Readerswrite
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The Readerswrite Archives are too massive to keep online. Only the most recent comments are posted here. As always, I reply to ALL comments personally as soon as I possibly can. Do remember to come back and read my response – and feel free to drop by and keep in touch anyday, anytime. If you have a comment or query pertaining to a specific post, it’s usually best to leave it at the bottom of that post itself.
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SLAYER OF KAMSA: Book 1 of The Krishna Coriolis will be out next month (October). Written in a pacier style than my Ramayana Series, this short impactful book details the rise to power of the monstrous Kamsa and his brutal campaign to thwart the birth of the prophesied 8th Child. 
July 10th, 2010 at 6:46 pm
Hi Ashokji,
I’m still warped about Vengeance with Ravana. It makes me feel all the stories I read about Ramayana was untrue. I’m waiting for Sons of Sita and I hope it explains the book in some manner. Currently, honestly, I did not understand what was going on in VoRavana even though I have read Vortal. From the point the God of Death arrived, I did not quite understand the time line or the people. For me, to imagine two people of the same person in different timezones is tough since I wonder more about their soul and how is that shifting. Am I making any sense?
But anyway, have you read Sammy! A word that broke an empire? It’s a play by Mr. Partap Sharma. It’s a fabulous play. I was lucky enough to get the opportunity to direct the play in college in Philadelphia and it was a life-changing experience. I’m sure you will love the original script.
I was wondering if you are ever planning to write plays or have attempted it before?
Also, I wanted to ask you about the movie project of Ramayana and whether the contract given to the “person” has finally expired. If so, who is taking it up next? We fans are salivating.
Thank you.
Warmly,
Aman
July 8th, 2010 at 5:40 pm
Hi Sreenath,
Glad you liked those recos. I’m in the thick of finishing a new book and as you can see, am not posting regularly here. As for new recos, well, I do read and watch a LOT, even now but as and when I have the time to recommend some more books, films or TV shows, I’ll be happy to post them on this blog…but not right now. Too busy writing.
Best
Ashok
July 8th, 2010 at 5:37 pm
Hi,
I’m not on fb (by which I guess you mean Facebook) or any social networking site. I’ve been told there are several pages on these sites by people claiming to be me. Let me clarify once again: I am not associated with those pages or persons claiming to be me on those sites at all! If you chatted with someone claiming to be ‘Ashok Banker’ on Facebook or anywhere else, it wasn’t me.
Coming to your request for an email address, I don’t give out my email address generally. You’re welcome to contact me via this site anytime though.
I’m also curious: What did this other me on fb talk to you about? I presume there must be some reason why you’re asking for the email address – which, of course, he couldn’t give out since he (or she, perhaps) wouldn’t have access to my email. At least not yet, fingers crossed.
Best
Ashok
July 8th, 2010 at 4:07 pm
Hi Ashok,
I read the “Girl with the Dragon tattoo” recently and liked it immensely. It was through one of your references on the website and others that I have started reading are P Lal, Sandford, Larsson ; the Lone wolf and cub. Now watching Heroes and Medium. Of late, I do not see any recommendations from your side . Any recos in terms of books and TV shows. I would like to look at Japanese and European authors, could you suggest me something.
Regards
Sreenath
July 8th, 2010 at 3:53 pm
Ah, there you are. You ditched me on fb. Send me a proper email address. I don’t think I ever got one.
m
July 3rd, 2010 at 5:14 pm
Anshuman,
I don’t know what it feels like to be a successful author. I’m still waiting to find out. I’ve never had the experience of having someone walk up to me out of the complete unknown and say, “Hey! I read your book!” But then again, I don’t get out much! I’ve had it happen to me online on my website a fair amount, though. And can confirm that yes, you never really adjust to it, and it always feels special. You also always keep falling, whether it’s your first or fourteenth or fortieth book, and the trick is to always get up – except that sometimes just dusting yourself doesn’t do the job because there’s heavy sludge beneath, and sometimes it’s quicksand. But get up you must, each and every time, because the next book could be the one. Yes. It is the one. The one which you get absolutely, totally the way you saw it in your mind. Almost almost-perfect.
May you have entire crowds coming roaring up to you and booming, “HEY! WE READ YOUR BOOK!”
May you never get used to it. May it always feel special.
May you not fall as often as you think you will.
And when you do fall, may you rise each and every time – each time, a wee bit higher than before.
May there never be quicksand underfoot. Maybe just a little dust on the backseat of your jeans.
And may you receive every one of the blessings I never did and am still waiting for – these wishes are for you because I never got any and because the only way I know how to correct that is to ask you now to pay it forward.
Pass on that bag of Potato Chips. Writers are like potatoes too… Only the crunchiest survive!
Much love and best wishes,
Ashok K. Banker
July 3rd, 2010 at 5:13 pm
(Group email sent to several authors including myself.)
Ladies and gentlemen,
As successful authors, you all must know how good it feels when someone out of the complete unknown walks up to you in a crowd and says, “Hey! I read you book!”
I guess you people might have adjusted to that. Maybe it doesn’t feel that special to you anymore. But I, for one, have definitely not adjusted. And I’m loving it!
Right now, I’m not asking you to buy my book and give me tips. I’m not asking for constructive criticism. I’m asking for blessings. At 15, maybe I don’t want to learn. Or maybe I want to learn on my own. Maybe I want to fall, and get up, and dust myself, and fall again. But at least the second time, I’ll know how to get up.
Waiting for your blessings,
Anshuman Mohan
June 30th, 2010 at 7:11 pm
Hi again Roshni,
That’s the same in any mature market where there are more choices than needs. My advice, don’t go into a bookstore and look. Use the internet to track down books, authors, excerpts, reviews, and form an idea of which books are worth checking out, pre-ordering, ordering, etc. I mainly use the internet for this purpose and find it hugely useful. Almost all the books I want to read are unavailable in local bookstores. I special-order every book online, over 500 a year. You’ll be surprised that many can be ordered at the same price as they would cost at any bookstore these days. Reading is as much an art as writing and requires study and time. It’s no different from walking into a DVD library – that’s my other passion, watching movies and recorded TV shows (I never watch live television because of the ads and because it’s a ‘force’ feed, just like bookstores, where you’re forced to buy or read or watch they choose to sell you, not what you want to consume) and I research movies and TV shows as thoroughly before watching.
Can I be honest with you again? I’m against literary events of any kind. You’re talking to an author who hasn’t had a book launch, event or reading of his own books in over five years and only three such events in his entire career of 19 years and 21 published books!
>blockquote>I can mail you the presentation and event proposal, i.e if I can get your email id. Thank you, but again, no thank you.
Again, all the best. Read on!
Ashok
June 30th, 2010 at 7:01 pm
Hi Ashok,(not shirley!)
Really nice of you to reply to my persistence. I really don’t know Ayush, but I am really surprised how you came to know I am an ex-xavierite.
Reason for my statement saying that literature is diminishing is, I’ve been a book worm all my life and loved reading books probably since I opened my eyes. There were days when you walk into a bookstore and you’d know which counter to walk straight up to. Nowadays, it’s like a lost jungle. So many unheard books, many over publicized, you end up walking out of the store confused.
With regard to the event I mentioned, I realize my persistence isn’t going to change your mind, yet I would be more than happy if I could get your advice and input on the planning of the event.
I can mail you the presentation and event proposal, i.e if I can get your email id.
Regards to Ayush,
Cheers,
Roshni
June 30th, 2010 at 6:47 pm
Hi Roshni,
Yes, of course, please call me Ashok. Unless you prefer Shirley, although I may not answer to it! Lol. I think you’re an ex-Xavierite. Are you? I am too. As is my son Ayush Banker – he was in charge of Security at last year’s Malhar, just passed out this year.
Well, if you don’t mind my saying so, that’s the third mentoring event I’ve been invited to this year alone (and declined to attend). I’ll be very honest here. I’ve dropped in at a few such events over the years (as an audience member, anonymously) and in my opinion, they do no good at all. Most do no harm either, so that’s fine. But they really aren’t useful at all. Writing, like any artistic pursuit (or an artistic-commercial pursuit if you prefer) is a very individual thing – there are no generalizations that benefit all, and each one has to find his or her or own way forward. I don’t know any other way except to read and write and avoid social events and television, and that’s all I would advise. The rest comes from years of reading and writing and staying apart.
That’s another thing I find puzzling. We live in what I would call the golden age of literature. There are more people reading books now than ever before in the history of humankind. For that matter, there are more ‘common’ people (like ourselves reading, as against the priests and pundits and kings, queens, aristocrats of earlier ages. More books are being published, more avenues of expression, more forms and sub-genres of literature…never before has there been such an explosion of talent, such freedom and such profusion of literature. To give you an example: Sales of books to young readers are more in a single year than the total number of books sold in a century a couple of hundred years ago.
So I don’t quite follow what’s “slipping away” or what “awakening” is needed. If anything I think personally we need to dial it down a bit, write less, publish less, read a little less and most of all, spend less time online and “talk” less. Live more, read more – there are enough good books already out there to last us all several hundred generations.
Most of all, we need to stop promoting books and literature and let people find them on their own.
These, of course, are my opinions and not necessarily the last word!
Thank you again for thinking of me. But I’m afraid I must decline again. Besides, in my opinion nobody should be a mentor. The world would be a far better place if every one of us thought of ourselves as students and beginners. There’s always more to be learned. I haven’t even begun yet.
Be well.
Best wishes
Ashok
June 30th, 2010 at 6:37 pm
Hi Mitul,
Yes, I do know what you mean! The books.
My answer, to quote the gladiator: “Not yet. Not yet.”
Ashok
June 30th, 2010 at 6:13 pm
Hi Ashok – Hope you are well.
You probably know what I’m going to ask you, but just thought I’d give you a gentle reminder!
.
Kind Regards
Mitul.
June 30th, 2010 at 4:48 pm
Hi Ashok,(if I may say so!)
Nice to get a reply from you. Little disheartened that you declined, but just for the record, the event is all about getting established writers to mentor aspiring ones and help them find their way. It isn’t a workshop of any sort, or neither a seminar. As I said earlier, its unique in it’s own special way.
In today’s world a part of literature is slowly slipping away and if by your presence an awakening can begin then it would be great. A lot of writer’s struggle today in making themselves established. All they need is a little guidance from the other side of the field!
Do let me know if you change your mind,
Regards,
Roshni Donny
[Number deleted for privacy]
June 30th, 2010 at 1:57 pm
Hi Roshni,
Please call me Ashok. Nice to hear from you. Yes, I am difficult to contact as my cell number is not commonly known, I’m not in touch with the media and am not on any social circuits, online or otherwise – all by choice, of course!
Thank you for thinking of me for the event. I’ve never participated in any writing events, seminars, workshops, festivals, etc before and am not very open to them generally. I’m one of those writers who loves writing, period. I’m not much for social events of any kind.
So if you’ll excuse me, I’ll decline politely.
Again, thanks for thinking of me and all good wishes to you.
Ashok
June 30th, 2010 at 1:38 pm
Hi Mr. Banker,
To get in touch with you is a real task. Hope you are doing well? My company Tangent Entertainment is doing a very unique and creative Writer’s event and would like to talk to you with regard to the event. I am leaving my number along with this mail. It would be a real honor to get you on board.
Regards,
Roshni Donny
Project Head
[number deleted for privacy]
Tangent Entertainment
June 30th, 2010 at 10:42 am
Hi again Ashok (Rao),
I always do. That’s why I’m online.
Oh, so am I! Sadly, there aren’t many good ones, and almost no great ones. But Vikram Chandra is a personal favourite – particularly his collection of novellas and Sacred Games.
Vertigo is very much in print and available from Penguin Books in Indian bookstores and Indian online stores, some of which may even deliver internationally. Byculla Boy is out of print and not my best work – it was hacked to one-third its length and badly edited. I’ve been working on restoring/rewriting it to try to reach my original vision for the past 20 years, it will take a few more years to finish, but I will finish.
Thank you!
True, survivors we are. My father and mother split up with three months of meeting each other (and a month of marriage). I was merely conceived in that short marital period, we never actually lived together as a family. So I grew up in my maternal grandparents house. My grandmother was Dutch-Scots-Irish but brought up in Sri Lanka, then lived in Chennai, while my grandfather was Goan Roman Catholic. My mother converted to Islam to divorce my biological father (whom I never lived with). She later married at Sindhi who was an immigrant from Karachi, Pakistan and could only read and write Urdu, not Hindi. Both marriages were bitter and the acrimony and violence continued long after the marriages were over. I spent much of my childhood in the houses of friends – Jewish, Parsis, Iranians and Pakistanis.
So in a sense I never had a home life at all. And was never inducted into any religion. I was so weak at Hindi, I took French until college because it came easier. Hinduism in particular was the one religion I never really knew much about until much later in life. Ironic, isn’t it?
June 30th, 2010 at 10:27 am
Hi Sunil,
That would be last September-October or thereabouts. Yes, the plans is still on, but books take a long time to prepare and produce. In this case, AKB Books is mainly a one-man show with me overlooking everything and individual freelancers doing the cover designs, illustrations, typesetting, editing, proofing etc, so it takes a longer time than commercial publishers. Also, I’m giving priority to the new upcoming books as most readers are keen on them, and very few are interested in the reprints.
So right now all I can say is, yes, the Ramayana Series will be reissued in full under the AKB Books imprint but it will take a while longer. If you want to know when exactly, I can’t tell you. It will probably be sometime in mid-2011, I think, possibly the end of 2011.
Best
Ashok
June 30th, 2010 at 7:09 am
Hi AKB,
Hey thanks for taking the time to respond to my post.
Forgot to mention, I am a big fan of books/novels about Bombay, and also of crime and espionage books – both in fiction and non.
So I’ll be picking up your books one by one as I can find them, including of course Vertigo and Byculla Boy. Looks like some might be kind of hard to find these days, but I like collecting those kinds of books.
Wishing you success in all your future writing, movie and other endeavours.
Ashok
P.S: I am also the product of an inter-faith love marriage. Dad was a Hindu, and mum is a Roman Catholic. Home life was not quite like the Cosby Show. The thing about Bombbay is that it produces survivors.
June 30th, 2010 at 2:04 am
Hi Ashok,
I am not sure if you still remember me but i am also one of your readers who is completely awed by your writing and the manner in which you describe your characters…
way back when you were offering book 7 & 8 for pre-order you had mentioned about your plan of coming out with all the earlier 6 books in the Rama series under the AKB books print.. is that plan still on and any updates on the same…
thanks,
sunild
June 29th, 2010 at 4:41 pm
Hi Ashok (Rao),
Nice to hear from you, especially since you haven’t read any of my books but still took the time and effort to comment. I really do appreciate that, and the support. It’s been really hard sticking to my guns on the Davidar issue, especially with the venom being spewed at me. It’s amazing what the rich and powerful can get away with – especially with their sycophants also in high places.
I was born in 1964, and from your comment, I guess you must be 1969 or 1970 born. Same decade, more or less!
Thank you for the kind comments on the personal essay too – I appreciate the support, again, and perhaps you can see why I feel so strongly about sex offenders in particular.
Thanks, and all the best to you as well.
Ashok
June 29th, 2010 at 2:47 pm
Hi Ashok,
No joke – my name is also Ashok, and I too was born & raised in Bombay, and many of the places/buildings you mention are quite familiar.
I think w’re around the same age range too – I finished my 12th standard in 1987.
I haven’t read any of your books – I left for the US after high school and would only come back a couple of times a year – though off and on I would hear of your name in the context of a book or article.
Anyway, am based in Canada, and so of course aware of the Davidar thing, and have to commend you for sticking to your guns and standing up to the pressure, co-opted media (“Great Wurlitzer”) and the HCPE (higher circle policy elites) – no different really than the US or anywhere else.
But the reason I am writing this is on another essay of yours – that about the story of your mother’s life. It was very moving. I look forward to seeing the documentary.
Looks like it’s been a long hard road, dost, but good on you for staying true to yourself.
June 26th, 2010 at 6:01 pm
Dear Anindya,
I had replied to your comments within ten minutes. My reply is immediately before this one. Because you had mistakenly left your reply on the How To Pay page and since it was not related to matters of payment for AKB Books, it was moved to this Readerswrite Page. Thereafter, you have been leaving the same comment on other pages of this blog – there’s no need to do so. Your comment and my reply are right here, please read them carefully before asking the same questions again.
Thanks again for your interest in my work and wish I could have been of more help but I have a very strict policy with regard to the media. My answer is almost always no.
Best wishes
Ashok
June 26th, 2010 at 1:57 pm
Dear Anindiya,
Thank you for your comment and communication. I appreciate the support. However, I am not in touch with either V.K. Karthika or Nilanjana S. Roy directly. I can tell you that Karthika works for HarperCollins India and can be contacted via their office in New Delhi. I don’t know where Nilanjana Roy works but she has a blog as ‘Akhond of Swat’ and you can surely contact her by leaving a comment there. Apart from their comments on this blog, I have no other communication with them and feel it would not be right of me to pass on the email IDs they’ve left while commenting here without their permission.
I should also clarify that I have no wish to be quoted anywhere in the media in any connection, whether with regard to the David Davidar sexual harassment case or anything else. The views expressed on this blog are entirely my own personal viewpoint and not intended for publication or use in any other context. Kindly do not quote directly from my blog posts here as that would be an infringement of my copyright. You are free to voice your own opinion, of course, or even to mention that you have read this blog and describe in your own words what you feel I am saying here, but you will have to do so without quoting my words and putting them into the context of your article.
Your intention to write a balanced piece is laudable and by all means do go ahead with it. But you will have to do without my cooperation or help. I only write these blog posts to voice my opinion in my own space, I am not interested in occupying space on any public website or publication. These are merely my personal views and meant to be read within the context of these posts, not quoted elsewhere.
Thanks again for your interest, and all the best with your article.
Best
Ashok
June 26th, 2010 at 1:49 pm
Dear Mr Banker,
Mr name is Mr Anindya Rai Verman and I have been following your blogs on David Davidar for sometime. Your views on David do not surprise me, as being from the media myself and actually having worked (still working) in several media organisations myself, I have come across female colleagues complaining (unofficially mostly, and then the word spreading, but on one occasion officially) of male bosses taking liberties with them — flirting, touching etc. Hence, I can pretty well imagine David having a wonderful time all this while, till being “caught”.
I am a journalist (Assistant Editor) working with the Indo-Asian News Service (IANS), India’s biggest and best news agency, and though most of the media stories that have thus far appeared in the papers have been heavily loaded in favour of David, I am trying to do a BALANCED STORY the focus of which will be this: Specifically contact some former female employees of Penguin-India who have worked with David and ask them their opinion of David (for the sake of journalistic credibility, I need direct quotes and on record).
The reason I am telling you all this is that I DO NEED YOUR HELP IN THIS EXERCISE. I have already read Karthika V.K. and Nilanjana S. Roy’s views on the matter in your blog, but like I said, I need their direct quotes for the sake of journalistic credibility (I have to answer to my Editor, and would be asked if I have actually talked with them, that’s why).
The way you could help me in developing a BALANCED STORY is this: Could you provide me the E-mail IDS AND latest MOBILE /telephone numbers of not only Karthika and Nilanjana (who will obviously praise David as being a ‘Gentleman’), but also of a few (at least two) other former female employees of Penguin-India ON THE OPPOSITE CAMP who have worked with David and WOULD JUST PERHAPS BE WILLING TO SAY ON RECORD (now that they are no long with Penguin and David is a discredited man), THAT YES, DAVIDAR IS A SICK MAN, OR SOMETHING TO THAT EFFECT. That will BALANCE OUT my story, and I can always tell them that for the purpose of journalistic endeavour, I got their contact numbers from you.
I need to also inform you that I would be using passages from your blog of your views and what you saw about Davidar.
Mr Banker, since we have a deadline to meet, it would be extremely kind of you if you could get back fast with the E-MAIL IDs and Mobile numbers/ landline numbers of Karthika V.K, Nilanajana S. Roy and AT LEAST two others ON THE OPPOSITE CAMP (former female Penguin-India employees having worked with David) WHO MIGHT BE WILLIING TO SPEAK ON RECORD now that they are no long with Penguin and David is a discredited man.
Could you also provide your E-MAIL ID AND LATEST MOBILE NUMBER, as the ‘Contact’ link in your blog is disabled and not functioning.
Thanks and regards,
Mr Anindya Rai Verman
Assistant Editor,
Indo-Asian News Service (IANS – http://www.ians.in),
New Delhi,
June 26, 2010
Mobile: 9311534709
June 25th, 2010 at 12:41 pm
Hi Vineet,
Great to hear from you again! Congrats on your ‘return’. All the best with all you do.
Yes, Mba came close to being cancelled permanently until I decided to gift it to readers, regardless of any earnings for me. That’s what I’ll be doing now, so you will get a chance to read it, not to worry!
Keep in touch – and do fill in the Request Form to be ensure your copy as they’re limited.
Ashok