Monideepa Sahu meets up with
Shreekumar Varma, whose latest
novel, Maria’s Room, was long
listed for the inaugural Man Asian
Literary Prize

You are a descendent of the great
Raja Ravi Varma. How has it affected your growth as a literary artist?
I’d want to be known as a good writer,
a story-teller. Descending from greatness puts you on a platform. If you don’t perform, you’re left with the shadow of achievement. But there’s an aura of art in the family that I believe has reached me as well.

When and how did you start writing?
I started writing very early. My first
short story was published while I was
in high school. But my first book for
children, Pazhassi Raja: The Royal Rebel, was published in 1997. Pazhassi Raja was the very first freedom fighter.

How did you deal with adverse
criticism initially?
The first review was the worst.
Baseless criticism tends to floor you,
till you realise that the calibre of the
critic comes through in his review.
You either accept or discard them.

Where do you find inspiration?
I tend to subconsciously store details,
of people, places, lives, colour and
smell. There are many in-house stories
in my family!

How did the ideas for Maria’s
Room come to you?
We stopped for a few days in Goa.
There was a storm and there was
this silent couple in our car. It was a
different Goa out there. And the idea
was born, upstaging another book
I was trying to write at that time.

Maria’s Room,
Harper Collins, Rs 299

Devil in Pinstripes,
Ravi Subramanian, Rupa, Rs 195

Straight out of IIM-B, Amit Sharma is recruited by the New York International Bank. Amit is married to
Chanda, also working in the same bank The book is written in past-present-
past fashion where a certain event in a character’s life forces him to think back certain events that lead to the current event. The story is about corporate fraud, corporate in-house power struggles, the dirty world of
office politics and the back stabbing that goes on. The story leaves you fulfilled and satisfied at the end.

Mission Moon,
SK Das, Penguin Books,
Rs 175

One gaze at the night sky and you’re left awestruck by the mystical charm of the moon with countless twinkling stars as the backdrop. SK Das’s book is
sure to capture the imagination of young and old alike, as it demystifies the moon for the readers. Right from the very basics of the moon to ISRO’s Chandrayaan-I Mission, nothing concerning the moon has been left untouched by the author. Aimed at young scientists, lucid writing makes this book a must read for people of all ages.

Connected,
Nicholas Christakis & James Fowler,
Harper Press, Rs 499

Through our friends, and their friends and acquaintances, we amass a rather large collection of people who can
have very strong effect on our lives - including influencing our body weight and lifestyle. The explanations are fascinating. Read this book for: (a) to learn more about the absorbing research that scientists are conducting
about social interaction, and (b) to learn how significant our actions are in influencing others.

He Swam with Sharks for
an Ice-cream,
Dhaval Bhatia, Jaico Book, Rs 195

It revolves around the life of two young executives - Dave and Abhi. Like typical employees in their late
twenties, both Dave and Abhi are disillusioned with corporate life. However, an unexpected mail from their boss promises to send them on a journey that will transform their lives forever. Dave and Abhi meet a retired billionaire who shares with them the ten secrets of how he created a billion-dollar corporate enterprise.