London born Indian politician and diplomat Shashi Tharoor came, saw and conquered the hearts of the audience at the 39th An Author’s Afternoon session on 19th December, 2016, at Taj Bengal. Shashi Tharoor was engaged in a conversation by his son Kanishk Tharoor, who is an author in his own right.
‘Nawabs, nudes, noodles: India Through 50 Years of Advertising’- book with a sensational title, by Ambi Parameswaran, attempts to zoom India, through the advertising lens. Ad-worms can reminisce about growing India with steel frames and visuals, captured in the matured ads that took birth from the octogenarian last century, designed by Ambi Parameswaran, the invitee of the 38th episode of An Author’s Afternoon presented by Shree Cement and Taj Bengal in association with t2, Prabha Khaitan Foundation along with Siyahi.
Stephen Alter had a life altering experience when his home was attacked by goons and he was left for dead. But he came back from the dead a changed man with a new world view. It was a one-man format at An Author’s Afternoonon 16 November, 2016, with guest author Stephen Alter who took the support of a projector and a screen to share his experiences in the Himalayas.
An Author’s Afternoon presented by Shree Cement on 30th September, 2016, at the Taj Bengal, hosted Ratna Vira – author, corporate leader, consultant and artist. Urmi Basu, founder of the NGO New Light, steered a sensitive discussion on Ratna’s books. The event was held in association with T2, Prabha Khaitan Foundation, Taj Bengal and Siyahi. Ratna Vira is the best-selling author of Daughter By Court Order. It deals with the hurdles of being a woman. It attracted a lot of endorsements from celebrities and politicians including Prime Minister Modi. Her second novel, It’s Not About You, deals with teens and is a contemporary tale that celebrates the persistence of the human spirit to fight against all odds. She is also an engaging speaker and an accomplished artist.
On 29th August 2016 An Author’s Afternoon, Lady Mohini Kent Noon spoke to Sujata Sen, the CEO of Future Hope India, about her work and writing. The event was presented by Shree Cement in association with Prabha Khaitan Foundation Siyahi and T2 at Taj Bengal, Kolkata.
Simon Napier Bell, Rock Star Manager chatted with Anjan Dutt, musician-actor-director on 12th August 2016 at Taj Bengal on the occasion of An Author’s Afternoon. The event was presented by Shree Cement in association with Prabha Khaitan Foundation, Siyahi, Taj Bengal and T2.
Arunava Sinha graced the 33rd session of An Author’s Afternoon on 21st July, 2016, at Taj Bengal, Kolkata. Debutante writer Priyanka Mookerjee moderated the event. The session was presented by Shree Cement in association with Prabha Khaitan Foundation, t2, Siyahi and Taj Bengal. The fun-filled session drew fans of the translator from all over the city.
An Author’s Afternoon presented by Shree Cement and Prabha Khaitan foundation on 4th June, 2016, featured crime writer Zac O’Yeah at The Taj Bengal, Kolkata. Debanjan Chakrabarti, director, British Council (East India), engaged him in a conversation that meandered through turns and interesting twists.
Manu S Pillai’s work The Ivory Throne: Chronicles of the House of Travancore is a treasure house of information based on deep research that traverses many eras. Manu is one of the youngest upcoming and promising authors of India. His seminal work The Ivory Throne is a 694-page saga on the remarkable life of Sethu Lakshmi Bayi – the last and forgotten Queen of the House of Travancore. A gripping story of how a Queen became a commoner and faded into obscurity.
It is indeed very rare to witness a character spring out of a book and come to life in flesh and blood. That is exactly what happened at the thirtieth session of An Author’s Afternoon on 8th April 2016.