New Releases by Stephen Alter

The Fragrance of Rain is a vivid portrait of India's most distinct season--the monsoon. From the first crack of thunder in the salt-heavy air of Kerala, to raging storms over Mussoorie and the rain-drenched forests of Goa, award-winning author Stephen Alter follows the great weather system that has steered traders across oceans, carved river valleys, fuelled entire ecosystems, inspired generations of poets, and unsettled empires. Along the way, we meet perfumers in Kannauj who bottle the scent of rain, Nilgiri tahr grazing in cloud gardens, herpetologists tracking glowing fungi and elusive caecilians, fishermen watching the sky for warnings, and artists, musicians, and writers who have given the monsoon its enduring metaphors.

SHORTLISTED FOR THE DSC SOUTH ASIAN LITERATURE AWARD IN 2017. HE WAS WRITER-IN-RESIDENCE AT MIT FOR TEN YEARS, BEFORE WHICH HE DIRECTED THE WRITING PROGRAMME AT THE AMERICAN UNIVERSITY IN CAIRO. HE IS FOUNDING DIRECTOR OF THE MUSSOORIE MOUNTAIN FESTIVAL. स्टीफन ऑल्टर यांनी फिक्शन आणि नॉन-फिक्शन मिळून वीस पुस्तकं लिहिली आहेत. त्यांचा जन्म उत्तराखंडमध्ये मसूरी इथे झाला. ते जिथे राहतात आणि काम करतात त्या हिमालयाला केंद्रस्थानी ठेवून त्यांनी बरंचसं लिखाण केलेलं आहे. त्यांना मिळालेल्या मानसन्मानात गुगेनहाईम शिष्यवृत्ती आणि फुलब्राइट पुरस्काराचा समावेश आहे. ‘बिकमिंग अ माउंटन : हिमालयन जर्नीज इन सर्च ऑफ द सेक्रेड अ‍ॅन्ड द सब्लाइम’ या त्यांच्या नुकत्याच प्रसिद्ध झालेल्या आठवणीसंग्रहाला २०१५ सालचा हिमालय साहित्याचा केकू नवरोजी पुरस्कार मिळाला आहे. ‘इन द जंगल्स ऑफ द नाइट : अ नॉव्हेल अबाउट जिम कॉर्बेट’ या त्यांच्या अगदी अलीकडच्या काल्पनिक साहित्यकृतीला २०१७ साली डीएससी दक्षिण आशियाई साहित्य पुरस्कारासाठी नामांकन मिळालं होतं. एमआयटी इथे ते दहा वर्षं निवासी लेखक म्हणून कार्यरत होते. त्यापूर्वी त्यांनी कैरोच्या अमेरिकन विद्यापीठात लेखनविषयक अभ्यासक्रमाची धुरा सांभाळली. मसूरी माउंटन फेस्टिवलचे ते संस्थापक - संचालक आहेत.

A sweeping international thriller that explores the geopolitical faultlines of South Asia. Colonel Imtiaz Afridi, India's legendary spymaster, has zeroed in on a new threat emanating from the borderlands over which he keeps watch from his surveillance center in the Himalayan foothills. An elusive warlord—faceless, nameless, and known only by his nom de guerre Guldaar, meaning "leopard" in Urdu—has built an illicit empire throughout the lands that Alexander the Great once conquered, based on extortion, money laundering, corruption, and murder. His reach extends across national boundaries, and with support from elements in the CIA and Pakistan's ISI, he plays tribal factions and sovereign nations off each other and threatens to destabilize the entire, nuclear-armed region. Seizing on Guldaar's one vulnerability, his ex-lover living with their son under CIA control in the United States, Afridi calls on agent Annapurna "Anna" Tagore to spring her loose and return her to India, where he needs her help to lay a trap. Meanwhile, when an American journalist reporting from Pakistan comes too close to the inner workings of Guldaar's empire, he is kidnapped by the Taliban and traded to the warlord as a hostage. As Afridi closes in, the American will become a critical bargaining chip in Guldaar's ruthless battle for survival. Skyhorse Publishing, as well as our Arcade, Yucca, and Good Books imprints, are proud to publish a broad range of books for readers interested in fiction—novels, novellas, political and medical thrillers, comedy, satire, historical fiction, romance, erotic and love stories, mystery, classic literature, folklore and mythology, literary classics including Shakespeare, Dumas, Wilde, Cather, and much more. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are committed to books on subjects that are sometimes overlooked and to authors whose work might not otherwise find a home.

Hailed as a "wondrous book" by Gretel Ehrlich, and winner of the Kekoo Naoroji Book Award for Himalayan Literature—a journey of healing that becomes a pilgrimage for the soul. Stephen Alter was raised by American missionary parents in the hill station of Mussoorie, in the foothills of the Himalayas, where he and his wife, Ameeta, now live. Their idyllic existence was brutally interrupted when four armed intruders invaded their house and viciously attacked them, leaving them for dead. The violent assault and the trauma of almost dying left him questioning assumptions he had lived by since childhood. For the first time, he encountered the face of evil and the terror of the unknown. He felt like a foreigner in the land of his birth. This book is his account of a series of treks he took in the high Himalayas following his convalescence—to Bandar Punch (the monkey’s tail), Nanda Devi, the second highest mountain in India, and Mt. Kailash in Tibet. He set himself this goal to prove that he had healed mentally as well as physically and to re-knit his connection to his homeland. Undertaken out of sorrow, the treks become a moving soul journey, a way to rediscover mountains in his inner landscape. Weaving together observations of the natural world, Himalayan history, folklore and mythology, as well as encounters with other pilgrims along the way, Stephen Alter has given us a moving meditation on the solace of high places, and on the hidden meanings and enduring mystery of mountains.

GOING FOR TAKEThe Making of Omkara and Other Encounters in Bollywood 'Silence, please! ... Going for Take! ... Sound! ... Camera! ... Action!' Movies are stories: they tell them, they make them, sometimes they are the story. In setting Shakespeare's tragic tale of Othello in the gangster-infested badlands of western UP, Vishal Bhardwaj created a cult classic. With unforgettable dialogue, stunning imagery and chartbusting music, Omkara made waves both critically and commercially. The story behind the making of the film is as exciting as the movie itself. Going for Take is that story. It takes readers behind the camera and follows the making of Omkara from the initial brainstorming sessions to scriptwriting, music composition, pre-production, casting, shooting, editing and release. Full of interesting nuggets, like its producer Kumar Mangat's film-like rags-to-riches story, and Vivek Oberoi and Kareena Kapoor negotiating the words of 'I just called to say I love you', this book is also an insight into the mind of one of modern cinemas most accomplished artists, Vishal Bhardwaj, who has repurposed the idiom of Hindi cinema to create a unique, dynamic vision of visual storytelling. His Shakespeare trilogy, of which Omkara is the second, was and remains a new frontier in Indian cinematic language. Originally published as Fantasies of a Bollywood Love Thief, this updated edition includes a new introduction, where the author talks about Vishal Bhardwaj's latest film Haidar, based on Hamlet, which completes his Shakespeare trilogy. Going for Take is essential reading for movie buffs.

A spooky story about three friends, a librarian, and mysterious ghosts

When two modern-day kids discover a grotesque secret in an abandoned mailbox, they have no idea they are about to be drawn into a mystery that began on the other side of the world. Through the help of an English genie and a phantom postman, the two children begin to communicate with another boy, a young calligrapher's apprentice who lived 125 years ago in an Indian village. Writing back and forth, across continents and centuries, the three children eventually realize the possibility of changing history by delivering three letters that were never received. If they can make sure these lost letters reach those for whom they were intended, love may be restored, the life of a kidnapped child could be saved, and a secret agent might be able to prevent a pointless war.

The Friendship Between Renuka, A Bengali Poet, And Rachel, An American Missionary, Lies At The Heart Of This Novel. Two Women From Entirely Different Backgrounds, They Share A Bond That Overcomes The Barriers Of Nationality, Race And Religion. Both Are Exiled To A Hill Station, Which Is Populated With Provincial And Prudish Memsahibs, Who Adjust Their Recipes To Compensate For The Altitude And Substitute Ingredients From Home. While Rachel S Husband Works At A Psychiatric Hospital In The Plains, In Ranchi, She Looks After Their Sons Who Attend A Mission School In The Hills. While Editing A Cookbook, Rachel Begins To Realize The Contradictions Within Her Community. She Also Discovers The Seductive Voice Of Renuka S Poetry& Renuka, Stephen Alter S Fourth Novel, Builds To A Startling Climax, While Uncovering Hidden Truths About Love, Sexuality And Passion. In Renuka, Alter Has Drawn A Remarkable Portrait Of A Totally Credible Woman& He Captures Exactly The Love-Hate Attitudes Of Westerners Who Spend Time In The Subcontinent&A Rare Achievement To Use A Simple Framework So Effectively Sarah Curtis, Times Literary Supplement Renuka Is A Most Accomplished, Utterly Convincing Study Of Two Women Of Different Backgrounds And Contrasting Temperaments&The Book Rises To A Moving Climax, Followed By An Adagio Of Lingering Sadness Like The Aftermath Of A Disturbing Dream &By Far [Alter S] Best John Mellors Books By Stephen Alter Renuka Neglected Lives Amritsar To Lahore: Crossing The Border Between India And Pakistan All The Way To Heaven: An American Boyhood In The Himalayas Sacred Waters: A Pilgrimage To The Many Sources Of The Ganga Elephas Maximus: A Portrait Of The Indian Elephant Fantasies Of A Bollywood Love Thief: Inside The World Of Indian Moviemaking The Penguin Book Of Modern Indian Short Stories (Co-Edited) Hill Stations Are Not As Sleepy And Tranquil As They Might Seem& You Will Discover Forbidden Love And Intrigue In The Most Unlikely Places. Kipling S Mrs Hawksbee And Her Simla Crowd Would Have Approved! Ruskin Bond

Lionel Arrives In Debrakot On Horseback, Escaping A Reckless Love Affair In Lucknow. Brigadier And Mrs Augden Take Him Into Their Home. The Picturesque Surroundings Help Lionel Find A Measure Of Peace, Though He Finds Himself Trapped Within An Isolated, Aging Anglo-Indian Community Who Struggle With Ghosts Of The British Raj. He Discovers Troubling Secrets Of Personal History, Questions That Arise From A Legacy Of Mixed Parentage, And Encounters Disturbing And Fascinating Characters Like Farleigh, An Eccentric Recluse Who Raises Leeches, And Salim, The Overweight Heir To A Decrepit Hotel& Stephen Alter S Debut Novel, Neglected Lives, Was First Published In 1978. It Remains An Elegiac Work Of Fiction That Leads Us Into A Part Of India That Is Seldom Visited. Told Through The Voices Of Different Characters, This Story Explores Themes Of Identity, Love And Youth, Weaving Together Moments Of Violence And Tenderness To Create A Resilient Fabric Of Human Experience. Neglected Lives Is A Short Novel Of Unusual And Exquisite Quality&Mr Alter Has A Rare Narrative Zest, A Surging Feeling For The Physical World, A Strongly Individual Grasp Of Character, And An Agreeable Bite Of Wit The New Yorker Paul Scott&Ruth Jhabvala&M.M. Kay&Stephen Alter Is By No Means Out Of Place In This Company Daily Telegraph (London) Books By Stephen Alter Renuka Neglected Lives Amritsar To Lahore: Crossing The Border Between India And Pakistan All The Way To Heaven: An American Boyhood In The Himalayas Sacred Waters: A Pilgrimage To The Many Sources Of The Ganga Elephas Maximus: A Portrait Of The Indian Elephant Fantasies Of A Bollywood Love Thief: Inside The World Of Indian Moviemaking The Penguin Book Of Modern Indian Short Stories (Co-Edited) Neglected Lives Depicts A Hill Station And Its Residents On The Decline, Reminding One Of Paul Scott S Staying On Ruskin Bond

A tale of a hunter and a courtesan: The brave, noble Vanu, huntsman of the forest and the beautiful, graceful Aranyani, child of the mountains. Theirs is a love that reverberates through time, a story that remains as eternal as the waters of the Ganga.In their escape from Chromius, the callous Greek Yavana, and the proud Prince Harisena, and in their search for Kashmir, the land of a thousand blossoms, the lovers encounter a place and its people that are vibrant in the sheer diversity of language, landscape and religious beliefs. This was a time of transition and change, of journeys and wanderings, of mysticism and spirituality. Set in an age of lush colours and exotic fragrances, strange myths and noble honour, the world of Aranyani and Vanu is ancient India.

Interwoven through the themes of love and loss, these stories heighten a sense of nostalgia for the past, for home, for people and places never seen again. They tell of characters struggling to find their roots in a world that offers no more than the next destination. Of loves that remain secret, that fail. Of desires that linger unfulfilled. These are contemporary stories; dealing with an age where the personal and the political have never been closer, where urban relationships are continually reinvented, where family bonds become more vital even in their diminishing importance. They are also funny stories; of friendships and the quirks of love, even a dismembered ghost and the power of small-town gossip. With delicate strokes and the intricate interweaving of an aripan, Aripan and Other Stories paints a picture of a world that will delight you and move you.

Vivid Portrait Of An Animal That Has Captured The Imagination Of Humans For Millennia Elephas Maximus, The Majestic Asian Elephant, Is Still Revered In Indian Religion And Culture. Yet, Unabated Ivory Poaching Conjures Up Fears Of A Future When Tuskless Males May Be All That Survive And Conservationists Are Fighting To Preserve Its Endangered Habitat As Settlements Expand. Fascinated By This Regal Animal And Its Unique Relationship With Humankind, Stephen Alter Travelled Extensively Across India To Explore Its Natural Home, And Its Place In History And Myth. Alter'S Search Takes Him From National Parks Where He Observes Elephants In The Wild To The Annual Sonepur Mela Where They Are Bought And Sold, To Kota Where They Once Played A Unique Role In Royal Festivals. He Charts The Elephant In Art, Religion, Folklore And The Everyday World Of India, Bringing To Life The Complex Past And Troubled Present Of This Majestic Creature While Offering Hope For Its Future.

Twenty classic short stories from master writers across the country This superb collection contains some of the best Indian short stories written in the last fifty years, both in English and in the regional languages. Some of these stories – ‘We Have Arrived in Amritsar’ by Bhisham Sahni, ‘Companions’ by Raja Rao, ‘The Sky and the Cat’ by U.R. Anantha Murthy, ‘A Devoted Son’ by Anita Desai – have been widely anthologized and are well known. Others, like Premendra Mitra’s ‘The Discovery of Telenapota’, Gangadhar Gadgil’s ‘The Dog that Ran in Circles’, Mowni’s ‘A Loss of Identity’, O.V. Vijayan’s ‘The Wart’ and Devanuru Mahadeva’s ‘Amasa’, are less familiar to readers but are nevertheless classics of the art of the short story. This new and revised edition includes three additional classics: R.K. Narayan’s ‘Another Community’, Avinash Dolas’s ‘The Victim’ and Ismat Chughtai’s ‘The Wedding Shroud’. The Penguin Book of Modern Indian Short Stories is a marvellous and entertaining introduction to the rich diversity of pleasures that the Indian short story–a form that has produced masters in over a dozen languages–can offer.

Alter crosses many miles, and several millennia, to search for the source of Indian religion. Along the way, he delves into the myths and traditions of an antique land. "Sacred Waters" is a richly told narrative of a beautiful land and of a man's interior journey, and is for readers everywhere who seek to plumb their own spiritual sources.

A sensitive and thoughtful look at the lasting effects on everyday people of the 1947 partition of India.