Are women getting their due at workplaces or are they being overlooked? What happens when a devastated man embarks on a quest to find the recipient of his donated kidney? IANS book shelf for this weekend presents an exciting array of books that, apart from answering these questions, also feature a thrilling mystery novel and a book for children where 10 "idea-shapers" have valuable lessons for kids.


Of women in business, quest, mystery and truths for children (IANS Books This Weekend)


IANS Automatic

He can barely speak a few lines of English, yet his deep insight and observations of rural life are reshaping how we view the hinterland.


Fearful of writing about gods and humans, Perumal Murugan turns to goats


Years back, on a harsh winter morning in Ladakh in the northernmost Himalayas in India, a young and curious boy in a remote mountain village of the cold desert observed water coming out of a semi-frozen pipe, collecting in a small crater on the ground and freezing, just like a glacier.


Fighting climate change: How a 'crazy' engineer solved Ladakh's water crisis (IANS Special Series)


There is an increasing focus on women's empowerment and gender equality in our public discourse and every year it reaches its peak on the occasion of International Women's Day. But how much of equality actually exists when it comes to wages or pay scale in offices in India? Is "equal pay for equal work" a reality -- or a distant dream yet to be achieved?


Equal pay for equal work still a distant dream for Indian women (March 8 is International Women's Day)


Among the several types of idlis -- a healthy South Indian dish -- the Kanchipuram idli has a special, even divine, status. It is offered to the Lord Varadharaja Perumal in Kanchipuram.


Of divine Kanchipuram idlis and menu engineering at Mercure's Melange (Foodie Trail-Chennai)


Film writer-editor Apurva Asrani, who chose to come out with his battle with Bell's Palsy -- a kind of facial paralysis -- says celebrities should open up to the world about their weaknesses, too.


Important for celebrities to share their weaknesses: Apurva Asrani


Entries have opened for the inaugural edition of a literary award that breaks down language barriers and recognises the full cosmopolitan breadth of contemporary Indian literature. The award provides the winner with a cash prize of Rs 25 lakh and if the winning book is a translation, the translator will be awarded Rs 5 lakh.


Entries open for new Rs 25 lakh literary award


If you are a butter chicken lover and swear by the iconic Old Monk vatted Indian dark rum, then head to Soiree -- a newly-opened lounge and bar -- that offers a heavenly concoction of the two in the form of yummy boozy butter chicken. The cosy, capacious set-up allows you quality time with your gang while gobbling mouth-watering fish fingers. This chic space is equally exciting for vegetarians as well.


Catch up over boozy butter chicken, drool-worthy fish fingers at Soiree (Foodie Trail-Noida)


Prem Sharma sells gutka and cigarettes near the Vijay Nagar square, but the most visible part of his tiny business is the dustbin that he dare not lose. Similar is the case with all small and big businesses across the city.


How a woman mayor made Indore a clean and litter-free city


The shortest month of the year turned out to be quite a dull one for most readers. While Sourav Ganguly's "A Century Is Not Enough" and "Do We Not Bleed" by Mehr Tarar did create some buzz, most other books released during the month seem to have gone out of sight. A quick look at the front shelves of bookstores as also the books trending on e-commerce sites shows the disappointment that February was for bookworms.


Five books to look forward to in March 2018


Politicians, celebrities, artists and designers came together on Monday at Gateway of India here, where, in a stunning display, 101 artistic elephants have been assembled to celebrate the launch of the first Elephant Parade India.


101 designed elephants at first Elephant Parade India


Some of the most renowned figures from the world of photography have assembled here to participate in the third edition of "Jaipur Photo", an international photography festival held every February in the pink city.


Leading lensmen assemble in Jaipur


The sixth edition of the Delhi Literature Festival began featuring a promising line-up of speakers and writers of varied genres.


Delhi Literature Festival begins


When summer was at its peak and all his friends had left for vacations, a young member of a Marwari business family was packed off to spend time at its many mills and workshops. There he was taught the "hunar", or skills, of business, so that he could one day occupy his father's gaddi (seat).


Making of a writer: How Ashwin Sanghi's wife awakened the writer in him


When Ashok Chopra set off on a career in publishing, it was a totally different world -- but along the way, as he was climbing up the ladder and making a mark in the publishing space, the industry itself was undergoing massive transformation. More than four decades later, he is a publisher-par-excellence, revered and held in high esteem, but how does such a publisher fit into the shoes of a novelist?


The publisher as the writer of a novel for himself (Book Feature)


The author of "The Kite Runner", "A Thousand Splendid Suns", and "And the Mountains Echoed" is all set to return with a new book later this year. Billed as a "lyrical and intensely moving story" around the refugee crisis, Khaled Hosseini's next is titled "Sea Prayer".


Khaled Hosseini pens 'intensely moving' refugee story


From a Jnanpith laureate to Sahitya Akademi award winners, from a sex worker-turned-author to a domestic help-turned-writer, the upcoming LIC Gateway LitFest here will feature more than 50 women writers from varied backgrounds.


Lit fest to show women power in contemporary Indian literature


Indias National Academy of Letters organised a national seminar on "70 Years of Indian Independence" on Friday as part of its ongoing Festival of Letters. Eminent scholars and writers presented their views on the literary portrayals that have found light of the day over the past seven decades.


Literary Portrayals on 70 Years of Indian Independence


What is the role of translations in bringing many unknown stories to the fore? Can translation be used as a means of retelling narratives? Several experts came together at a symposium organised by the Sahitya Akademi here to deliberate on the topic.


Is translation a means of retelling stories, experts discus


She worked as a journalist for Asian Age, Frontline and Tribune, but running behind bylines always seemed like "instant coffee" with no time to pause and appreciate the beauty of things around her. After she quit her full-time job and embarked on a journey of writing, life changed drastically for Charu Singh, whose second book was published in December.


'Journalism was like instant coffee, writing books is satisfying, self-discovery'


The sixth edition of the three-day Delhi Literature Festival is all set to kick off from February 23 at Dilli Haat. Featuring a diverse mix of writers of commercial and literary books, the upcoming literary gathering promises to be a lively affair for book lovers in the national capital.

Page 8 -