If you want to understand how to become better allies to people with disabilities, then join us at Embracing All Abilities: Including People with Disabilities at Work.
I finally met an author I love reading, when she had a launch of her new book, The Forest of Enchantments, in Mumbai. A dream come true!
Do you believe that you don’t choose a book, but the right book finds you at the right time? I firmly believe in this and have often experienced it in my life, that a particular book will find me at the time I need it the most and get me through some difficult periods, or will tell me what I need to hear at that time in life.
Quite by chance, at the library last year I picked up Oleander Girl by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni. What made me pick it up? Many reasons! I was attracted by the beautiful cover, I love reading hard cover books, I was curious what an Oleander was and the biggest reason, I was keen on reading a book by an Indian author and Chitra Divakaruni sounded Indian enough! When I turned to the back cover and read about the author, I was intrigued and captivated by her picture. For some reason she looked very familiar and oh so serene and calm. I had heard about Palace of Illusions and Mistress of Spices but had not paid attention to the author. So as it was meant to be, I picked up my first book by the author, who went on to become my absolute favourite 3 books in!
In the span of the year I read Oleander Girl, Before We Visit The Goddess, Sister of my Heart, Vine of Desire, One Amazing Thing, Arranged Marriage and Palace of Illusions. All books were so different but each one was brilliant. I heard Palace of Illusions as an audiobook and the experience was surreal. Next on my list is Forest of Enchantments which I have bought. When I look back at all her books that I have seen at bookstores and libraries all these years but for some reason never picked up, I feel like I have lost so many years. But there is a reason I am sure and more than anything I am grateful that I picked up Oleander Girl that day quite on a whim.
Thanks to social media today which has proved to be a boon in this case, I get to follow and interact with all my favourite authors. Chitra Divakaruni is one of the most graceful, down to earth and brilliant authors I have come across. She is sweet enough to interact with her fans on social media and it is something I really look forward to. Imagine my surprise when she followed me back on Instagram. I was over the moon. Its fun to have a peek into her life via social media, it somehow makes her seem more human and approachable to us fans! So when her India book tour for Forest of Enchantments was announced, I hoped and prayed that I would get a chance to meet and interact with her in Bombay.
The day before yesterday was the day. I took a half day from work, used all my brownie points to have my husband and mom tend to the kids so I could do this for myself. And boy am I glad! The 2 plus hours of travel one way to meet her was absolutely worth it! I reached the venue well in advance and to my absolute delight she was already there. I am so impressed that despite being famous she was there along with her husband and team over an hour before the event was to start. She was gracious enough to pose for a zillion pictures and I managed to get mine in between it all too.
The event started on time which is quite a rarity these days, another thing to admire about her. She respects her fans enough to not keep them waiting. The book reading was mesmerising, to hear her read excerpts from her book, was an experience I will cherish for a long long time. I learned a lot from the question answer session too. Got to understand her point of view and see things from a different perspective. This makes me question a lot of scenes in Palace of Illusions, which I will now have to re read with this new found information. But the best was yet to come, the book signing! Got my copy of the Forest of Enchantments signed, something I will treasure forever.
This by far was one of the best evenings I have had in a long time and I look forward to reading all her other books this year!
A version of this was first published here.
Images source: Pooja Jagtiaani
Daughter | Wife | Mama | Dentist | Blogger | Book Nerd | Arts-Crafts Nut | Gadget Geek | Wanderess | Stationery Hoarder read more...
Women's Web is an open platform that publishes a diversity of views, individual posts do not necessarily represent the platform's views and opinions at all times.
Stay updated with our Weekly Newsletter or Daily Summary - or both!
Rajshri Deshpande, who played the fiery protagonist in Trial by Fire along with Abhay Deol speaks of her journey and her social work.
Rajshri Deshpande as the protagonist in ‘Trial by Fire’, the recent Netflix show has received raving reviews along with the show itself for its sensitive portrayal of the Uphaar Cinema Hall fire tragedy, 1997 and its aftermath.
The limited series is based on the book by the same name written by Neelam and Shekhar Krishnamoorthy, who lost both their children in the tragedy. We got an opportunity to interview Rajshri Deshpande who played Neelam Krishnamoorthy, the woman who has been relentlessly crusading in the court for holding the owners responsible for the sheer negligence.
Rajshri Deshpande is more than an actor. She is also a social warrior, the rare celebrity from the film industry who has also gone back to her roots to give to poverty struck farming villages in her native Marathwada, with her NGO Nabhangan Foundation. Of course a chance to speak with her one on one was a must!
“What is a woman’s job, Ramesh? Taking care of parents-in-law, husband, children, home and things at work—all at the same time? She isn’t God or a superhuman."
The arrays of workstations were occupied by people peering into their computer screens. The clicks of keyboard keys were punctuated by the occasional footsteps moving around to brainstorm or collaborate with colleagues in their cubicles. Most employees went about their tasks without looking at the person seated on either side of their workstation. Meenakshi was one of them.
The thirty-one-year-old marketing manager in a leading eCommerce company in India sat straight in her seat, her eyes on the screen, her fingers punching furiously into the keys. She was in a flow and wanted to finish the report while the thoughts and words were coming effortlessly into her mind.
Natu-Natu. The mellifluous ringtone interrupted her thoughts. She frowned at her mobile phone with half a mind to keep it ringing until she noticed the caller’s name on the screen, making her pick up the phone immediately.
Please enter your email address