Read Ebook {PDF EPUB} A Suitable Girl by Tanya Maniktala: a suitable girl in a suitable cast. Leading from the front in the BBC adaptation of Vikram Seth’s much-loved blockbuster novel : no pressure for the 23-year-old newcomer. Especially as she’s backed by a 110-strong cast with one key unifying factor. Journey back to 1993. Clinton’s in the White House, Meat Loaf is topping the charts forever and author Vikram Seth has just released a gigantic novel – 1300 pages to be precise – on the subject of forbidden love. If you never quite got round to finishing (or even starting) the book, or you want to see the characters brought vividly to life, you’re in luck. The BBC have adapted this epic set in India in 1951 – four years after the partition of what was British India into India and Pakistan – into a six-part series. Written by Andrew Davies ( Bridget Jones , Sense & Sensibility , House of Cards ) and directed by Indian-American film director Mira Nair, the achievement of wrestling such a gargantuan tale into ​ “ only” six hours isn’t the sole revelation. This period drama is the BBC’s first production to have no white actors among it’s 110-person cast. “ Vikram Seth’s story is about India and the people of India,” says lead actress Tanya Maniktala, ​ “ so how could you expect anybody else to do it but us?” For the 23-year-old, dialling in from New Delhi, A Suitable Boy is her breakout role. Since first appearing in YouTube web series Flames (a heartwarming story of teenage romance), Maniktala has to-and-fro’d with the idea of acting. “ I sort of convinced myself that acting wasn’t for me, so I quit and started working as a copywriter,” she admits. Battling shyness and a crisis of confidence, Maniktala contemplated leaving India entirely. ​ “ I had actually planned on going to Australia to visit my sister to get a fresh start from all of this because I was clearly done with life. I couldn’t figure out what I wanted to do. Then Mira called me.” Maniktala plays Lata Mehra, an assertive university student on the hunt for independence, who defies her mother’s wishes of arranged marriage. “ There is the obvious theme of love and romance, but there’s also a political context to all of it – we see these rebels in this story,” she says of an intense story based around love across religious and political divides. “[So] it’s not a period drama in that sense because these themes are still very relatable.” Vikram Seth finds a suitable publisher. Two cheering pieces of books news to round off the week. Fans of Vikram Seth will be delighted to hear that the sequel to A Suitable Boy – his family saga set in 1950s India – will be published after all. Seth was called to account by Penguin after he failed to deliver the manuscript for A Suitable Girl in time for the 20th anniversary of his 1993 bestseller this autumn, thus defaulting on a $1.7m (£1.1m) advance. As part of the publication package, Penguin bought the paperback rights from A Suitable Boy's original publisher Orion – and it is Orion that has stepped back into the frame to save the agonised author. A Suitable Girl will now be published in the autumn of 2016, giving Seth plenty of time to match the epic scale of A Suitable Boy – one of the longest books ever published in English, at 1,349 pages – should he so choose. Seth has played the field with his previous books, publishing his 1986 debut The Golden Gate with Faber, his 1999 novel with Weidenfeld and Nicholson, and his 2005 memoir with Little, Brown. But he comes over all sentimental when considering his return to the publisher that took the biggest risk for him. "Twenty years ago, Orion, who were then quite a new publisher, took a risk and brought out A Suitable Boy," he said. "It is entirely in the fitness of things that A Suitable Girl will be joining her companion. And for my part, it is a great pleasure to be home again". Meanwhile, an entirely different model of a publishing career is demonstrated by Sarah Waters, whose longstanding publisher Virago has just announced details of her next novel, which will be published next autumn. The name of the novel is yet to be announced, but her website reveals that she is moving back in time to the early 1920s, after the 1940s settings of her previous two novels The Night Watch and The Little Stranger: It is 1922, and London is tense. Ex-servicemen are disillusioned, the out-of-work and the hungry are demanding change. And in South London, in a genteel Camberwell villa, a large silent house now bereft of brothers, husband and even servants, life is about to be transformed, as impoverished widow Mrs Wray and her spinster daughter, Frances, are obliged to take in lodgers. For with the arrival of Lilian and Leonard Barber, a modern young couple of the 'clerk class', the routines of the house will be shaken up in unexpected ways. And as passions mount and frustration gathers, no one can foresee just how far, and how devastatingly, the disturbances will reach … Passions will be mounting among the legions of Waters fans at this deliciously disturbing news. Vikram Seth in trouble over uncompleted Suitable Boy sequel. The novelist Vikram Seth is in delicate negotiations with his publisher Penguin over a $1.7m (£1.1m) advance for the sequel to A Suitable Boy after failing to deliver the manuscript on time. Penguin UK bought world English language rights (excluding US) to A Suitable Girl, and set a deadline of June 2013 in the hope of publishing in the autumn to coincide with the 20th anniversary of A Suitable Boy's original publication. The publishing package on which the advance was staked included the new novel and a reissue of the paperback edition of A Suitable Boy, for which Penguin acquired rights from original publisher Orion. However Seth's muse is not dancing to the publisher's marketing beat, and his agent David Godwin is fighting to keep the deal on track, acknowledging that the crucial 20th anniversary date has been missed. Penguin's acquiring editors could have picked up clues from Seth's earlier work that he might have trouble hitting his deadline. A Guardian profile in 1999 pointed out that the character Amit Chatterji in A Suitable Boy is a loose self-portrait. "He mocks himself … for sitting about all day staring out of the window." It continued: "The first section of A Suitable Boy, beginning with the wedding of the older sister of Lata, whose search for a husband is the heart of the book, was written quite quickly. But then Seth found himself blocked and, realising he did not know enough about India in the 1950s, concentrated on research for a year." Seth described his own internal conflicts: "There have been dark periods, when I've felt hopeless in love, when I haven't been able to see a way out of a situation. Metaphysical struggles, if you like. At times I was acutely incapable of doing anything." A Suitable Boy is a big act to follow: at 1,349 pages it is one of the longest books ever published in English. Set in India just after the country gained independence, the novel follows the story of four families over 18 months, as a mother searches for a suitable boy to marry her daughter. Although the book became a huge bestseller and was critically acclaimed, it was famously snubbed for the Booker Prize shortlist, prompting its publisher Anthony Cheetham to call the Booker judges "a bunch of wankers". A Suitable Girl is expected to move the action from 1950s India to the present day, where we catch up with heroine Lata, now as a grandmother matchmaking for her grandson. Observer writer Robert McCrum, who published Seth's 1986 novel The Golden Gate at Faber, said: "Ever since The Golden Gate, Vikram is a true artist who has always wrestled with words and meanings. In my experience of not publishing A Suitable Boy [McCrum was offered the book but turned it down], watching it mature into the huge bestseller it eventually became, Vikram is a writer who will always give his work another polish. He's slow, painstaking, but really good. The kind of novelist who's worth the wait." Penguin is gaining a reputation for taking a hard-nosed attitude toward writers who fail to deliver. Last September the Guardian reported that it was suing 12 authors in a New York court over late or nonexistent manuscripts. They included Prozac Nation writer Elizabeth Wurtzel and New Yorker writer Rebecca Mead. A Suitable Boy is one of the few literary novels from recent decades to have reached a mass readership: It was dramatised for radio in 2002, though a promised film version failed to materialise. More recently, a call by Guardianwitness for incongruous book covers, elicited this unusual interpretation of A Suitable Boy from one fan. Finally, a suitable girl for Vikram Seth. Fifteen years after writing that wrist-breaker A Suitable Boy (ASB), one of the longest novels in English language, Vikram Seth is all charged up about the recently announced sequel — A Suitable Girl . He has reportedly taken an advance amount of Rs 13-14 crores from Penguin UK, the highest ever for an Indian fiction writer. In an chat with HT City , Seth said he is excited about the idea of a boy looking for a girl this time, rather than the opposite in ASB. The boy, in quest of a life partner, will be the grandson of the memorable Lata Mehra, that fussy heroine who had taken a whopping 1,488 pages and 591,552 words to find a suitable boy for herself. Were ASB fans bugging Vikram for a sequel? “This is something I myself wanted to do,” he said, “but it’s taken me 17 years to discover this.” Since Seth’s own mother Leila Seth had inspired Lata’s character, could he himself be the inspiration of the sequel’s bride-seeking boy? “He’s still a foetus,” Seth says, “Give him a break.” However, Seth warns fans that in the sequel, quite a few characters will die, including the dog Cuddles. When we ask if Lata might be widowed, Seth simply says, “That’s an interesting thought”. Will the setting again be that fictional North Indian town of Brahmpur? “Yes, Brahmpur, and also Delhi, and some other places in India,” Seth shares, “maybe even a bit of abroad.” While Seth himself is in UK, his family in Noida is happy. “Both my parents are pleased,” says the author. “Come to think of it, I’d better ask both of them whether Lata’s husband should be alive or not.” But is he sure he’ll… err, find…. a suitable girl by 2013, as committed to the publishers? “No,” Seth hushed, “but don’t tell them.” Vikram Seth Wiki, Age, Wife, Family, Children, Biography & More. Vikram Seth was born on Friday, 20 June 1952 ( age 67 years; as in 2019 ) in Calcutta (now Kolkata). His zodiac sign is Gemini. He did his schooling from St. Michael’s High School, Patna, St. Xavier’s High School, Patna, Welham Boys’ School, Dehradun, and the Doon School in Dehradun. From the Doon School, he won a scholarship to Tonbridge School, England. At the age of 17, he went to live in England to attend Tonbridge, with his great uncle, Shanti Behari Seth who was a Dentist. At Tonbridge, he won another scholarship to the Oxford. He took his undergraduate degree in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics from Corpus Christi College, Oxford, England in 1975. He did his post-graduation from Stanford University, California in 1979. He was pursuing his PhD in Economics from Stanford University, but he abandoned his PhD in the middle to become a full-time writer. Physical Appearance. Eye Colour: Black. Hair Colour: Black (semi-bald) Family, Caste & Wife. Vikram Seth’s father, Prem Nath Seth was an executive of Bata Shoes and was nicknamed ‘Mr Shoe’ in Delhi. His mother, Leila Seth was the first female judge of the Delhi High Court and also the first woman Chief Justice of a state High Court in India. Vikram Seth’s Parents. He has a brother named Shantum (Buddhist Teacher), and a sister named Aradhana (Filmmaker & Scenographer). Vikram Seth with his Family. Vikram Seth with his Family. In an interview, he has confessed that he was a bisexual. [2] Outlook India He was once in a relationship with a woman named Gabrielle. He was also in a relationship with the French violinist named Philippe Honoré. In an interview, he revealed that he had been in a monogamous relationship for a long time and was very sad for it when it ended. [3] Outlook India. Career. In 1980, he wrote his first book of poetry titled “Mappings.” He has written eight books of poetry, which includes The Humble Administrator’s Garden (1985), All You Who Sleep Tonight (1990), and Three Chinese Poets (1992). His children’s book, from Here and There (1992) consists of ten stories made into poetry. Vikram Seth has written three fictional novels, ‘The Golden Gate’ (1986) being the first one. The other two are – ‘A Suitable Boy’ (1993), which drove him to limelight, and ‘An Equal Music’ (1999). He has also authored a travel book titled ‘From Heaven Lake: Travels through Sinkiang and Tibet’ (1983), which is the account of his journey through Tibet, China, and Nepal. His second non-fiction work ‘Two Lives’ (2005) is a memoir of the marriage of his great uncle, Shanti Behari Seth and his German Jewish great aunt, Hennerle Gerda Caro. He was commissioned by the English National Opera to write a libretto based on the Greek legend ‘Arion and the Dolphin.’ The opera was performed for the first time in June 1994. Arion and the Dolphin. A sequel of “A Suitable Boy” – “A Suitable Girl” by Vikram Seth was announced in 2009 and is yet to be published. Awards & Honours. Padma Shri in 2007. Vikram Seth Honoured with Pravasi Bharatiya Samman. Order of the British Empire, Officer in 2001 Crossword Book Award for ‘An Equal Music’ in 1999 WH Smith Literary Award for ‘A Suitable Boy’ in 1994 Commonwealth Writers Prize for ‘A Suitable Boy’ in 1994 Sahitya Akademi Award for ‘The Golden Gate’ in 1988 Commonwealth Poetry Prize (Asia) for ‘The Humble Administrator’s Garden’ in 1985 Thomas Cook Travel Book Award for ‘From Heaven Lake: Travels Through Sinkiang and Tibet’ in 1983. Controversies. In 2006, Vikram became the leader of the campaign against Section 377 (unnatural sex) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), which was recriminalized by the Supreme Court of India. He also slammed the Section 377 at a function organized at the Rashtrapati Bhawan by a TV Channel. [4]Times of India. I will also return my award if Sahitya Akademi remains mealy mouthed.” Favourite Things. Food: Awadhi Biryani, Konkani Biryani, Hyderabadi Biryani, Chapli Kabab, Shamli Kabab Wine: Villa Maria Poet(s): Timothy Steele, Donald Davie Novelist(s): Jane Austen, George Eliot, R. K. Narayan Book: “Eugene Onegin” by Alexander Pushkin Musician(s): Franz Schubert, Johann Sebastian Bach. Properties/Assets. He has been shifting his base from London to Delhi and vice versa. He also owns a residence- Bemerton Rectory in Salisbury, England, which is the former house of the poet, George Herbert. [6] The Guardian. Signature. Vikram Seth’s Autograph. Facts/Trivia. At the age of six, Vikram was sent to a boarding school, which resulted in him becoming an introvert. It affected his areas of interest too, as he started getting more interested in reading than being involved in group activities like sports. He recollects, Incapable of looking people in the eye. The school was too far to visit, it took two days to get there from home, and I only saw my family for four months a year. When I was at home my father, was distant, a figure who came home tired and preoccupied. I had a terrible feeling of loneliness and isolation during my six years here. Sometimes at lights out, I wished I would never wake up. I was teased and bullied by my classmates and my seniors because of my interest in studies and reading, because of my lack of interest in games, because of my unwillingness to join gangs and groups.” When he was studying in Doon School, Dehradun, he used to edit the journal of the school called “The Doon School Weekly.” Seth started to write poetry when he was studying at Oxford. He condemns the poems he had written at that time; because he considers them as ‘incredibly unskillful.’ However, he continued to write and kept those poems to himself. The first thing that impresses you about Vikram is his immense and lively intelligence. It was always clear he was going to do something remarkable, but it wasn’t clear, when I first knew him, what direction his talent would take. Three or four muses were tugging jealously at him.” Vikram took a year leave from his studies for Wallace Stegner Fellowship (1977-78) in creative writing. The American Poet and writer of ‘Can Poetry Matter?’ Dana Gioia was also one of the contemporaries of Vikram. Together with Dana and Steele, Vikram’s natural inclination to write poetry bloomed, as his first poetry collection ‘Mappings’ came out in 1980; after he had rejoined the Economics Department at Stanford. ‘Mappings’ had rhyme and meter (a sound pattern), which was quite unfashionable at that time, due to which, the publishers refused to publish his book. It forced Vikram to become a publisher himself, and he started to force his family and friends to sell the copies of his books. It was later published by Writers Workshop in Calcutta. Until his book was published in 1980, Vikram had already left for China’s Nanjing University, for his doctoral research in the demography of Chinese villages. In China, Seth spent more time in reading Chinese poems than his research. This ultimately resulted in Vikram translating the works of Wang Wei, Du Fu, and Li Bai in the book “Three Chinese Poets,” which was published in 1992. Apart from Mandarin, he is also fluent in German, French, Urdu, Bengali, and Welsh. From Heaven Lake Travels Through Sinkiang and Tibet (1983) Back at Stanford, he read a translation of Alexander Pushkin’s “Eugene Onegin” by Charles Johnston. He was heavily obsessed with the book, and this obsession led him to write his first novel “The Golden Gate” (1986), which was published by Random House. Vikram Seth Posing with his Book – A Suitable Boy. His love for music started in his childhood when he learned to play the flute and cello. He also learned to sing Khayal under late Pandit Amarnath for 10 years. However, his love for the western classical music came to him, when one of his friends at Oxford, took him to hear Bach. It was this passion for music that led him to write ‘An Equal Music’ (1999). Vikram sat at one end of a long table and began to grill us. It was quite incredible. He wanted to know our literary tastes, our views on poetry, our views on plays, which novelists we liked.” Vikram also worked as an editor at Stanford University Press from 1985 to 1986. He was also offered a job at the World Bank. His parents suggested him to work for five years at the bank, get a pension, and continue to write poetry and novels. Vikram told that his creativity would be finished and instead, he asked his parents to support him until his next book would be released. Vikram Seth with his Paintings. I have said it before and am saying it again that any Indian who demeans another Indian on the basis of the food he eats and on the basis of the god he prays to or on the basis of the person he loves is not worthy to be an Indian leader.”