Wednesday 6 February 2013

The Panda Theory, Joseph Anton & an anthology

Gallic Books very kindly sent me a copy of The Panda Theory by Pascal Garnier when I said last week  on Twitter that I'd had to return it to the library before I had finished. I started reading it last July (I think) and got a third of the way. I look forward to starting it again. I finally finished Joseph Anton, I had a lump in my throat when Salman's second son, Milan, was born, I was surprised at my emotion. I also have huge respect - and sadness -  for his ex-wives Clarissa Luard and Elizabeth West. Clarissa sadly died in 1999. I have the Vintage Book of Indian Writing (1997) that he and West edited - in fact, I bought it that year, I see from the date, I always date my books. Interesting now to get the backdrop to the fraughtness round the publication, it was considered risky then for her to have her name on the anthology (it was a secret they were together). It was dipping into this anthology last autumn that I discovered Bapsi Sidhwa's work. And I had no idea Salman was big pals with Bono (I am not a U2 fan).

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