HYDERABAD: The year 2021 blessed people with the luxury of time, allowing them to sit back, recall and cherish some memories and lessons. Many decided to pen chapters from their life and share these with readers. We take a look at some of the most-loved books and authors the city saw this year
In his own words
Ace shuttler and Chief National Coach for the Indian national badminton team Pullela Gopichand finally told the world his story through his book, Shuttler’s Flick: Making Every Match Count. The autobiography was co-written by writer, motivational speaker and firewalk instructor Priya Kumar
Love for life and love
Costume designer and stylist Neeraja Kona, who feels writing and photography are the two true representations of who she really is, combined her passion for the two, along with travelling, zest for life and love, in her book Waves, Sand & Magic. Believing every word and picture was born out of a purpose, her book is a collection of all such moments echoing the trials and tribulations of one’s journey in life and love
Reflecting on life
Aditya Nath Das, a 1987 batch IAS officer and Chief Secretary of Andhra Pradesh, had released his book, Dancing with Dreams - A Collection of Poems, at a high-profile event in September. The book comprises his incoherent scrawlings and spontaneous bursts of emotions from the moments of his life. A poet, whose philosophical and intimate approach towards life reflects in his writing, his poems make the reader pause, think and reflect about themselves
An ode to SPB
Another book that’s worth the mention is Bhaskarini Satya Jagadeesh’s Padma-Vibhushan SPB, A multifaceted Musical Legend. The 372-page book imbibes a certain ‘straight-from-the-heart’ quality. It compiles the life of India’s most celebrated singer SP Balasubrahmanyam, and is an easy-breezy read that opens up unknown chapters — some profound and some hilarious — of his life
Last works
The Family Saga: A Novel Set In The Time of Partition, the last book penned by Narendra Luther, was finally released at the Valley of Words Lit Fest. The civil servant-cum-author, who died in January in Hyderabad, focused on the journey of an Indian family through partition and their life in the modern world
Sweet memories
Legendary cricketer ML Jaisimha was a class apart and people have only sweet memories of him. All of it was compiled in a book by his wife Jayanthi Jaisimha, 81. I Adore Jai: The Rediscovery of ML Jaisimha describes the priceless memories that friends, family and sportspersons shared with the Test cricketer
Tharoor’s 23rd book
Parliamentarian, author and former diplomat Shashi Tharoor launched his 23rd book, Pride, Prejudice and Punditry, at Park Hyatt Hyderabad in December. He dipped in and out of different sections of his book which is a compilation of 10 sections ranging from fiction, non-fiction, poetry and even cricket. Published by Aleph Book Company, it marks the culmination of over 50 years of Tharoor’s writings
Secret to her fitness
Actor Tamannaah co-authored a book with lifestyle coach Luke Coutinho, which invokes India’s ancient knowledge and informs readers about how inexpensive it is to invest in their lifestyles, prevent diseases, improve longevity and improve the quality of their lives. Back To The Roots, published by Penguin Random House India, hit the stands on August 30
New look into bureaucracy
Retired IAS officer Jatish Chandra Mohanty’s Breaking Through New Earth was also launched at the Valley of Words fest. The book, in Mohanty’s own words, is a new take on the inner workings of the Indian bureaucracy. Each of the 29 standalone chapters is a narrative crafted using anecdotes
blending with insights and opinion, unique perspectives and transformative ideas