City Book – Nobody Can Love You More, First Copy
Like a dream.
[Text by Mayank Austen Soofi; photos by Unknown]
Hot off the press. On receiving the first copy of his new book, Nobody Can Love You More: Life in Delhi’s Red Light District, The Delhi Walla hid it in an envelope and went through the day as if it was just another ordinary day.
In the evening I took an auto-rickshaw to Khan Market and walked on the Front Lane with the world’s most beautiful secret in my hand.
An hour later I left the market for Lodhi Gardens. There I stood under a lamp. After making sure that nobody was around, I took out the book from the envelope, kissed its cover and carefully put it back into the envelope. I then crossed the park and walked towards the Lodhi Road, from where I walked to Hazrat Nizamuddin’s Dargah. Here I presented the book as a respectful offering to Sufi saint Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya.
Nobody could have been happier.
Published by Penguin India, Nobody Can Love You More will reach the bookstores across the country by the last week of November 2012.
Shh, I’m reading
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ohhh, greatttttttt! Best wishes, Delhi Walla!
Thank you, DG.
🙂 another feather in the cap <3
Ah, my headdress!
Lovely, lovely. I wish I had authors like you!
You appear to be an editor or a publisher… thank you.
All the Best !!
Thanks for saying it, Ruchika.
congratulations- will def buy/read
That’s encouraging.
Just pre-ordered my copy on Flipkart. Can’t wait to read it. Congratulations. ♥
Thank you. I hope you will find it interesting.
Congratulations, it must be thrilling to know people will buy and find valuable your book.
I bought a copy today – the bookseller in Kahn Market called you by your first name, as if proud. In my view, as Delhi-walla myself, he was right. He said I was one of the first to buy a copy – it had only been there an hour.
I took the pristine copy to a nearby cafe and read; so far, it’s very good – you’ve allowed the women to speak for themselves, which is admirable and highly revealing. Best of luck with it; you deserve every success.
So far, so good? Fingers crossed. Yes Phil, it is thrilling to know people buying my book. But writing it was such a private experience and my relations with the people you are now reading about is so intimate and delicate and kind that it feels strange that those moments that belonged to Us will no longer belong to Us alone.
You are right to say the book is no longer ‘yours’, as it were – and your and the women’s private experiences are no longer private. But I hope the greater good can come of that; and your feeling ‘strange’ as a result is a sacrifice that helps others understand.
I m so thrilled that after waiting desperately for months, i will finally get to lay my hands on that book. All the best 🙂
Ekta, you are a poet. I’m curious to know what you will make of this book.
afreen! I feel soooo good for you, Mayank. You deserve the best.
P.S. What are those books in the background? Is that your library? I believe we’ve never been introduced…
Thank you, Naushirvan, for feeling soooo good for me. I have my book collections in three places across Delhi. You may see one of them here:
http://www.thedelhiwalla.com/2010/11/01/city-library-the-delhi-walla-nizamuddin-basti/
waaaaah,Mubarak ho ji 🙂
Shukriya ji.
Of my God, Mayank, what a happy day. What a wonderful green cover and what a great book. I am so happy for you.
Raluca, happy reading.
Your new book is beautiful: a hardcover no less, in a day when paperbacks are publishing’s default. Not only is it a hardcover, but it is also an artistic one to boot, what with the green paper on boards with gold spine lettering. The gold endsheets match the gold on the predominantly green dustwrapper. The color coordination between book and jacket is artistically done, right down to the splash of orange on the front dustcover that is repeated on the front flap that goes so well and so boldly with the yellow front pastedown. EXCELLENT! The book and wrapper are at once bold and subtle. So strong and yet so understated. As an object alone, your new book is one to be proud of, oh Mayank. Few books are so intelligently and artistically conceived. I congratulate you.
You are very kind, Richard. Many people worked – and with much love – to make this book beautiful.
Very excited to start reading it. Love the cover artwork. Well done for writing this book – you are an inspiration to other writers.
I also love the cover art(!)
So happy for you. am praying for you and the the success of the boo. inshallah i am sure it will rock
Sadia, inshallah.
Hey! You are replying to comments now. (Note the absence of a question mark there.)
Is that the new trend on the blog?
About the book: Let the obvious be left unsaid, eh?
It is just that the book is very special to me and I’m grateful to website readers who are greeting me on it. I want to reply.
So it is more like that the book has got you replying to our comments and not just a book you wrote?
Congrats Mayank! Can’t wait to see it.
Thank you. I wonder if you are the same Sheema who so beautifully edited my earlier Delhiwalla books…
Hi Mayank,
I am coming to Delhi from my rural posting for the weekend. Will make sure I purchase your book. . It’s your labor of love and I am also very eager to hold the World’s Most Beautiful Secret in my hands.
Your happiness is contagious.
Best wishes
Vee
Hello Vee,
You make me happy. I wish you a happy reading.
Congrats Mayank. May God give THOSE people (and you too) every reason to smile . . 🙂
Thank you, Sumit. God need not worry about ‘those’ people. They do smile a lot.
Buhut buhut mubarik ho, Mayank!
Your offering to Hazrat Nizamuddin dargah is another symbol of the beauty, compassion and humanness in you being a human. Through your work, keep spreading the ‘Husayniat’ in a world where the tongues blood has run dry, as am sure your latest book has much to offer to humanity!
Alas, I have not had the pleasure of having any of your books on my shelf, it is with great hope to have all your treasures, but…someday.
Needless to say, I am very proud of you, Maano.
Needless to say, thank you, Shaheen.
You’re right. The cover does break my heart. Although you withdrew that statement later (out of modesty? Under-confidence? Doubt?) your first instinct was correct.
Price comparison (as on 24/11/12):
Flipkart: 300
Indiaplaza: 319 (260 for ING Vysya clients; best deal if you qualify)
Bookadda: 284
Homeshop18: 267 – best deal for general buyers
Matka, I did that because of all the three reasons you cite. But I’m glad my first instinct worked with you.
Kindle Price (INR): Rs. 718.33 includes free international wireless delivery via Amazon Whispernet
:-O I think I’ll just get the hardcover.
http://www.amazon.com/Nobody-Love-Delhi-Light-District/dp/067008414X
It`s out! It looks beautiful!
Followed you with your words to open the envelope.:)
Can´t wait to get it.
Congrats Mayank!
So excited to hear about this book. Looking forward to reading it. Congratulations Mayank. May you continue to use the pen as an instrument of composing the lyrical music of your prose.
Oh finally a picture to connect the writer to. Nice.
Interesting library!
I’m very proud of you Mayank.
Congratulations Mayank. Can’t wait to get my hands on the book.
Congratulations, Big fan, do let know if there will be a launch function
best wishes
Anirban
Have reached page 187. You’re reading Manto and I’m reading Soofi. Wonderful that this day should come.