Auras of the Jinn: A Pakistani Story

Auras of the Jinn: A Pakistani Story
Author: Haider Warraich
Publisher: Roli Books Private Limited
Total Pages: 319
Release: 2010-11-01
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 9351940039

Imran is a boy growing up in present-day Pakistan. His family is one amongst many in Mohajir Colony: his sisters work as maids, his father runs a motorcycle repair shop and his mother stays at home. Things change when there is a new visitor in the house - emerging from the dust of the railroad graveyard - as much a disease, a jinn, a drug, as a spiritual voice. The order of things is broken and everyone around Imran is hurled onto a trajectory of thought and action. The novel rests on the frail shoulders of ordinary people. Imran's eyes portray an unreal take on his society and the myriad people brushing past him. It is a living/breathing/kicking palette of Pakistan - a kaleidoscope with all the different characters serving as mirrors in the maze. Beneath the layers, a new subconscious state is revealed, which plays with real and imagined love, the experience of growing up in Pakistan and the detrimental, often absurd, ideals that form the basis of fundamentalism.

Auras of the Jinn

Auras of the Jinn
Author: Haider Warraich
Publisher:
Total Pages: 288
Release: 2010
Genre: Pakistan
ISBN: 9788186939581

Trance Dancing with the Jinn

Trance Dancing with the Jinn
Author: Yasmin Henkesh
Publisher: Llewellyn Worldwide
Total Pages: 356
Release: 2016-12-08
Genre: Body, Mind & Spirit
ISBN: 0738747424

Explore the living tradition of trance dancing, the practice of connecting with the subtle energies and secret knowledge of spirits through rhythmic movement to music. Written by an expert teacher who has trained and performed with top dancers in Paris, London, and Cairo, this meticulously researched, hands-on book delves into the history and modern practice of ecstatic dance. Discover a range of religious and spiritual trance dance traditions—from Egyptian zar ceremonies to Sufi whirling dervish techniques—and the entities you can contact through them. You’ll also find a detailed how-to section that provides a safe, effective, and fun way to connect with the ethereal realm from within your own home. Praise: “This is a must-read book. Keep Ms. Henkesh’s book in your reference library for the well-researched richness of its information and its understanding of the many types of zar.”—Sahra C. Kent (Saeeda), dance ethnologist and founder of Journey through Egypt “Yasmin writes beautifully and with great joy. She has done impressive research . . . into the mystifying corners of the supernatural and into the remarkable interfaces between body and mind.”—Robert Lebling, author of Legends of the Fire Spirits “Through a deep exploration of myth and science, history and belief, [Henkesh] reveals a compelling insight into these unusual yet ancient practices. Definitely a valuable resource.”—Laura Tempest Zakroff, fusion and sacred dance pioneer, performer, instructor, and author of The Witch's Cauldron

The Heavens We Chase: A Novel

The Heavens We Chase: A Novel
Author: Lavanya Shanbhogue-Arvind
Publisher: Roli Books Private Limited
Total Pages: 254
Release: 2017-04-19
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 8186939814

Lavanya Shanbhogue-Arvind is the winner of the Commonwealth Short Story Special Prize (2011). Her short story, ‘The Crystal Snuff Box and the Pappudum’, was adapted for radio by the Commonwealth Broadcasting Association and was broadcast in all the Commonwealth countries. Other short pieces include ‘Those You Cannot See’ that appeared in the Griffith Review, Australia, ‘Blueprint’ that appeared in Blink, the year-end fiction edition of the Hindu Business Line and ‘The Idiot’s Guide to the Indian Arranged Marriage’ that appeared in an anthology of New Asian Short Stories being published by Silverfish Books, Malaysia. Apart from a master’s degree in Business, she holds a master’s degree in Creative Writing (Fiction) from the City University of Hong Kong. She is currently pursuing her master’s degree in Women’s Studies from the Tata Institute of Social Science, Mumbai and is working on her second novel. She lives in Mumbai with her banker husband Arvind Narayana.

Neti, Neti: Not This, Not This

Neti, Neti: Not This, Not This
Author: Anjum Hasan
Publisher: Roli Books Private Limited
Total Pages: 317
Release: 2009-12-31
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 8194566177

Anjum Hasan is the author of two novels, The Cosmopolitans and Lunatic in my Head (shortlisted for the Crossword Book Award), a collection of short stories, Difficult Pleasures (shortlisted for the Hindu Literary Prize and the Crossword Book Award), and a book of poetry, Street on the Hill. She lives in Bangalore.

State of the Heart

State of the Heart
Author: Haider Warraich
Publisher: Macmillan + ORM
Total Pages: 213
Release: 2019-07-23
Genre: Medical
ISBN: 1250169712

In State of the Heart, Dr. Haider Warraich takes readers inside the ER, inside patients' rooms, and inside the history and science of cardiac disease. State of the Heart traces the entire arc of the heart, from the very first time it was depicted on stone tablets, to a future in which it may very well become redundant. While heart disease has been around for a while, the type of heart disease people have, why they have it, and how it’s treated is changing. Yet, the golden age of heart science is only just beginning. And with treatments of heart disease altering the very definitions of human life and death, there is no better time to look at the present and future of heart disease, the doctors and nurses who treat it, the patients and caregivers who live with it, and the stories they hold close to their chests. More people die of heart disease than any other disease in the world and when any form of heart disease progresses, it can result in the development of heart failure. Heart failure affects millions and can affect anyone at anytime, a child recovering from a viral infection, a woman who has just given birth or a cancer patient receiving chemotherapy. Yet new technology to treat heart failure is fundamentally changing just what it means to be human. Mechanical pumps can be surgically sown into patients’ hearts and when patients with these pumps get really sick, sometimes they don’t need a doctor or a surgeon—they need a mechanic. In State of the Heart, the journey to rid the world of heart disease is shown to be reflective of the journey of medical science at large. We are learning not only that women have as much heart disease as men, but that the type of heart disease women experience is diametrically different from that in men. We are learning that heart disease and cancer may have more in common than we could have imagined. And we are learning how human evolution itself may have led to the epidemic of heart disease. In understanding how our knowledge of the heart evolved, State of the Heart traces the twisting and turning road that science has taken—filled with potholes and blind turns—all the way back to its very origin.

Hira Mandi

Hira Mandi
Author: Claudine Le Tourneur d'Ison
Publisher: Roli Books Private Limited
Total Pages: 148
Release: 2012-10-18
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 8174368892

Very few French writers have ventured to write on the social, religious, political and cultural issues of Pakistani society, but Claudine is an exception. She is one of those writers who not only made frequent visits to Pakistan but also watched some very sensitive prevailing issues from a close angle. Her fine sensibilities and eye for detail is a hallmark of her writing skills which also makes her an accomplished writer. In Hira Mandi her strong pen has beautifully succeeded in capturing the true identity of the society. Hira Mandi is a remarkable piece where Claudine has rolled out a tale that would make the readers spellbound. Hira Mandi sounds a forbidden subject for many who are familiar with the name as it is an area located in the walled city of Lahore which in its hey days was notoriously known as pleasure seekers' paradise but Claudine's expressions, portrayal of feelings and glaring social dichotomies are unparallel. Jaffer Bilgrami Television Journalist, Islamabad (Pakistan)

Blue Dust

Blue Dust
Author: Ayesha Salman
Publisher: Roli Books Private Limited
Total Pages: 235
Release: 2012-12-27
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 8174369066

Blue Dust is an emotional, philosophical and cultural journey that maps the relationships, dreams, hopes and fears of three generations of a family in Pakistan and the Middle East. The central character is a highly volatile and loving girl/woman who struggles largely with her own insecurities in her relationships with her father, husband and sister and the world she is born into (from a social and religious point of view ultimately blurring her sense of identity). A significant thread of the narrative is the impact her relationship with her sister has on her life and personality - and the strength of that bond is one of the most enduring forces. Her daughter also plays a pivotal role in encapsulating the emotional mood and tone of the book- particularly in exploring dichotomies of reality and perception - and the power of memory and dreams in articulating how these people respond to the events of their lives. Through the story of this family the author also explores issues in Pakistan relevant to class, religious and social distinctions and the barriers caused by these, and a society which perpetuates and at the same time ignores issues of paedophilia and sexual repression. Blue Dust is a misty, dream-like, touching but often bloody portrayal of intensely self reflexive dramas of these individual people but relevant to the wider issues and concerns of Pakistani society as well. 'A narrative of passionate characters and many strands, skillfully woven together in this engaging debut novel. Blue Dust is a surreal, poetic and complex work that handles difficult issues with courage.' Bapsi Sidhwa 'With her poetic debut novel, Blue Dust, unfolds love's many moods. Ayesha Salman joins the list of exciting new novelists from Pakistan.' Maniza Naqvi

HUL: Cry Rebel!

HUL: Cry Rebel!
Author: Sanjay Bahadur
Publisher: Roli Books Private Limited
Total Pages: 416
Release: 2013-05-01
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 8174368906

When the ancient ways of a peaceful but brave tribe is threatened by the arrogance of an empire, savagery of the “civilised” and greed of the affluent, the only thing left to do is rise in rebellion. The year is 1855. The tribe: Santals. Born a few months after the British soldiers raided their village and killed his father, Bikram grows up with a strong intolerance for injustice. Lt. James Davies of the British Native Infantry finds himself in the madding world of 19th century Colonial India. But he is quick to learn and develops a strange affection for this complex land and its people. Shibani is a Bengali child-widow and an heiress, who finds her life lonely and stifling. Of the many burdens she must bear at a young age are protecting her estate and the future of her son. Their lives collide in the backdrop of mounting unease amongst the tribals. Result of extensive historical research and brimming with memorable characters, the story moves through a whirlwind of passion, greed, betrayal, cruelty and sacrifice. As Bikram grows up, he realises it’s his identity as a Santal that has become a bane. He finds himself sucked into the vortex of Hul – the Great Santal Rebellion against the British and their lackeys –the ‘dikus’. Thousands of Santal tribesmen wage a desperate war for self-determination. Bare feet against boots; arrows against howitzers. The odds seem insurmountable. 50,000 Santals are massacred in the Hul.