Formal Invite visible here

MADRAS BOOK CLUB

cordially invites you to an online meeting

via Zoom

with Shoba Narayan

on Wednesday, July 29, 2020, at 6 p.m.

She will speak on

“My journey as writer and author”

(We’ll give you the link to the online meeting

on the morning of July 29).

      Profile of Shoba Narayan Bangalore-based Shoba Narayan is a classy writer, author and journalist. The  author of four books, she writes about travel, food, fashion, family life, wine, culture, crafts and nature, for a number of national and international publications. (These include the New York Times, Wall Street Journal,  Time, Newsweek,Atlantic, Gourmet, Travel and Leisure, Food and Wine, Hindustan Times and Mint.) She has won a James Beard Award for her food writing and a Pulitzer Fellowship. She has taught and lectured at universities. She founded and co-created a website called Project LooM, which documents the handloom traditions of India. In her own words, she is a “birdwatcher, wine-drinker and gadget geek.” Her lifelong mission “is to get fit without exercising and lose weight without dieting.” Her four books are “Monsoon diary” (which describes her own life and also contains 21 favourite food recipes);   “Katha: tell a story and sell a dream” (aimed at business leaders to help them sell their messages and dreams); “Return to India” (about the migrant’s eternal dilemma – whether to stay abroad or return);   and “The milk lady of Bangalore” (about encounters of the bovine kind, both serious and funny). All the four have been widely reviewed and acclaimed. Says she about her books,  “I write non-fiction memoirs that are rooted in India, have a touch of humor, and deal with relationships, identity and traditions.” “I also write essays, columns and opinion pieces. I travel to report on issues and events. I review hotels, gadgets and classes. I interview and profile people and places.” She is a splendid and evocative story-teller – whether she writes about the Dalai Lama, Nandan Nilekani, film-maker Shekar Dattatri, potters, weavers and art historians, a geisha dancer in Japan, Italian fashion, Chinese food, her mother or mother-in-law, family reunions on Internet.  Says a fan “She writes with humor and love on most topics and never puts herself above the character or situation. It is this empathy combined with her inherent humanism that shines through in her writing. “Shoba sees the universe in a grain of rice and is able to shed light on macro issues through a micro lens. She tackles big subjects through amusing every-day anecdotes. Her strength lies in focusing her laser-like attention on commonplace events, incidents and situations and then parting the veil so that we walk through to the other side.” She graduated in psychology at Women’s Christian College, Chennai; studied fine arts as a Foreign Fellow at Mount Holyoake College, Massachusetts; and obtained a master’s degree in journalism from Columbia University, New York. She says “Informally, I study and practice acupuncture, alternative healing, movement therapies, mindfulness, and everything linked to the mind-body connection. “I am an enthusiastic if poor dancer. I learned Bharata Natyam. I sing Indian classical Carnatic music. Have a Soundcloud account. “I watch birds, bees, butterflies and moths, usually from my balcony. I would like to retreat to a forest when I retire. “I am a feminist who likes men, drinks wine, and wears high heels or lipstick occasionally.” The daughter of a college professor, Shoba loves to teach and engage with new ideas. She has taught courses at IIM Bangalore, the Indian Institute of Science,  Bangalore and other institutions. She has lectured at Carnegie Mellon University and other US colleges. “What I currently love best is anchoring multi-media projects,’ says Shoba. “I have worked with select brands to create websites that highlight brand-values with cultural traditions such as textiles, jewellery, perfumes and crafts. Customizing content for short and long attention spans is an art and a skill.” In her talk at MBC on Wednesday, July 29, 2020, Shoba will take us through her remarkable journey as a writer and author – with her customary wit, fluency  and panache.