Cities rediscovered

Goubert Avenue, Pondicherry on a quiet evening a year or two ago

This month’s issue of National Geographic Traveller India looks at urban renewal in the country. At how cities across India are changing and how some neighbourhoods in some of these cities are attempting to repurpose themselves. Or as the introductory note puts it, in this issue “we look at localities that are seeking new futures without destroying their pasts.” It’s an interesting mix of stories by writers from across India and it’s great to have two pieces of mine in this section. For more, head here.

Spy games

Entire authorial careers (and reputations) have been built on the Cold War. But surprisingly, not many writers have tapped into the rich vein that is the often fraught relationship between India and Pakistan.

Over the past several months though, there have been half-a-dozen or so books, written mostly by Indians, that have focused on South Asia and the India-Pakistan equation. Of these, Shatrujeet Nath’s The Karachi Deception has an intriguing plot, with a nice, punchy twist at the very end. The book itself is, however, a frustratingly uneven read. More in this piece I did for last month’s The Hindu Literary Review.