The Book Lovers:Day 2&Day 3 at Wassup Andheri

Day 2:  Friday 1st March 2013

4-5pm 

S. Hussain Zaidi - A man who needs no introduction, his books have been bestsellers, a veteran crime reporter & author of Black Friday, Mafia Queens of Mumbai and the latest Dongri to Dubai that covers the life of Mumbai Mafia Dawood Ibrahim joins us to give his valuable insights on Crime Writing. Be there to get tips from the man who witnessed it all.

5-5.30pm

Creative Writing workshop by Salil Desai                                                                                        A perfect blend of crime & fiction is his forte and to let you learn this fine art, Salil Desai will be at Wassup Andheri for an exclusive discussion on Crime Writing.

Day 3-  Saturday 2nd March 2013

4.30-5.30pm 

Talk on Travel & Photography Travel Writer & Avid Photographer Rishad Saam Mehta author of Hot Tea Across India talks to the audience about his adventorous experiences while travelling & his anecdotes with photographs of the usual and the unusual during his road trips.

Rishad launches his book at Mocha Mojo

Here are some pictures from the lovely session with Rishad Saam Mehta. He not only launched his book 'Hot Tea Across India' at the event but also shared some of his fascinating travel experiences with the guests present at the launch. His book presentation along with the stunning photographs he has clicked of the places he has travelled to, made this event truly an interesting one. 

He spoke about his bike trip to Ladakh, his dream to do a bike trip from Mumbai to London. His favourite travel destination to his interactions with people he met during his travel. His love and passion for travel came across clearly during his conversation with Mrs. Heena Munshaw of Beacon Holidays who launched the book. 

All in all a Saturday afternoon well spent. Here's wishing Rishad all the very best for his debut book. A book which has been garnering good reviews from every quarter! 

We at The Book Lovers would like to thank everyone who took time out to come and attend the event. A very big thank you to Spicy Sangria (http://spicysangria.com) and Shaan S Khanna for partnering with us online for this event. 

Q&A with Rishad Saam Mehta author of Hot Tea Across India

You are an avid traveler and a photographer, was writing a book always at the back of your mind?

Yes it was. Because my travel stories were restricted by word count and only relevant information about the place. The book allowed me to bring in the humane incidents, funny stories that were more personal and people based.

  

Tea as a conversation starter, how did this idea germinate?

Tea stalls are an Indian highways institution from the machine dispensed tea at fuel stations to the thatched roof and woodfire shack where the tea is being brewed in a blackened vessel, tea is an integral part of Indian road travel. It starts conversations, refreshes and relives fatigue. And at tea stops on lonely highways you almost always meet fellow travellers and conversation just seems to happen.

Who are your favourite travel writers? Any writer whose work inspires your writing?

I just loved 'One Year In Provence' by Peter Myle, the way the English language has been used to describe and bring in subtle humour is fantastic. Then I like Wilbur Smith's books because they bring about visions of such vast adventure and wild lands.  

What are the qualities that one needs to be able to effectively communicate to the reader through travelogues?

I like my travelogues to encourage and entice. To be able to convince even the most lethargic of readers that there is fun and adventure to be out there. Take a break from routine, unshackle yourself from the daily grind and go out there and live life as it is meant to be lived. 

I would like my readers to belive that travel is not an indulgence, rather it is an essential investment to a fuller and more wholesome life.  

 

The book has been much loved, going by the reviews, must be a satisfying debut for you! Tell us about your future plans; are you working on your next book already?

Yes it has been, the idea was to tell people that India is such an adventure to explore by road and to give them a really good belly aching laugh and I am glad it has served the purpose. Maybe my next book will be on travel or something else, but it will definitely contain humour for sure since I just love making people laugh. 

This was a very India-specific book; while you are quite a globe trotter do you recall any interesting incident during your travels that you would want to share with your readers?

There was one incident recently in South Africa when I was in Kruger driving a little i20 and it was charged by an angry rhino. I remember the first thought that went through my mind was what I would write in the insaurance claim form...Wrecked by one angry rhino.

Then there was that incident in California when I stepped out to stretch my legs on a lonely highway in a forest and a bear came and went to sleep near my door. I had to climb into the car carefully from the boot.  

Any travel tips, photography tips and writing tips for your readers?  Most importantly how do you manage to balance the three roles so well?

All three are co-existent. I travel because I love to photograph and write, I like to photograph hence I travel and I like to tell stories so I travel and photograph.

Do join Rishad Saam Mehta as he launches his book at Mocha Mojo, Bandra on 14th April Saturday, from noon-2pm. Look forward to seeing all you book lovers there!

Book Launch Invite!

WESTLAND LTD, THE BOOK LOVERS and MOCHA MOJO
Invite you to the launch of
HOT TEA ACROSS INDIA 
By Rishad Saam Mehta
on Saturday, 14th April 2012 between 12 and 2 p.m. at
Classic Corner Building, next to Holy Family Hospital, Hill Road, Bandra West,Mumbai 400050

The Event:
Mrs Heena Munshaw of Beacon Holidays will be in conversation with Rishad. Beacon Holidays is a destination marketing company based in Mumbai (Bombay), India, established in 1996.
About the book:
On Rishad Saam Mehta’s journeys — and as a travel writer and all-round road-trip junkie, he’s been on many — there’s a particular thing he noticed. There’s not a highway, road or dirt track in India where you can’t find a cup of chai whenever you want it. And with those cuppas come encounters and incidents that make travelling in India a fascinating adventure. In this riveting book, which includes stories of honey- and saffron-infused tea shared with a shepherd in Kashmir, and a strong brew that revives the author after almost getting lynched by an irate mob in Kerala, Rishad takes you across the length and breadth of India, from Manali to Munnar, from the Rann of Kutch to Khajuraho, with a wonderful combination of wit, sensitivity and insight.
The Author:
Rishad Saam Mehta Rishad Saam Mehta graduated as an electronic engineer from Bombay University and is a travel writer and photographer. He lives in Mumbai and is especially fond of road trips, adventure sports, history and food, all of which tend to feature in his travel stories.

Guest Review: Hot Tea Across India

HOT TEA ACROSS INDIA - RISHAD SAAM MEHTA

Reviewed by: Pinak Kapadia 

I love to read travelogues. They give you the freedom to travel across the world, and soak in experiences without leaving your armchair. People have been writing about travelling across India since before Christ was born. But good Indian travel writers are few. Rishad Saam Mehta promises to be one of them.

Once in a while, there comes a book that offers a completely new perspective about everything you take for granted, and changes the way you see things. To say that "Hot Tea across India" is such a book would be an exaggeration. But the book does offer a fresh perspective about one thing in India which we do so often that we almost do not notice ourselves doing it. That act is drinking tea. The book is about how this simple, but uniquely Indian act of drinking tea at road-side dhabas at different corners of the country, is linked to experiences that stay long in memory.

The author used to write for Autocar India about his travel experiences, and is a freelance journalist. Because of his habit of writing for magazines, this book has a racy feel to it, which is strangely refreshing. Each chapter deals with one separate incident from the author's travels. You have to admit, the man has travelled. From a car rally in an alto in Himalayas, to biking in the ghats, to hitch-hiking from Mumbai to Delhi in a truck, he has done it all.

When someone writes about travelling in India, generally there is always some mention about the bad traffic, the potholes, the corruption and the poor facilities for impromptu travelers. Rishad steers clear of all such incidents. When he mentions about a car or bike breakdown, or his encounter with cops, it is always in a lighter vein. Sleeping in a truck for a few nights can never be fun for most of us, but Rishad almost makes it seem desirable. And at the end of it all, it stays about people. People who serve refreshing tea in the middle of the night, people who go the extra mile to make your stay comfortable, people who save you from disaster. India is never short of such people. Next time, when you grab a cuppa, keep your eyes open for an interesting story from the person serving it.

Grab the book if: You like to read magazines or light reads, you are a travel buff, a tea lover or are looking for something fresh to read.
Avoid if: You like your books to have a deeper meaning, your idea of travel books is not Bill Bryson but "travels with herodotus".

Do read "Hot tea across India". It will make you grab the key to your car and take the long road.

"The road goes ever on and on
Down from the door where it began.....
And I must follow if I can" 

Rishad, we are waiting to read where the road takes you next.