RUPA BO K NEWSr u pa p u b l i c at i o n s i n d i a

p u b l i c at i o n s i n d i a

February 2013 | Vol. 6

I’ve interviewed famous people—heads of state, film directors, school principals—for years, all over the world, but I’ve never been as excited or as nervous as I was the day I met the legendary Red Turtle. I don’t know how my publishers persuaded it to come out and meet me, as Red Turtle, it is said, is a shy and retiring beast, with no desire for fame. But there I was, one

winter morning in a café, looking for a patch of sun, wondering how late Red Turtle would be. Celebrities often are.They said Red Turtle liked to make an entrance, but then they said a lot of things about Red Turtle. Red Turtle, poet, pirate,

spy, billionaire, genius, inventor, adventurer. Who was this enigmatic amphibian, this charismatic chelonian? That’s what I was here to find out…if it showed up.

‘Let’s make this quick,’ said a dry, soft voice to my right. I whirled around. And there it was. Sitting on the chair beside me, as if it had been there for hours. Maybe it had. It is said that Red Turtle is only seen when it needs to be.

‘It’s a pleasure and an honour...’ I stammered, and Red Turtle waved a modest claw. ‘Questions, please,’ it said. ‘Time is precious. I have lives to save.’‘Who are you, Red Turtle?’‘Who is anyone? Who are you?’ I tried to tell it who I was, but it waved my introduction aside. ‘Who am I? I do not know.

Today I am a turtle in a café, enjoying the winter sun. Who were you yesterday? Who will you be tomorrow? And who would you like to be? Who could you be?’

It saw my confused expression and took pity on me. ‘I am just a humble turtle,’ said Red Turtle. ‘A turtle who likes good people, and good food, and good homes. A turtle with many secrets, and many stories.’

‘What made you decide to produce a line of children’s books?’The Turtle sighed softly. ‘Red Turtle does not produce. The Turtle only humbly inspires. But the books—yes, they will be good

books. Red Turtle knows many lands and many times, and from these come stories—and when Red Turtle likes a story, it is a good story. A story worth sharing. And printing. With nice covers. The Turtle likes nice covers. It’s a turtle thing.’

‘But, Red Turtle, it is said that the world’s most famous movie stars claim you are their friend. Why not a multibillion dollar movie franchise, then? Why books for young people?’

Another gentle sigh. ‘Red Turtle does not franchise. Red Turtle wants books, so books it shall be. Do not question Red Turtle.’‘May I ask you one personal question, sir?’‘Sir?’‘Well, actually, that’s my question. Are you a boy or a girl?’‘Enough of these foolish questions. Time is precious. Find your answers yourself, young man. All I can give you is a story or two.’And then Red Turtle told me some of its stories. Such stories! Some curdled my blood, some made me laugh so loudly that

the other people in the café complained. Some made me cry, some showed me incredible new worlds. I would tell you those stories now—or try—but the Turtle wants to share those stories with you directly. And you don’t want to break a promise made to Red Turtle.

‘It has been an honour to meet you,’ I stuttered in the end. ‘I don’t know how these publishers found you, but I’m glad they did. I hope readers will too.’

‘You don’t find Red Turtle,’ it said, with a quiet smile. ‘Red Turtle finds you.’

MEET RED TURTLE!

—SAMIT BASU

2

When danger comes to a large forest filled with big, brave animals, onlya tiny bird can save everyone...

The forest stands still as the black clouds begin to roll in again. Every year,the Monsoon Army’s rain comes down harder, destroying trees and plants,nests and burrows. And the rain brings with it gushing, flooded rivers. Thisyear, all the animals know that the army will not stop till it has washed awaytheir homes. Should they flee? Should they fight? Or will they trust theunlikeliest hero among them to save their lives?

Find out what happens when even the littlest one decides to be brave, in thisstory of extraordinary courage, told by one of India’s best children’s writers.

When the people of India rose against oppression and inequality, they wrote one of history’s most inspiring stories.

India, the brightest jewel in the Raj crown, was also a land burdened with harsh taxes, unjust laws and innumerable restrictions. When Indians, under the leadership of the most remarkable men and women ever to be born, decided to overturn the yoke of a foreign power, their struggle was one of extraordinary bravery, truthfulness and fortitude.

The story of India’s freedom movement is a unique tale of how the ordinary people of a country defeated the mightiest Empire in the world through the forces of satyagraha and ahimsa. In this masterful account, Nayantara Sahgal describes the twists and turns that led to this: the lives of the leaders, revolutionaries and masses, the horrors of oppression and the triumphs of the Indians as they finally made their tryst with destiny.

A lucid telling by one of the country’s finest writers, this account encompasses every important detail of the freedom struggle, and will inform and inspire all young readers.

Category: Non-fiction ISBN: 978-81-291-2116-5 Price: `195 Format: B/PB Extent: 208 pp

RED TURTLE

The Little Bird Who Held the Sky Up with His Feet|Paro Anand, iIllustrations by Ajanta Guhathakurta

The Story of India’s Freedom Movement|Nayantara Sahgal

Category: Fiction ISBN: 978-81-291-2117-2 Price: `150 Format: B/PB Extent: 96 pp

3RECENT RELEASES

‘A wonderfully charming and informative book… Savour the sorry and soaring love affair between India and English.’—Tarun J. Tejpal

There is a strange beast that stalks the countryside. It is brash, it is aggressive, it defies all laws of grammar and common sense. It is the beast called Indian-English—and it is everywhere.

From the litterateur of the Raj to the Nehruvian missivist and entrepreneurial quack of the last century to the Internet warrior and Bollywood lyricist of today, almost everyone has adopted English as his or her lingua franca—and adapted, assaulted and recreated it to suit individual purposes. For, as this book argues, the belief runs strong that there can be no social advancement without wielding the glittering sword of English.

In Entry from Backside Only, Binoo K. John takes the reader on a delightful journey through the quirks and complexities of the subcontinent’s love affair with the language.

Funny and candid, yet rich in insights on how to really live life on your own terms, this unconventional self-help manual is unlike any book around.

What do you want from life? Are you on the right track? Are you truly happy?

If your answer to these questions is ‘F?@k knows!’, then this book is for you.

Find the answers to life’s most important questions with the help of uber-successful entrepreneur, Shailendra Singh, co-founder of Percept and inceptor of Sunburn. Told with sparkling, flavourful and in-your-face humour, this book will advise you on how to:• Find yourself (Because you’re probably lost. Admit it.)• Follow your heart (Because if you don’t then you’ll die unhappy, you stupid f?@ker.)• Achieve your goals (You know you want to.)• Live life like you give a f?@k (Because…why not?)

Candid and thoughtful, F?@k Knows will show you how to really live life on your own terms, to do what you want to do and not what you have to do just because your father said so!

Category: Non-fiction/Self-help ISBN: 978-81-291-2388-6 Price: `195 Format: B/PB Extent: 256 pp

Entry from Backside Only: Hazaar Fundas of Indian-EnglishBinoo K. John

F?@K Knows|Shailendra Singh

Category: Non-fiction ISBN: 978-81-291-2377-0 Price: `195 Format: B/PB Extent: 232 pp

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‘[An] enjoyably confrontational biography. Adams identifies Kipling’s self-deception as mirrored in the self-deception of the empire whose values he promoted in life and literature.’—The Times

A writer who made his home in four continents, Kipling occupies a unique place in the hearts and minds of readers and remains to date one of the most widely read authors in the world. Why so? This accessible biography by Jad Adams aims at an understanding of the man behind the works and seeks to explain his enduring popularity. Kipling: A Life analyses this enigmatic author not only as an imperialist but also as a sensitive artist of his time.

‘A remarkable addition to the literature on communalism in India.’—Christophe Jaffrelot

On 27 February 2002, fifty-eight people died when a coach of the Sabarmati Express was set on fire just outside a small-town railway station in Gujarat. The incident sparked the Gujarat riots, one of the worst outbursts of Hindu-Muslim violence in recent history. The author reveals how the capacity and willingness of various types of rioters—ranging from politicians, local criminals and fundamentalist groups, to neighbourhood leaders and police officials—to organise and perpetrate violence is closely related to the different political positions these actors hold.

Based on an extensive ethnographic study of Gujarat’s local politics, Riot Politics offers a novel approach to understanding the processes that foster outbursts of communal violence in India.

Meet William Mulligan—hotshot banker, shrewd investor, ruthless businessman. A man driven solely by ambition, he is determined to chart a single-minded course up the ladder of corporate success. But is that all he is, or is he playing a deeper game? Why does he trust no one but his crew—Jimmy, Caesar, Dime and Garrett? And has he made a terrible mistake in going up against Antonio Ribera, a.k.a. ‘The Cuban’?

In this rip-roaring debut, Ayush Ansal takes you on a dizzying journey through a world of luxury, glamour and high-stakes finance. A grimy, gritty world of corporate espionage, the Cuban mafia and spine-chilling assassinations is created when greed and ambition collide violently with the forces of good.

Kipling: A Life|Jad Adams

Riot Politics: Hindu-Muslim Violence and the Indian StateWard Berenschot

The Gentlemen of Finance|Ayush Ansal

RECENT RELEASES

Category: Non-fiction/Biography ISBN: 978-81-291-2372-5 Price: `195 Format: B/PB Extent: 224 pp

Category: Non-fiction ISBN: 978-81-291-2375-6 Price: `495 Format: Demy/HB Extent: 252 pp

Category: Fiction ISBN: 978-81-291-2376-3 Price: `250 Format: B/PB Extent: 240 pp

5

A remarkably readable and detailed history of the Rajputs.

An engaging biographical account of one of the most celebrated figures in Sikh history.

Category: Non-fiction ISBN: 978-81-291-2037-3 Price: `195 Format: B/Flexi Extent: 184 pp

Category: Non-fiction ISBN: 978-81-291-2071-7 Price: `195 Format: B/Flexi Extent: 164 pp

Category: Non-fiction/Reference ISBN: 978-81-291-2383-1 Price: `95 Format: A/PB Extent: 104 pp

Category: Non-fiction/Reference ISBN: 978-81-291-2382-4 Price: `95 Format: A/PB Extent: 104 pp

Category: Non-fiction/Reference ISBN: 978-81-291-2381-7 Price: `95 Format: A/PB Extent: 112 pp

Category: Non-fiction/Reference ISBN: 978-81-291-2384-8 Price: `95 Format: A/PB Extent: 96 pp

Annals of Mewar: From James Tod’s Annals and Antiquities of Rajasthan | Edited by C. H. Payne

A Short Sketch of the Life and Works of Guru Govind Singh: The Tenth and Last Guru of the Sikhs | Bhagat Lakhsman Singh

Fun with Numbers|Terry O’Brien

Fun with Riddles|Terry O’Brien

Fun with Puzzles|Terry O’Brien

Fun with Maths|Terry O’Brien

RUPA ANTIQUITIES

THE RUPA FUN SERIES

We are proud to announce the launch of Rupa Antiquities, a series that aims at repackaging and presenting to the contemporary reader long out-of-print works of historical significance.

A fun and easy-to-understand set of books that will help the reader appreciate numbers, Terry O’Brien’s Fun Series is indispensable for people who want to excite and stimulate their minds.

RECENT RELEASES

6

A radical and nuanced approach to management, business, governance and leadership in a globalized, diverse, fast-changing world.

In this book, mythologist, author and leadership coach Devdutt Pattanaik shows how, despite its veneer of objectivity, modern management is rooted in Western belief and obsessed with a single fixed vision—rigid objectives, milestones and targets. By contrast, the Indian way of doing business—as apparent in Indian mythology but rarely seen in practice—is gaze-oriented and accommodates subjectivity and diversity. Business Sutra uses stories and symbols drawn from Hindu, Jain and Buddhist mythology to understand a wide variety of business situations that range from running a successful paan shop to nurturing talent in a large multinational corporation. At the heart of the book is a compelling premise: if we believe that wealth needs to be pursued, the workplace becomes a rana-bhoomi, a battleground of investors, regulators, employers, employees, vendors, competitors and customers; if we believe that wealth needs to be attracted, the workplace is a ranga-bhoomi, a playground where everyone is happy. Brilliantly argued, original and thoroughly accessible, Business Sutra is a must-read for everyone living and working in India today.

Category: Non-fiction ISBN: 978-81-923280-7-2 Price: `695 Format: Demy/HB Extent: 463 pp

Business Sutra: A Very Indian Approach to Management

BUSINESS

SUTRA

A VERY

INDIAN

MANAGEMENT

pattanaikdevdutt

APPROACH TO

NEW BOOKS IN ALEPH

Devdutt Pattanaik

On 17 January 2013, Chanakya’s New Manifesto: To Resolve the Crisis Within India by Pavan K. Varma was released at IIT Delhi. Aleph’s first book of this year was launched by six young citizens, representatives of the vociferous young India who are at the forefront of the movement for change.

‘A thoughtful analysis of India in its current state’—IANS

Category: Non-fiction ISBN: 978-93-82277-09-5 Price: `295 Format: B/Flexi Extent: 248 pp

Chanakya’s New Manifesto: To Resolve the Crisis Within IndiaPavan K. Varma

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Red Turtle, Rupa’s new children’s and young adult books imprint, is having an event—and you are invited.

Join us on 12 February 2013, at 10.00 a.m., at Alliance Française, Lodhi Estate, New Delhi.

Come and meet:

• Ruskin Bond• Paro Anand• Derek O’Brien

Come with family, come with friends—and settle down for a day of fun!

• Listen to the authors talk about their work.• Hear them read out from their books published by Red Turtle.• Buy your copies and get them signed by the authors.• Ask them all the questions you ever wanted—about books, writing, and anything else that you want to know from them!

Ruskin Bond has written over 120 books. His latest book, Tigers for Dinner: Tall Tales by Jim Corbett’s Khansama, is a brilliantly illustrated book about man-eating tigers, incompetent maharajas, missing kitchen boys, haunted pillows and much, much more.

Paro Anand is a writer and performance storyteller. Her book The Little Bird Who Held the Sky Up with His Feet is a modern fable that has also been featured in 1000 Books to Read Before You Grow Up, a list of some of the best books ever written for children.

Derek O’Brien is Asia’s best-known quizmaster and has hosted numerous quiz shows on stage and television. In his book Speak Up, Speak Out: My Favourite Elocution Pieces and How to Deliver Them, he has compiled some of the best pieces that can be used for public speaking and also provided tips for becoming an expert and confident public speaker.

ROUNDING UP

YOU ARE I NVITED!

BE TH ERE!

8

Through February and March 2013, we will runThe Rupa Romance Contest, calling for short

story entries with romance as the theme.

Bestselling author Anuja Chauhan will select the best entries, which will be published in an anthology titled An Atlas of Love, to be edited

by Anuja.

Watch this space for more, or log on to www.facebook.com/rupapublications.com.

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Distribution and sales offices

Branch offices

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Published by R. K. Mehra, on behalf of Rupa Publications India Pvt. Ltd.

Anuja Chauhan presents

THE RUPA ROMANCE CONTEST

ROUNDING UP8