Vikram Seth at Bookwise

There are a few places in Delhi that I love with a passion and Bookwise is one of them. This is a wonderful bookshop full of quality books, bestsellers, art and history, coffee table books and tasteful stationary run by a lovely couple Aarti and Somesh whose hearts are definitely in the written word.

Even well known authors like Vikram Seth recognize this. Last night he acknowledged that there are not many people in the world for whom he would get off an international flight and come to talk, and Aarti is one of them.

So we were entertained by a lively conversation between David Davidar and Vikram on his new book "The Rivered Earth" a collection of libretti set to music. He read extensively and eloquently from it but also from his first publication "Golden Gate" a novel in rhyme about the time he lived in California. He attributed his start in writing to being inspired by authors such as Pushkin and poets like Herbert George whose house he now lives in.

With Aarti

Admiring a portrait that was made for him.

Of course no session with Vikram Seth would ever be complete without a good dose of the most rhythmic and fun poetry from his various collections. "Beastly Tales from here and there" being one of the great favourites.Someone asked him for the Frog and the Nightingale and I said another please because I knew that one and he read the Hare and the Tortoise for me.  A lovely open personality, physically compact, witty and knowledgeable, he is quite the giant of Indian literature.

Bookwise
125A Shahpur Jat (nr Asiad Village), New Delhi 110049


Tel.: 26499568 / 69