Mumbai Diary: Wednesday Dossier

Pic/Shadab Khan

Beard essentials

A washerman gets a shave at Dhobi Ghat in Mahalaxmi

A clever idea

We had reported on this page in January this year how two veteran Indian vocalists - Gary Lawyer and Usha Uthup - had joined forces for a song called Fine brown fame. Now, less than a month later, the duo has collaborated again, this time for a Frank and Nancy Sinatra classic, Something stupid. It premieres today, and Lawyer told this diarist, "The first track was really well-received and it was fun doing it. So, I forwarded a couple of more songs to Usha and Colin [D'Cruz, of Jazz Goa, who brought the two together]. She seemed to like the idea of doing [Something stupid], which suited me well because I love this song, too. It's a perfect package. It's genius." Catch the song on Jazz Goa's YouTube channel post 8 pm today.

When books find a new home

Saikat Majumdar (left) received poet Priya Sarukkai Chhabria's e-mail, and they came up with the idea of purchasing Westland's literary titles. Pic/Arish Azmat

Amazon's decision to shut their Indian publishing arm, Westland, had upset authors and readers alike, but there seems to be a ray of hope. As many as 109 Westland titles will survive because the Ashoka University Library has purchased literary and poetry titles to ensure future generations can learn and access high-quality content. Novelist Saikat Majumdar, a professor of English and creative writing at Ashoka University, who was one of the people to ensure the idea was fructified, told this diarist, "It was originally suggested by my colleague, Sumana Roy on receiving an e-mail from poet Priya Sarukkai Chhabria who had requested us to buy her book for our library before it went out of print. Initially, we were keen to buy all Westland titles, but after we studied the long list, we bought literature books that would be of interest to the department. We had requested 119 books, of which Westland gave us 109 titles. They didn't have the other 10. The books have arrived and the payment is done." Amid the fresh titles, the varsity now has books by authors like Manjul Bajaj, Chhabria, Vivek Shanbag, Manoranjan Byapari, and many more. This diarist hopes that more public university libraries will take a leaf from this idea.

Annie Zaidi's lens on Mumbai

Annie Zaidi

Annie Zaidi's new novel, City of Incident will be the focus of a digital talk to be organised by Mumbai Research Centre of the Asiatic Society later this week. Called Witnessing Our Metropolis, Sharon Irani will discuss the book with the author who shared that her title derives from the years she has spent in this great metropolis. "I have been observing, listening to people and negotiating the city and its challenges for many years. It has shaped me and the lens through which I see people and spaces, both public and private. Seeing others and acknowledging their lives and our mutual interconnectedness is integral to the making of a big city." For details about the talk, check @jashnmumbai on Instagram.

Get in tune with today's teens

Being a teenager is no mean feat. And as any teenager will tell you, no one seems to be talking about their problems enough. Dear Teenage Me, a new podcast by Spotify, aims to voice common issues that the younger generation faces today. Produced by Yuvaa Originals and hosted by actor Ahsaas Channa, the series will delve into topics such as body image, societal pressures, mental health and more, with new guests on every episode. "Through this podcast, we're giving everybody a chance to connect with their younger selves," Channa told this diarist. What would be her advice to her teenage self? "I wouldn't give her any advice at all. I want her to make mistakes, experience everything that she does, because that journey has shaped my personality today," she added.

Sakhi for safety

Point of View (POV) has been conducting digital literacy workshops since 2015 to help amplify the voices of women and other marginalised genders. On Valentine's Day, they launched Tech Sakhi, a phone-based Hindi helpline service (08045685001) where a team of responders will assist you in securing your financial information and privacy.

Shohini Banerjee, a co-lead and knowledge expert at POV, explained, "Our workshops revealed that women from middle to lower income groups feel more unsafe online. While we figured that these instances of harassment are preventable with some knowledge and literacy, we found surveys that predicted a boom in the use of technology by rural users. This will counter blank calls, spam calls, online scams and the like."