City Moment – The Just People, Netaji Subhash Marg
The beautiful Delhi instant. [Text and pictures by Mayank Austen Soofi] The Delhi Walla was one morning… no, it was not just any morning. It was the anniversary of the day when Mahatma Gandhi was assassinated by a Hindu fundamentalist…
Jaipur Diary – The Sexed-Up Lit Fest
It’s not about books. [Text and pictures by Mayank Austen Soofi] High heels, Prada bags, Charles & Keith ankle boots, Sula wine, exposed cleavages and a private jet. Lit events are the new cool for the beautiful people, if the…
City Monument – Adam Khan’s Tomb, Mehrauli
You’ll get lost here. [Text and pictures by Mayank Austen Soofi] On a hilly mound, this structure is more than just the ruined tomb of Adam Khan, a scheming foster-brother of Akbar whom the Mughal Emperor punished by having him…
Jaipur Diary – People of the Festival
Saluting the lit lovers. [Text and pictures by Mayank Austen Soofi] It’s the people. In the 6th Jaipur Literature Festival, The Delhi Walla liked the readers more than the authors. I was moved by the earnestness of Delhi University students…
Jaipur Diary – The Chai Breaks
The tea in the earthen cup. [Text and pictures by Mayank Austen Soofi] One of the many good things about the 6th Jaipur Literature Festival was the free chai served daily in the two chai breaks – at morning and…
Jaipur Diary – In Martin Amis’s Melancholic Company
On porn, aging and writing. [Text and pictures by Mayank Austen Soofi] Writing fiction in the eighties was a loner’s job. “No profiles, no photo sessions, no book tours,” said London-based author Martin Amis in the session ‘Writing the 1980s’,…
Jaipur Diary – What the F!
Irvine Welsh’s ‘fuck’ fixation. [Text and pictures by Mayank Austen Soofi] His was the last and the shortest session in the Jaipur Literature Festival. His was also the only session in which questions ran out before the stipulated one-hour time….
Jaipur Diary – Mama, Don’t Preach
Listening to Sex & the City writer Candice Bushnell. [Text and pictures by Mayank Austen Soofi] She came, laughed, growled, flailed her arms, groped for words and gave relationship tips. The high-heeled and perfectly manicured Candice Bushnell, the author of…
Jaipur Diary – 1947, A Love Story
The great historical romance. [Text and pictures by Mayank Austen Soofi] It was pulp romance meeting the Partition. History was sexed up at the session in Mughal Tent, in which TV host Karan Thapar chatted with Alex von Tunzelmann, the…
Jaipiur Diary – The Battle of 1857
The surprise package. [Text and pictures by Mayank Austen Soofi] The surprise winner of the Jaipur marathon was a plump woman. At 10 am, Mughal tent in Diggi Palace hotel was slotted for authors William Dalrymple and Mahmood Farooqui. The…
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