Join Author and Homemaker Extraordinaire, Anju Poddar, in conversation with India Country Head and Publishing Director at Harlequin, Amrita Chowdhury as they uncover Anju's trade secrets and wisdom gathered over the years on various aspects of running an efficient and beautiful home from Vastu, Heirloom and Garment Care, Hospitality to Sustainable Living.
Hyderabad’s own Anju Poddar is launching yet another book. When one thinks of Anju, many things come to mind, but the first of them is her passion for Indian art and culture. Her love for weaves and textiles has taken her to many states across the country where she has personally interacted with master-craftsmen sharing design inputs. Anju’s journeys over the years have led her across the world, from the U.S. where she received a BE, all the way to the peak of Mount Kailash. She shares her cultural experiences and assimilated knowledge of Indian traditions through a series of books that she has written over the past decade. Anju has authored seven books each of which covers a different aspect of our society. Her first book, “A Journey to the Heavens”, with a forward by the honorable Dalai Lama, is a detailed travel guide on Mansarovar and Mt. Kailash. “A Wedding in the House”, is not only a guide on wedding planning but also a book that talks about the meaning of marriage. “Our festivals Our Traditions” promotes the importance of Hindu traditions and festivals. This book is a visual delight because each festival is depicted by a painting specially made for the book by senior artists. For example, the festival of Holi by M.F. Hussain. She is the coauthor of “Meals Menus & More”, a book about menu planning using various Indian cuisines for various occasions from vrath ka khana to school tiffins and train travel. She has also coauthored, with two friends, the latest of her books, “108 Shades of Divinity” which catalogues the places of worship of the diverse religions in India. On 23rd Feb, Ms. Poddar will be unveiling her next book called the “Home Diva”. It is an honor that the book is published by Bloomsbery who is famous for having published the Harry Potter Series. “Home Diva” is a compilation of Anju’s trade secrets gathered over the years. Through this book she hopes to make a home-maker’s job easier by passing on the tips, wisdom, recipes and little known methods. Its contents include various sub topics: Vastu for the House, Kitchen, Store & Garbage Disposable, Maintenance of Saris, Shawls & Woolens, How to Take Care of your Art Work, Books and Photographs, Pearls, Jewelry & Watches, Pest Control, Travelling & Efficient Packing, Home Remedies etc. This book will undoubtedly become your go-to guide for practical and proven tips to running an efficient and beautiful home.
Read more
Amrita is the author of ‘Faking It’, an art crime thriller about fake modern and contemporary Indian art, and ‘Breach’ a cyber thriller. She holds engineering degrees from IIT Kanpur and UC Berkeley, where she was a Jane Lewis Fellow, and an MBA from Carnegie Mellon- Tepper Business School. Her work as an engineer in Silicon Valley led to seven US patents for semi-conductor fabrication- something to show for those bad-haired days. She has done Strategy Consulting and Board Effectiveness work in the US and Australia and has spent long nights fitting five-syllable words inside two-by-two squares. She has worked in the rarefied bastions of Ivy League education bringing together ideas and people. She currently works in publishing. Amrita lives in Mumbai with her husband Sumit, their two children Shoumik and Aishani, and an assortment of pets including a cocker spaniel, a guinea pig and two turtles. She loves travelling, baking cupcakes with her daughter and hearing from her readers.
Read more
