Dispatches From Champaca: November 2022

Hello fellow book lover,

Did you read anything interesting this month? As the year is nearing an end, we thought we’d check in on how the #ChampacaReadingChallenge has been going for you? How many prompts have you ticked off from the list? Some of our favourite prompts were revisiting a childhood favourite, books with female detectives, and books set in an Indian metropolis! 

Do you have a favourite prompt from our Reading Challenge? Tell us, we’d love to know! Click the link to leave your responses. 

We hope our reading challenge has encouraged you to pick up new authors, challenge your reading habits, and discover diverse stories.

We had two wonderful events at our Bangalore store this month. In early November we hosted a discussion between the author and translator of Tejo Tungabhadra — Vasudhendra and Maithreyi Karnoor. The book, translated from Kannada, is a sweeping saga of love and ambition, set in the 15-16th century across Lisbon, Vijayanagar and Goa, that brings to life a vanished landscape. Last weekend, we hosted the Bangalore book launch of Janice Pariat’s latest novel Everything The Light Touches. She was in conversation with poet and author Jeet Thayil. It was a warm evening, with a packed and attentive audience. The book tells an immersive story about the natural world, our interactions with it, the ways we view and try to control it — and what it can teach us about freedom, connection, and life.

We also have many updates from our in-store children’s library. Last Sunday, we held our first storytelling session for children. Nayanika, a bangalore-based writer, did a reading from The Incredible Book Eating Boy by Oliver Jeffers, an author we love! Our store was full of children, lounging comfortably on the floor, and listening to the story. We hope to do many more of these sessions in the future. We also have a new blog Under The Reading Tree — where we bring you regular updates from our library!

If you’re looking for a book recommendation, you can always find tons of stacks to choose from on our social media, along with other updates from our store!

Until next time, happy reading!