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theStack GETTING DEEPER INTO THE

BEATING HEART OF CAIRO
THE BOOK OF INDIAN KINGS The collection by pre-eminent Egyptian writer
By various authors; Aleph Olio; 120 pages; 399 Naguib Mahfouz was recently discovered among
his old papers, titled ‘to be published in 1994’
Sometimes, the smaller the better as this slim volume proves,
packed with essays and stories of 10 Indian kings, beginning with THE GUARDIAN NEWSPAPER has described Naguib
Ashoka and ending with Madhavrao Scindia, by some Mahfouz, the first writer in Arabic to win the Nobel
of the country’s finest writers. Noted historian Romila Prize in Literature (1988), as “A master of detailed
Thapar sets the ball rolling with The Emergence of realism and fabulous storytelling”. British historian,
Empire: Mauryan India, Abraham Eraly writes on The TV presenter and author Simon Sebag Montefiore has
First Hindu Empire (the Gupta dynasty), Kalki on Raja termed him “The Arab Tolstoy”.
Raja Chozhar, Manu Pillai on Krishnadeva Raya, Sal- Reading “The Quarter” makes you understand why.
man Rushdie on Akbar, Jadunath Sarkar on Shivaji, It’s a collection 18 unpublished stories by Mahfouz
Rajmohan Gandhi on Tipu Sultan, William Dalrymple that came to light in September 2018 when Egyptian
on Bahadur Shah Zafar, Khushwant Singh on Ranjit academic Mohamed Shoair stumbled across a hand-
Singh and Vir Sanghvi and Namita Bhandare on Mad- written manuscript of 50 stories by the author with
havrao Scindia. All of these stories have previously been published the attached label: For publishing 1994.
in various forms but what makes this volume priceless is that it Sample this about a woman named Tawhida:
distils the best of what the originals offered and presents them in a “Tawhida, you were the crown jewel (in the house
concise and easy to read form. you lived in...All praise to the One who created and
-------------------------------------------------------------------------- formed you in the loveliest
guise! Your beauty was peer-
CHANAKYA — OF SERPENTS AND KINGS less, although the vestiges of
By James Peaty; Campfire; 167 pages; 399 it that live in my imagination
are far more vivid than the
Graphic novels are playing an increasingly important ones in my actual memory...
role in connecting millennials, as also adults with Even though I was still very
only a nodding sense of history, with India’s magnifi- young, I was intoxicated by
cent past which would otherwise have been lost to her rosy complexion, her
them. Chanakya — Of Serpents and Kings — performs black hair, and the sweet tone
this task admirably as it provides a glimpse into one of her voice, which we all
of the most brilliant minds of ancient India. Philoso- tried happily to imitate”.
pher, economist, strategist and author of the political Mahfouz was born in Cairo
treatise, the Arthashastra, Chanakya was a multifac- in 1911 and began writing
eted personality — indeed India’s Machiavelli long when he was 17. A student
before there was a Machiavelli. Painstakingly illustrated in great of philosophy and an avid
detail — and in stark black and white — the book guides you in the reader, his works range from reimaginings of ancient
effort to answer the question: Is all truly fair in war? myths to subtle commentaries on contemporary
--------------------------------------------------------------------------- Egyptian politics and culture.
Over a career that lasted more than five dec-
MIND MASTER ades, he wrote 34 novels, 13 short story anthologies,
By Viswanathan Anand; Hachette India; 272 pages; 479 numerous plays and 30 screenplays. He was a writer
of incredible discipline and every day wrote for one
Few people know better than Viswanathan Anand how to tackle the hour, smoked three cigarettes and walked by the Nile.
gravest obstacles and overcome the toughest odds. From the time The year 1994 was a very difficult one for Mahfouz.
he learnt to move pieces on a chess board as a six-year-old, Vishy The publication of The Satanic Verses brought with
— as Anand is fondly known — has racked up innumerable acco- it unwanted attention from Islamic extremists, who
lades. The first World Chess Champion from Asia, he emerged onto despite police protection, succeeded in stabbing the
the world stage when chess was largely a Soviet preserve, climbed 82-year-old novelist in the neck outside his home in
the ranks to become world No. 1, bagged five world Cairo.
championship titles and won tournaments across Mahfouz survived, but the nerves in his right arm
all formats of the game. An ambassador of the sport were permanently damaged and he could no longer
like no other, his is one of the most revered names in write for more than a few minutes a day. As a result,
chess. In Mind Master, Vishy looks back at a lifetime of he dictated most of his stories.
games played, opponents tackled and circumstances For the last decade of Mahfouz’s life most of
overcome and draws from its depths significant tools his work were short narratives, such as Echo of An
that will help every reader to navigate life’s chal- Autobiography and Dreams. Mahfouz’s most famous
lenges. Anand believes that technology has positively works in English are The Cairo Trilogy, The Children of
impacted chess and has made it more accessible Gebelawi, The Thief and the Dogs and Autumn Quail.
across the globe. He died in August 2006.

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