Femina carries an article on "Fly on the Wall & Other Stories"

In its December 2013 issue, Femina has carried a small feature on women from different walks of life. I have been very fortunate to have been included among them, as the author of "Fly on the Wall & Other Stories".

Unlike most of the other publications, Femina has focussed more upon my career and personal life, and its impact upon my writing. I could not agree more. If my professional life was not spent in the rural hinterlands of Odisha and my personal life so closely linked to Assam, the stories would have been altogether different.....

My book is a 'Potpourri'

This is the second review which refers to Fly on the Wall & Other Stories as a potpourri. First it was The Hindu and now The Pioneer. 
The Free Online Dictionary defines potpourri as  'A miscellaneous anthology or collection: a potpourri of short stories and humorous verse' (Source: http://www.thefreedictionary.com/potpourri)
Indeed some of the stories are humorous, though it is wry humor and not of the slap-stick variety. Others are full of pathos and mixed emotions that stir the reader. It's a great review and I am glad they reviewed the book soon after its launch. I have only one disagreement- unlike what the reviewer states at the end, there is no message for the reader. 
Read the Review

Sharing space with Power Women

Good Housekeeping in its anniversary issue celebrates nine years of existence. It is called the Special Power Issue and features the very glamourous and beautiful Karisma Kapoor on the cover. Its contents include Power wives, power naps and good reads. The section on good reads carries a full article on yours truly, in my new avatar of author, courtesy Fly on the Wall & Other Stories.
The article raised difficult questions such as how does one balance work and personal life and ended with celebrating the fact that despite being a mother, wife and professional, one was able to find time to write. For most of the women I know, balancing work and personal life is a continuous struggle. For me, on more occasions than one, it has meant guilt pangs, guilt pangs and some more guilt pangs. Each time one is not around when needed by one's family, the monster of a guilty conscience raises its ugly head.
In this interview by Good Housekeeping, I have been portrayed as a multi-tasker, who manages work, family and a book. I am not sure if it is entirely true. But if they think so, great!

India Today Woman carries a snippet on the author of Fly on the Wall & Other Stories

The Reviews are coming in.....

And on an online site (Induswomanwriting.com), that promotes creative writing by Indian women, there is another review.

This site encourages writing and allows contributions to be published online for a wider audience. 

The review is succinct and hard-hitting. It captures, in very few words, the essence of the book. As the reviewer states, I do admit that my stories, at least some of them, are not really short. However, the dictionary defines a short story as "a prose narrative of shorter length than the novel, esp one that concentrates on a single theme". I believe that most of my stories are focussed and deal with one issue at a time. Further, a "short story" is supposed to be shorter than a novel and deals with only a few characters. So my tales will pass both tests and can qualify as 'short stories' though they may not all be very short!

Read more of the review on Induswoman.

LiFi Publications stall at the Delhi Book Fair

It's always been a pleasure to visit book fairs. I still recall the ones at Lucknow, where I would go with my parents and come back with books. So, it's a matter of great honour to have my book occupying centre stage at LiFi Publications Stall at the Delhi Book Fair. Several well-wishers who visited the book fair, came back with copies of the book. Happy reading to them and all the other readers.

Review in Governance Now by Trithesh Nandan

A lot of people have expressed surprise that bureaucrats can write. Some have been astonished that those who spend their lives immersed in officialese are able to write a few pages that does not put the reader to sleep.
This feeling has been captured by the review carried by Governance Now, which finds parallels between some of the stories about government and real life. incidentally, all these were written several years ago and have no relationship to the current developments, which the reviewer alludes to. It just shows that somethings never change.
Read the review
 An officer and a writer: beyond mundane bureaucratic notes

A 'Fly on the Wall' touches theme of different facets of life by a member of Indian civil services.

TRITHESH NANDAN | SEPTEMBER 27 2013

Shubha Sarma, an Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer, is inspired by Tolstoy, Chekov, O Henry and Indian literary greats like Premchand and Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay. Like these literary greats, Sarma has woven compelling narrative of short fictional stories in her maiden book, titled 'Fly on the Wall and Other Stories'. The book has 13 engaging stories that capture Read more

Book Discussion at Civil Services' Officers Institute, New Delhi- 1.9.2013

It is not everyday that one shares the dais with a Secretary, an Additional Secretary and a Joint Secretary to Government of India. More so when one is the the so-called centre of attraction of the programme. 

Thus, starts the story of my book discussion. which was part of the series of Books & Authors that the Civil Services' Officers Institutes has initiated. It was a privilege, to be invited to have a discussion on my book, Fly on the Wall & Other Stories, barely a month after it was released amidst much fanfare. A more eminent panel could not have been wished for. There was Secretary, DoPT (Department of Personnel & Training), Mr.Shyamal Sarkar, Mr.Raghav Chandra, Additional Secretary and Financial Advisor in the Ministry of Agriculture and Mr.Sanjeev Chopra, Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture. 

The room was reasonably full to begin with and by the end of the session, there was no place left! My publisher celebrated the sale of some more copies. More importantly, the audience comprised of people who had read the book and had their own views about the stories and characters. It was interesting to see how different people interpret the same piece of writing.... it convinced me, yet again, that there is no universal truth. Each of us has our own opinion on events and people, seen from our individual perspective. There was heated discussion on certain issues, ably fueled by Mr.Chopra's observations and comments on the different characters. Mr.Chandra tested the readers' knowledge and provoked a feisty response from the otherwise sedate audience. At the end of the day, I emerged a champion of women's rights, perhaps a man-hater and in all likelihood a murderess in disguise. A promise was extracted that the next book (if there is one!) would focus only on male characters as they have been short-changed in all the stories in this book. My feeble attempts to defend myself by saying that some stories did have men, and saintly ones at that, were brushed aside. Finding no escape, I capitulated. Sigh! Now you know why my next book will take forever.

The Q & A Session was one of the liveliest I have encountered. Thank you Mrs.Lippi Parida, Mrs. Rashmi Chopra and Mrs. Jyoti who had some of the most wonderful insights to share. My personal favourite- when Mrs. Raashmi Chopra observed that the protagonist in the title story 'Fly on the Wall' took far too long to bump off her undeserving husband. (I guess I stand guilty, as charged, for being a violent feminist!)

However, the best comments of the evening were from Secretary, Mr.Shyamal Sarkar. A soft spoken speaker, he turned his address into an inspirational speech on the need for bureaucrats to develop multi-faceted personality. How I wish all our bosses could hear and adhere to his advice. If they gave us a little more respite, and sent us on long travels (on the international circuit only, mind you), there would be greater display of talent in the bureaucracy. Better still, we should be given mandatory vacations every year to reach out to our inner soul and re-discover ourselves.

By the end of the session, I was left marveling at the fact that so many people had read the book and actually wanted to discuss it. 

THANK YOU.  

Oriya Daily Pragitivadi carries news of the book launch

Book Review in Governance Now (Hindi)

Nav Bharat, Bhopal 27 Aug 2013

Coverage in Central Chronicle, Aug 27, 2013

Coverage in Hindi Press

The Millennium Post carried an interview after the release of Fly on the Wall & Other Stories

Another wonderful review from a fellow author- Manish Mahajan

Manish Mahajan writes mostly fiction and "The Disappearance Of Tejas Sharma...and other hauntings" Ghost Stories from India is his first book. Read more about Manish Mahajan
This is Manish Mahajan's Review of 'Fly on the Wall & Other Stories' on Good reads

http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/679365441

Read in August, 2013

What is common to the Emperor Penguins, Olive Ridley Turtles and rats?

This is definitely a review of the book "Fly on the Wall" and not a zoology quiz. You would figure out when I disclose the answer in the end. When I was 25/30% in to the book, the rating running in my mind was 5/5, however it is now what you see 4/5. Again, towards the end, I shall share the reason for this nominal downgrade.

I would write this review more as an author of a short story collection (which is rumored to be readable) rather than a book lover or reader; reason being from an author's point of view, this review would come out better.
Shubha Sarma's debut collection of stories has already received glowing encomiums from the likes of Dr. Shashi Tharoor, Namita Gokhale and K Satchitanandan. Let me also add my feeble voice in praising this book. Before going into the stories, I would first and foremost compliment the author's writing style. I absolutely loved her writing and command over language. (There is an admitted bias here as the writing resembles how I try to write as well). Throughout the 13 stories one would find beautiful descriptions and scene settings done using powerful vocabulary. Gurgling streams, verdant landscapes, sunsets and sunrises, sights and sounds from forests, decrepit village huts - long passages which describe the scene so beautifully that one can teleport oneself into the story.

Here are a few lines taken from the title story "Fly on the Wall" which, according to my aforementioned feeble voice, I found absolutely terrific writing.
"The large hall was half full, the half drawn curtains allowing the fading sunlight to stream in half heartedly. Just like Shishir Pande's half lived, too soon terminated life"

and err no half praises here:-)

I was also pleasantly surprised to find two spooky stories in this collection. Since that is part of my self attested forte, I shall spend a few minutes on these two stories. "A Chance Encounter" is written purrrrfectly, though I figured out the ending even before I was half way through. For an inveterate lover of the genre like me its predictable, but otherwise a lovely story with super buildup of atmosphere which is crucial in ghost stories. Then there is the last on "The Demons Within" which raises more questions than answers, and maybe that is what is its appeal. I felt the author should have tied up some loose ends in this one, to make this story less confusing for the non intellectual reader.

My favorite stories? I have two in mind which really stood out for me. "Dinner at Bukhara" and "Rain". The first one has a great plot and the suspense has been kept intact very well. I loved the way it was written. I am sure give the same plot to any other author and the effect would not come out like this. And then there is "Rain" which is an extremely tough concept for an author to write. It is essentially 5 separate stories with the rain as a leitmotif through all of them. Hats off to the author for starting 5 times, building up 5 times, and ending 5 times by way of newspaper reports. Incredible. Loved it.

I mentioned above about the plot, and that is where my 5 got downgraded to 4. Any story essentially needs to be well written, but the plot is crucial as well. If nothing is 'happening' or the reader keeps on waiting for a twist or turn or bend or meander in the story which never comes, then the plotting could have been better. Many of the stories in the middle half of the book had little storytelling in them.

Shubha is masterful in her use of similes and metaphors. That would be the answer to the question which I began the review with. All three animals are used as metaphors to describe human feelings in the story "Rain" that too, in a span of just 1 or 2 pages

Go, buy and read "Fly on the Wall" today!

Review by The Hindu

The Hindu carried a review in its MetroPlus today. Thank you The Hindu!!!
http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-metroplus/a-pleasant-potpourri/article5046072.ece

Media Coverage continues

I realised to my horror that while I had tried to link the different web sites which carried reports of the book launch, I had tagged them all to a single one.
These are some others that covered the book launch on 8 August 2013 and also some of them carried the pre-launch news. Read on.....
http://sagarmediainc.wordpress.com/2013/08/10/shashi-tharoor-releases-the-fly-on-the-wall-and-other-stories-by-shubha-sarma/
http://tkbsen.in/2013/08/ias-officer-shubha-sarma-pens-fly-on-the-wall-and-other-stories/
http://www.business-standard.com/article/pti-stories/ias-officer-shubha-sarma-pens-anthology-of-short-stories-113080900471_1.html
http://www.booksclub.in/2013/08/dr-shashi-tharoor-will-be-launching.html
http://www.babusofindia.com/2013/08/with-fly-on-wall-odisha-cadre-ias.html
http://www.knowyourlaw.com/ias-shubha-sarma-fly-wall/
http://www.millenniumpost.in/NewsContent.aspx?NID=35212
http://www.thereaderscorner.com/blog/fly-on-the-wall-and-other-stories-by-shubha-sharma/
http://www.tathya.in/news/Home/tabid/55/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/1056/Subha-Tells-Stories.aspx
http://www.i4u.com/2013/08/shashi-tharoor/will-wall-shubha-other-fly-shashi-sarmas-dr-tharoor-launching-stor
http://realtime.rediff.com/news/realtime/IAS-officer-Shubha-Sarma-pens-anthology-of-short-stories/34910a9e2bcc7ece
http://indulekha.biz/fly-on-the-wall-and-other-stories-shubha-sarma
http://www.thelucknowtribune.org/news.php?cat=1013
http://paper.hindustantimes.com/epaper/viewer.aspx
http://www.pressdisplay.com/staging/timesonline/viewer.aspx
http://www.viralnewschart.com/ShowLink.aspx?linkId=9625055
http://www.alternativefuse.com/rssreader/news/the-fly-on-the-wall-and-other-stories
http://www.dailypioneer.com/state-editions/bhubaneswar/this-ias-officer-is-a-also-good-storyteller.html
http://www.dkprintworld.com/product-detail.php?pid=1280857238
http://www.thefreelibrary.com/IAS+officer+Shubha+tells+hinterland+tales.-a0339350845
http://news.silobreaker.com/stories-on-the-wall-5_2267018307670376582
http://www.freshersworld.com/press-release
http://booksnews.tumblr.com/
http://www.firstpost.com/topic/person/shashi-tharoor-fly-on-the-wall-and-other-stories-book-release-ceremony-video-erKNPisq8Ps-21556-1.html
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/reddy-plan/1146275/

Another Review, this time by a teenager!

It is gratifying to know that the stories in the anthology, "Fly on the Wall & Other Stories" are finding an audience in both the young, the middle aged and the old. I have received numerous phone calls from friends stating that their mothers are enjoying the book, while in this case, I have the fortune of receiving a glowing review from a teenager.
Read review.... http://tsanupama.blogspot.in
Thank you T.S. Anupama for your review. I think it says a lot about your own capacity to write, rather than anything else. Above all, it encourages me to know that the stories have found resonance in a young girl living in Delhi. 

Media Coverage

Till now, there has been excellent coverage in the media, especially online papers. Though most of the content is similar and at times repetitive, it helps in reaching out to a diverse audience.
Some links are given below.
http://www.tathya.in/new/story.aspx?sno=8118 
http://www.sarkarimirror.com/dr-shashi-tharoor-unveils-book-the-fly-on-the-wall-and-other-stories-by-shubha-sarma/ 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=erKNPisq8Ps 
http://www.sarkaritel.com/dr-shashi-tharoor-releases-the-fly-on-the-wall-and-other-stories-by-shubha-sarma/ 
http://www.i4u.com/2013/08/shashi-tharoor/will-wall-shubha-other-fly-shashi-sarmas-dr-tharoor-launching-stor 
http://www.babusofindia.com/2013/08/with-fly-on-wall-odisha-cadre-ias.html 
http://www.business-standard.com/article/pti-stories/ias-officer-shubha-sarma-pens-anthology-of-short-stories-113080900471_1.html 
http://sagarmediainc.wordpress.com/2013/08/10/shashi-tharoor-releases-the-fly-on-the-wall-and-other-stories-by-shubha-sarma/ 
http://tkbsen.in/2013/08/ias-officer-shubha-sarma-pens-fly-on-the-wall-and-other-stories/ http://www.millenniumpost.in/NewsContent.aspx?NID=35212 http://www.ptinews.com/news/3877904_IAS-officer-Shubha-Sarma-pens-anthology-of-short-stories http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-otherstates/ias-officer-shubha-pens-anthology-of-short-stories/article5008780.ece 
http://www.booksclub.in/2013/08/dr-shashi-tharoor-will-be-launching.html
http://www.thelucknowtribune.org/news.php?cat=1013

An Insightful Review that captures the essence of the "Fly on the Wall & Other Stories" better than anything I could have written

This review has been written by Anu Pande, a scholar of the German language and literature. Her wide exposure to Europe in general and Germany in particular, makes her a formidable entity. When she proposed to write the review on the book's page on Good Reads, I was filled with trepidation. Fortunately, her words are kinder than I thought they would be.
"An extremely interesting and thought provoking collection of stories. Each of the gems in this debut collection is set in a different part of India and has a distinct set of characters. The author's attention to detail ........" Read more

Media coverage by Malayalam Manorama, Mail Today and Sarkaritel

The Book Launch had friends and family rubbing shoulders with a formidable media contingent. Now the news is trickling in slowly with various print and online publications carrying the news of the launch. Here Sarkaritel, Mail Today and Malayalam Manorama have covered the book launch function.
http://www.sarkaritel.com/dr-shashi-tharoor-releases-the-fly-on-the-wall-and-other-stories-by-shubha-sarma/
http://epaper.mailtoday.in/showtext.aspx?boxid=23954844&parentid=83888&issuedate=1082013epaper.mailtoday.in

Some pre-event invites in The Hindu & The Statesman.

These and other pre-event invitations ensured a full house on 8 August 2013. The hall was filled to capacity with not a single chair vacant and people finding it difficult to enter. What more could a debut author ask for. This was possible only because family, friends and colleagues came in large numbers. It was a wonderful evening with classmates from Lucknow, LSR, JNU and batch mates, colleagues and seniors from the bureaucracy rubbed shoulders bringing the many different worlds that I have inhabited together for one evening.
But the icing on the cake was when Dr.Shashi Tharoor, Minister of State for Human Resource Development during his address announced that he had seen many book launches and this is by far the best! Three cheers to the organizing team from LiFi and my own colleagues and friends who chipped in to make the book launch of "Fly on the Wall & Other Stories" a success. Dr.Tharoor went on to exhort the audience to buy as many copies as they could so that there could be a re-print and advised that in the next edition, the cover design should be worked upon a little more to do justice to the contents within. As they say, Insha allah, many more editions should come through.

Some Reviews- 8.8.2013

There was a large gathering at the book launch with family, friends and colleagues turning out in such large numbers. The presence of media personnel was impressive and the coverage has started soon after the book launch. One of the first to do so was the millennium post. View the article at the link below:
http://www.millenniumpost.in/NewsContent.aspx?NID=35212

Encouraging words from a master story teller whose The Great Indian Novel was a book much in demand in LSR Residence Hall.

This is a morale booster from Indian Express. Thank you IE!

There was some impatience among a few friends on when the book will be available for sale. The formal launch of "Fly on the Wall and Other Stories" will be on 8 August 2013. However, the book is now available for Pre-Order on Infibeam.com. Place your order now and avail 21% discount.
www.infibeam.com/Books/fly-wall-other-stories-shubha-sarma/9789382536406.html

Debut collection of short stories by Shubha Sarma set in Lucknow, Assam and Odisha. Its characters and settings range from the urban to the most backward regions of our country.