New releases from Penguin Random House

The Wait by Damodar Mauzo And Other Stories (From the 2022 Jnanpith Award winner)

“Damodar Mauzo’s stories present us with vivid glimpses of the richly diverse, cosmopolitan reality of contemporary Goa. In these perceptive, keenly observed stories Hindus, Catholics and Muslims all find ways to co-exist, in defiance of bigotry.”

– AMITAV GHOSH

Konkani writer Damodar Mauzo’s sometimes bizarre, sometimes tender stories, set largely in Goa, create a world far removed from the sun and sand and the holiday resorts. Here you find villagers facing moral choices, children waking up to the realities of adult lives, men who dwell on remorse, women who live a life of regret and communities whose bonds are growing tenuous in an age of religious polarization. Probing the deepest corners of the human psyche with tongue-in-cheek humour, Mauzo’s stories reveal the many threads that connect us to others and the ease with which they can be broken. Written in simple prose and yet layered in nuances, The Wait is a collection that brings to the anglophone world one of the doyens of Konkani literature.

DAMODAR MAUZO is a short story writer, novelist, critic and scriptwriter who lives in Goa and writes in Konkani. He received India’s highest literary honour, the Jnanpith Award, in 2022. He was awarded the Sahitya Akademi Award in 1983, for his novel Karmelin, and the Vimala V. Pai Vishwa Konkani Sahitya Puraskar in 2011, for his novel Tsunami Simon. His collection of short stories, Teresa’s Man and Other Stories from Goa, was nominated for the Frank O’Connor International Short Story Award in 2015. He has served as a member of the executive board, General Council, Sahitya Akademi, as well as a member of the Sahitya Akademi’s Finance Committee.

Nireeswaran (Vayalar and Kerala Sahitya Akademi winner)- From The Author Of Anti-Clock, Shortlisted For The Jcb Award 2021

“A compelling narrative of shifting faiths and displaced gods. As realities and fantasies disentangle there appears in the nether regions an un-god, Nireeswaran, with no halo. A mind-boggling work from a master novelist.”

–  M. MUKUNDAN, recipient of JCB Prize 2021

Is it possible for society to exist without religion? Nireeswaran, the most celebrated of Malayalam novelist V.J. James’ works, uses incisive humour and satire to question blind faith and give an insight into what true spirituality is.

Three atheists, Antony, Sahir, and Bhaskaran, embark on an elaborate prank to establish that God is nothing but a superstition. They instal a mutilated idol of Nireeswaran, literally anti-god, to show people how hollow their religion is. Their plan starts turning awry when miracles start being attributed to Nireeswaran-a man waking up from coma after twenty-four years, a jobless man ineligible for government employment getting a contract, a prostitute turning into a saint-leading hordes to turn up to worship the fake deity.

The trio is put in a quandary. Will they fight their own creation? Is their intractable minds an indication that atheism is a religion in itself? Belief and disbelief, it is possible, are two sides of the same coin.

V.J. James writes in Malayalam. Born and brought up in Changanacherry, Kerala, he currently resides in Thiruvananthapuram. His debut novel Purappadinte Pusthakam was awarded the DC Silver Jubilee Award (1999), Malayattoor Prize and Rotary Literary Award. Other awards include the O.V Vijayan Award and Thikkurissi Award for Anti-Clock, and the Thoppil Ravi Award, Kerala Bhasha Institute Award, Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award, Basheer Puraskaram and Vayalar Award for Nireeshwaran. The Malayalam film Munthirivallikal Thalirkkumbol starring Mohanlal and Meena is an adaptation of his short story Pranayopanishath.

Celebrate the skin you are in!

Can one make sunscreen from saffron? Can hemp oil help heal acne? How does madder root help cure hyperpigmentation?

Beauty Unbottled is a unique DIY guide on how to use herbs and plants to turn your kitchen into a beauty lab. Learn how to treat hair loss, frizz, dandruff and premature greying with powerful Ayurvedic kitchen herbs. Create your own masks, moisturizers, serums and shampoos with superfoods like neem, tulsi, jasmine and sandalwood-herbs that are revered in Ayurveda. Explore the alchemy of Ayurveda and its long-lost, forgotten beauty secrets with simple step-by-step skin and hair recipes (with vegan options) in this definitive guide and self-help book. This book will also guide you to read and understand labels, have a balanced diet for a healthy body and choose ingredients that are super effective yet gentle on you and mother earth.

Kavita Khosa, the founder of the award-winning skincare brand Purearth, brings to this book her years of experience in Ayurveda and expertise as an organic cosmetic science formulator. Beauty Unbottled debunks urban beauty myths, drawing upon scientific research and time-honoured classic Ayurvedic texts.

A book by Anita Bhogle on how women want to be treated and need to be treated at home and in the workplace.

Equal, Yet Different is exactly how women want to be treated and need to be treated at home and in the workplace. This book talks about the catalysts that are required for women to reach peak potential-conditions, people, or even mindsets at home, at work, and in the ecosystem. Anita Bhogle draws from the professional experiences and wisdom of a large number of women leaders and experts.

Talking about the motivation behind this book, author, Anita Bhogle said, ‘I believe “Equal, Yet Different” is how women would like to be and need to be treated at home and in the workplace. They are equal to men in terms of ability and ambition but different because of how they are conditioned and given the challenges they face. The book draws on the wisdom and experience of several professionals and experts and attempts to identify conditions, people, and mindsets that can prove to be catalysts for women to achieve their full potential. The millennials are lucky to have access to the experience of a fairly large pool of career women today. As a society, it is time we realise that diversity and inclusion will only make the world a better place.’

Commenting on the acquisition of both the books, Radhika Marwah, Senior Commissioning Editor, Ebury Publishing and Vintage, Penguin Random House India says, ‘Anita’s book is a landmark book for women in the workplace- a veritable combination of extensive research, illuminating interviews with women leaders, and astute observations. It has been an honour working with her and learning about the changing workplace and how you can succeed at work and in life.’

An alumnus of IIT Bombay and IIM Ahmedabad, Anita spent her early years in advertising, market research, and marketing consultancy. Then, along with her husband, sports broadcaster Harsha Bhogle, she set up Prosearch Consultants. Prosearch conducts sessions of ‘The Winning Way’-learnings from the sport for managers, a very popular speaker series for corporates. A book by the same name, co-authored by Anita and based on ‘The Winning Way’ sessions, has sold over 1,25,000 copies and is a national bestseller.