Tata Literature Live 2013

Tash Aw has written three novels, The Harmony Silk Factory, Map of the Invisible World and Five Star Billionaire. His book The Harmony Silk Factory won the Whitbread Book Awards (2005) and Commonwealth Writers Prize for Best First Novel (Asia-Pacific region). The Harmony Silk Factory was also longlisted for the MAN Booker Prize as was his latest book Five Star Billionaire, this year. Aw’s books have been translated into 24 languages. His short fiction has won an O. Henry Award and been published in A Public Space and the landmark Granta 100, amongst others. Aw lives in London.

Sydney-based author and journalist John Zubrzycki has often found himself being drawn to India for inspiration. In 2007 he published The Last Nizam: The Rise and Fall of India’s Greatest Princely State was based on the life of Mukarram Jah, the erstwhile Nizam of Hyderabad, who in the 1970s carved out a kingdom among in Western Australia only to see his vast fortune turn to dust. His latest book The Mysterious Mr Jacob: Diamond Merchant, Magician and Spy tells the story of Alexander Malcolm Jacob, one of the most enigmatic figures of the Raj; a confidant of viceroys and maharajahs, Jacob was said to be a magician and a successful dealer of precious stones.

Peter Pannke studied Dhrupad with the families of the Malliks and the Dagars, and went on to create his own personal style of singing. His band ‚Troubadours United’,a colourful troupe of Turkish, Indian, Syrian and Indian musicians, followed the tracks of 12th century troubadour Heinrich von Morungen in his legendary voyage to India. His books include ‘India - A Festival of Colours’, ‘Mali - Journey to a Magic Country’ and ‘Troubadours of Allah - Sufi Music in the Indus Valley’‚Dreamtalker - Songs, Poems, Essays’ and ‘Singers Die Twice - A Journey to the Land of Dhrupad”, a travelogue describing a journey he undertook through flooded Bihar to attend the last rites for his deceased guru, the Dhrupad singer Pt Vidur Mallik. In 2009, he received the Rabindranath Tagore Award.