winner and a former Chevening fellow.
• 3rd December 2019– The Disrobing of Draupadi and Other Stories
by Tino de Sa
Venue –Arera Club
‘The Disrobing of Draupadi and Other Stories’ consists of eleven stories. Each of these eleven stories is a polished gem that speaks to the reader in ways one different from the other. Many of them have a surprising little twist to offer in the end, and all are deftly told with a subtle wit. The wide-ranging themes they encompass include incest, murder, suicide and homosexuality. But they also include love and laughter, hope and history re-imagined.
Shobhaa De has said that Tino de Sa’s stories are like mini-movie scripts, and Anand Neelakantan feels that they throb with life.
He has been a frequent contributor to the Times of India ‘middles’ column, with more than twenty of his pieces having been published over the years. Some of his poems have been included in anthologies of the Poetry Society of India and Delhi Poetree. In 2017 he won the first prize in the Times of India ‘Write India’ national short story competition.
The Disrobing of Draupadi and Other Stories is his first published collection of stories.
• December 14, 2019–December 16, 2019
Jane Austen Festival, 2019
The 3-day Jane Austen Festival was held from 14th December through 16th December in honour of the brilliant author’s 244th birth anniversary.
Day 1 started with two Litwits members, Prakriti Rais and Mallika Pawar, imagining the 18th-century world. They briefly touched on the relevance of Jane and her work today in the modern era.
On Day 2, the guests displayed their copies of Pride and Prejudice to be judged based on the cover, the treatment, and the hidden treasures in their books. Members analyzed Pride and Prejudice based on three different attributes – the historical, modern and personal aspects in Austen’s works. In the Fun Family quiz, participants were divided into four groups of five, each given a family name – The Bennetts, Darcys, Bingleys and Lucases. This was followed by a writing competition, where four quotes from Austen’s novels were chosen and the members of the audience had to write their feelings towards them creatively within fifteen minutes.
On Day 3, the characters from Austen’s novels were brought to life. The hosts of the day were Mr Bingley, played by Bhaskar Indrakanti and Mrs Bennett, played by Prakriti Rais. A small Enactment Competition took place where Emma Knightley (Anushka Basu) and Mr Knightley (Ragni Lamba) from Emma, clashed with Elizabeth Bennet (Zainab Suhail) and Mr Darcy (Alina Najam) from Pride and Prejudice on stage. This was followed by a short enactment of Elinor Duchwood from Sense and Sensibility by Archana Zulfiqar.
• December 23, 2019
तुम्हारा वाला मैं…
पुस्तक ‘तुम्हारा वाला मैं…’ का विमोचन
क्लब लिटराटी के तत्वाधान में मनीष पाण्डेय द्वारा लिखित पुस्तक तुम्हारा वाला मैं… का विमोचन श्री हरिरंजन राव (IAS), प्रमुख सचिव, उच्च शिक्षा विभाग शासन एवं श्री ओमप्रकाश श्रीवास्तव (IAS), संचालक, जनसम्पर्क विभाग द्वारा किया गया। इस अवसर पर आयोजित संक्षिप्त परिचर्चा का माडरैशन सुप्रसिद्ध कवियित्री एवं लोक-गायिका श्रीमती ऋतुप्रिया खरे द्वारा, एवं बुक रीडिंग सेशन सुश्री सुलभा दीक्षित व श्री विवेक मिश्रा द्वारा किया गया। कार्यक्रम का संचालन सुश्री दीक्षा द्वारा किया गया।
तुम्हारा वाला मैं… अन्येक सारे सवालों के जवाब ढूंढती हुई, साधारण-सी कहानी है; असाधारण पीड़ा से जूझती पत्नी और उसके साधारण से परिवार के संकल्प, सेवा और समर्पण की कहानी है; सामान्य लोगों की असामान्य प्रश्नों के जवाब खोजने की कहानी है।
यह पुस्तक उन लोगों के लिये सहायक साबित हो सकती है जो कि इस क्षण कई तरह के सवालों में उलझे हुए हैं और समस्याओं से निकलने का मार्ग खोज रहे हैं। मुमकिन है कि यह साधारण सी कथा पढ़ कर उन्हे अपने जीवन की दशा और दिशा बदलने में सहायता मिल सके।
