Dear Friends,

Happy Indian Independence Day!

Many of you have asked me for a Reading List suited to this occasion--so here is a short but powerful list with some books that really touched me.

1. Khushwant Singh, Train to Pakistan (novel)

2. Salman Rushdie, Midnight's Children (novel)

3. Ramachandra Guha, India after Gandhi (nonfiction)

Of course, I hope you will also read my novel, Independence, about the freedom struggle as seen through the eyes of three sisters in 1940s Bengal. (Now available in paperback in USA and India. There is also a beautiful Hindi translation, titled Azaadi. Please share it with people in your life who like reading in Hindi. An audiobook is also out now.)

Two excellent events that I'm involved in are coming up in the Houston area very soon. Please come, support & enjoy.

First, an exciting collaboration with other artistes--a dancer, a singer, a harpist, a writer. (See their names below). I will be reading a passage from my novel Independence, interpreted through dance, music and vocals. On Saturday Aug 24, 2-4 pm. FREE event, but you should register here: https://www.fortbend.lib.tx.us/event/wandering-words-exploration-stories-through-music-art-movement-moved-july-27

Second: Jaipur Lit Fest is coming to Houston, Sept 6-8.

My event, along with author Alka Joshi (The Henna Artist) is on Sat Sept 7, 11 a.m., at Asia Society Texas. At 12 noon, same day, same venue, I'll be in conversation with Shashi Tharoor. Please come, support and enjoy!

Details of the entire exciting program, all the speakers, and ticket info are here: https://jlflitfest.org/houston

Finally, I express my sorrow and anger at the brutal rape/murder of Dr. Moumita Debnath on August 9, at R.G.Kar Medical College in Kolkata. I stand in solidarity with those who are seeking justice for her and safety for women all across India.

Without safety, justice and freedom for women, how can a nation be truly independent? Please join us and make your voices heard.

Thank you for your support of my work.

Thank you for all your kind emails and messages. I appreciate each one of them. Please excuse me for being unable to respond personally.

warmly,

Chitra

Happy Women's Month! I hope you are celebrating March with some of the special women in your life and reading books that spotlight women. (All of mine qualify!)

My novel, Independence, is now available in both India and USA in paperback. It's always exciting to hold a new edition of a book in my hands. The hardcover of Independence is currently on sale in USA for a very low price (43% off) on Amazon--that's cheaper than the paperback.

Some more news: I have learned to make Instagram reels. That's a big accomplishment for me because I am NOT tech-savvy. A couple of the reels have gone viral, with around 100,000 views -- a pleasant surprise. I'm going to be putting up some special posts during March. Check them out: my Instagram handle is divakarunichitra. Suggestions for future posts are very welcome.

I returned from my India Book Tour of An Uncommon Love, the biography of Sudha and Narayana Murthy, in mid-February.

It was hectic, but I was thankful because the book was very positively received. I did events in Delhi, Chennai (Hindu Lit for Life Festival), Jaipur (Jaipur Lit Fest) and Bangalore, with huge audiences everywhere. Below, Sudha Murty and I are enjoying a quiet moment in the Author's Tent at Jaipur Lit Fest.

And here is a photo of part of the crowd that came to listen to us in spite of the pouring rain.

In Bangalore, I did a launch with both the Murthys. Their children, Rohan and Akshata (yes, Rishi Sunak's wife), were there, too. The auditorium at St. Joseph's College, where the event took place, was packed. I also signed a lot of books.

Throughout my trip, I met many schoolchildren and college students, which I really enjoy. The children in the photo below had come from a school in Varanasi to enjoy the Jaipur Lit Fest. For many of them, it was the longest and most exciting trip they had ever taken.

I'm happy to let you know that, in addition to being available in India, An Uncommon Love is now available in the US through Amazon in both hardcover and Kindle-format. Here's the link.

Finally: Thank you to the thousands of readers who came to all my events. (Let me know if you were there). As always, I remain most appreciative of your support of my books.

Blog: Amazing Things