Backflap
What’s on the shelves this week?
Maya Sharma’s over 30 years in Indian television news coincided with the rise, and what could be considered the fall, of this relatively young industry. She was part of the very first batch of trained television journalists in India. As a senior reporter for NDTV’s Bangalore bureau, she covered elections, dramatic political developments, devastating natural disasters, as well as art and entertainment, human-interest stories and sports. As much as it is an appraisal of the history of her profession in the country, this book is also a clear-eyed evaluation of how journalism works today.
Why is my Skin Brown? by Lakshmi Iyer. Westland. Pages 120. Rs 299
A brown girl moves to India for a few months, and slowly learns to understand her skin colour, her family and what it means to belong in two different worlds. So many questions swirl in Sarayu’s mind. Why do people care so much about skin colour? Why does her Nani keep calling her kaali? And why does it hurt in a way she can't explain? The book is a warm, thoughtful chapter book about growing up between cultures, understanding identity and learning to love what makes you special.
