Books / Poetry

Modinama: One man, hundred days, 180 books

- by India Writes Network

The journey of a tea-seller from Vadnagar, a small village in Gujarat, to the most prized address in New Delhi – 7 Race Course Road – is the stuff of which contemporary myths and folklore is woven. Not surprisingly, India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s life story has launched a thousand tales about the man who evokes diverse emotions among Indians and the world at large. The publishing industry in India is on a roll, with over 180 books published on Modi within the first 100 days of his taking office.

Written mostly in Hindi and Gujarati, the books provide a melange of perspectives and insights into Modi the leader as well as Modi the person.

The authors who penned these stories include former journalists, lawyers, RSS workers and even his body guard. Presented in multifarious ways, these works range from political biographies to comics. Bookstores across the country display these books; some have even been translated in Mandarin and French.

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Demystifying Tibetan culture: Uncle Tompa’s profane adventures

- by India Writes Network

In these 20 stories Rinjing Dorji narrates how Uncle Tompa gets the better of others through his trickery. The ‘others’ here are usually the rich, the foolish, the virtuous, and the stubborn. While tales of Uncle Tompa are very similar to those of other tricksters like the Persian Mullah Nusruddhin, or the American Cayote, Uncle Tompa’s stories differ because of the centrality of sex in his adventures.

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