International: The Book of Gold Leaves by Mirza Waheed
In an ancient
house in the city of Srinagar, Faiz paints exquisite papier mache pencil boxes
for tourists. Evening is beginning to slip into night when he sets off for the
shrine. He looks up to see the girl with the long black hair.
Roohi has been
waiting for him. She wants a love story. And so it begins.
An age-old tale of love and conflict, within families, between worlds, The Book of Gold Leaves is a heart-breaking tale of what might have been, what could have been, if only.
An age-old tale of love and conflict, within families, between worlds, The Book of Gold Leaves is a heart-breaking tale of what might have been, what could have been, if only.
Mirza Waheed was
born and brought up in Kashmir, although he now lives in London. His debut novel, The Collaborator, was widely
praised. Arundhati Roy said: “With
flashes of brilliance, tenderness and fury, The Collaborator does what
fiction should. It makes you listen.”
Published by
Viking Books in paperback and eBook. Priced in local currencies.
Regional: Riot Recollections by Zakaria Zainal and Prabhu Silvam
On
8 December 2013 a riot broke out amongst migrant construction workers, in Little
India, Singapore - the worst outbreak of violence the City-State had
experienced in four decades. Within minutes Twitter, Facebook, and other social
media sites had gone crazy. Both mainstream and alternative media issued their
own explanations of the events that unfolded that night. Issues of class, the
treatment of migrant workers and the efficiency of the riot force, amongst
others, were brought into sharp relief. The rioters were often simply referred
to as a mob, making it is easy to forget that individuals were involved.
Riot Recollections redresses that over-simplification. The authors meet individuals who were in the
thick of events, allowing them to describe and explain the violence in their
own words. These witnesses offer a glimpse into the trauma of the riot long after the debris has been
cleared.
Published by
Ethos Books, Singapore, on Dec 6, in paperback. SGD$23.79 with GST.
To buy either book from Book Depository click here.
To buy either book from Book Depository click here.
