Books from Goa...

federica

Thank you for your offer. If everything goes well I'll come to India in autumn, so maybe than it's the best time to send me the book, I'll get back to you as soon as I know more.

rish

Nice post Frederick - very lengthy and detailed info

I would also recommend Frank Simoes Goa published by Roli. It is similar to Peter Mayle's books on Provence.

A review on the Frank Simoes book-


On a storm-swept September afternoon in Goa, Frank Simoes finally found what he had been searching for for so many years- that perfect acre by the sea. And there he began to build his dream house, Rockheart.

This book began as the story of his labours, but eventually became one Goan’s discovery of his idyllic native land. It is peopled by a colourful cast of characters, ranging from Leopold da Gama Rose, who saved himself from a fate worse than death by hiding beneath his mother’s skirts to Remo, the famous rock musician; from Felix Xavier Fernando, the confidant of cobras to Barty and Bostao, surely the world’s only feni-fuelled car-washing experts.

This is more than just a travel book. Thanks to Frank Simoes’s perceptive eye and abiding love for all things Goan, it is a delightful, finely-etched portrait of a people and their way of life.



About the Author:

Frank Simoes was born in Mumbai on 7 March, at 7 a.m., on the seventh day of the week, in 1937. At the age of eighteen, he decamped from hearth and home for a ‘working passage’ on a cargo ship, a polite euphemism for six months’ hard labour. Having splurged his wages on Bacchanalian revelry at various ports of call, he signed off in Genoa with two pounds fifty pence and all his worldly belongings in a backpack.

His experience in Europe over the next year: reluctant sailor, dharma bum, journeyman, writer, employee in pursuits as ecletic as dishwasher, porter, erratic typist and general dogsbody, provided a wining curriculum vitae for a career in advertising and a second career as a writer.

He was elected to the Hall of Fame of both the Communi-cation Arts Guild and the Advertising Club, authored over 300 articles and two books, Glad Seasons in Goa (now reissued as Frank Simoes’ Goa), and Fare Forward Voyager. A collection of his work was published posthumously in 2003 as Frank Unedited. He attributed much of his success to the lack of a formal education.

Frank Simoes passed away in 2002, in Mumbai, survived by his wife, daughter and countless friends and admirers around the world.

http://www.nbcindia.com/Descriptions...tle_id=2936 0

rish

If you have contact with authors or publishers, why not scan and put some of these books on Google. Even if publisher is worried, that it might affect sales, at least a preview copy can be put up.

http://books.google.co.in/intl/en/go...oks/about.html


regards

Rishi

fredericknoronha

Am trying to build a listing of bookshops around Goa. Could anyone help me, with your pointers and comments? Also do inform if any on the list are no longer in business. Thanks, FN

Panjim

* Singbal's Panjim 2425747
Old world charm, near the church square. Known for
textbooks in the past. Has a good Goa collection too.
I bought a Portuguese primer, pre-1961 published, for
a few rupees here, not many years ago.

* Broadways, Panjim
At the end of 18th June Road, though they like this
address for the prestige value it adds. Also claims to be
Goa's largest bookshop, with a wide range and special
discounts. They'll let you browse as long as you wish.
Open Sundays and uptil 9 pm almost.
http://www.goabooks.com

* Varsha , Panjim 2425832
My favourite hole in the wall. Near Cafe Prakash/
Azad Maidan. Mostly magazines. Will let you browse
into their narrow bookshop.

* Jeevit Bibles and Bookshop 2438638
Patto Center - 2nd Floor/No.8 Patto Plaza
(Next to Paulo's) Panjim. Tel: 2411201.
Run by ex-Britto's former Merchant Navy man
Tino Nazare and his Brazilian wife Mara. Religious.
tino@sancharnet.in

* Sardesai's Book Shop, between the religious hotspot
of the Goan capital, on the road leading from the church
to the masjid (that goes on to Mahalaxmi Temple).
Mostly known for textbooks.

* Hotels like Nova Gova and others have their own
bookshops, in-house.

Margao

* Golden Heart 2732450
Advertises itself as Goa's largest. Impressive spread
of books. You'd get some books not available in
Panjim here. Busy and active.

* Book Mark 2711796

* Jesus Encounter, Gogol 2724544

* Kitab Book Store, Pajifond 2731493

* Printz Plaza, Margao 2743337

* The Bookmark, Margao 2711796

Mapusa

* Other India Bookstore 2263305.
Great alternative books, NGOish, environmental
focussed, run by Norma and Claude Alvares.
Check their occasionally published, elaborate and
annotated catalogues. otherindiabookstore.com
I could claim to have a 2% role in pushing OIBS
to start a (now well-stocked and elaborate) Goa
book shelf.

* Living Word, Altinho, Mapusa 2252470
Religious texts.

Calangute

* Literati. Very unusual cafe-bookshop.
Lot of high-profile book readings (sometimes
followed with cheese and wine) run by
lawyer-booklover Divya Kapur. This was formerly
the home of Anthony Simoes, the Australia-
returned cost engineer better known for his role
as a number crunching-environmental campaigner
in the Konkan Railway campaign and more.
E/1-282 Gaura Vaddo, Calangute
It was inaugurated in November 2005.
Phone +91-832-2277740

* Oxford Bookstore
"Offering the best in publishing in an
auburn golden-lit ambience, this could just be
your best place to relax in town. With an
incredible collection of books on fiction,
beach reading, Indian writing in English,
yoga/tantra/reiki, cookery, travel, religion,
new age, business, reference and other
popular categories, Oxford Bookstore will
simply enamour you. And don’t forget to
pick up beautiful hand-made eco-friendly
gifts for your loved ones!"
"Panverica”, House No 156,
Opp. St Anthony's Chapel, Calangute
+91-93260 60647 or 9822382282 earlier.
cpereira@apeejaygroup.com
Source: http://www.oxfordbookstore.com/

* Acron's bookshop. Location "in the heart of
Goa’s leisure Riviera at Candolim beach close
to Vijay Mallya's Kingfisher villa and the
Taj-Fort Aguada."

Anjuna

* Manali General Stores, Anjuna Beach 2273477

Chicalim

* Sankars, Chicalim 2542436

Some other places that stock books:

* Sai's, Calangute. Along the main road,
near St Anthony's Chapel
A general stores. Lots of magazines. Newspapers.

* Saligao Super Market.
Austin will stock books, preferably with a local
author.

* Cafe Prakash, Panjim. A noisy, gossipy
journo haunt by evening... they will store the
rare book or two.

Online library

* Goa University library is online at
http://goalnet.unigoa.ac.in/gulibrary/index.htm

* Arte Palmarica.
See http://www.divshare.com/download/4088057-e79

* On Goa books
Books from Goa...

--
FN * Independent Journalist http://fn.goa-india.org
Software for Kids Blog: http://softwareforkids.wordpress.com

__________________
--
FN M: 0091 9822122436 P: +91-832-240-9490 (after 1 pm)
http://fn.goa-india.org http://fredericknoronha.wordpress.com
http://www.goa-india.org http://feeds.goa-india.org/index.php
f r e d e r i c k n o r o n h a @ g m a i l . c o m

anneketteringham

Thank you frederick for the very useful article on finding bookshops in Goa. As I am at present in Goa I will surely use the information you have given

Warmest Wishes

Anne Ketteringham

fredericknoronha

The doyen of Goan writing in English

Victor Rangel-Ribeiro is a name closely connected
with the resurgence that Goan writing in English
has seen in recent years. An octogenarian, what's
admirable about him is not just the high-energy
levels with which he works on his craft, but also
his generosity in sharing his skills and mentoring
others keen to enter the world of writing books and
more. Excerpts from an interview with Frederick
'FN' Noronha, as Rangel-Ribeiro returns to Goa for
this annual sojourn. This time, to be based in
Altinho (Panjim) while his ancestral home at Alto
Porvorim gets a facelift.

FN: How do you judge the current trajectory of Goan writing
in English? Growing in number, lacking in quality, offering a
lot of potential, or what?

VRR: Growing in quantity, certainly; improving in quality,
because selected writers are becoming more conscious of their
craft and technique and are writing better. They in turn are
influencing others.

I think the Goa Writers Group
[http://goawriters.notlong.com] is playing a
significant role here. They are like the yeast that
causes dough to rise; with good yeast one can make
good bread. I see a lot of potential in the writers
I meet, a potential limited only by personal
factors such as time, technique, and determination.

FN: How does expat writing compare to the work of writers
back in Goa? What do you see as the main differences and
contrasts? Are there similarities, too?

VRR: Expat writing is no different from the work of writers
in Goa. We have our good writers and our sloppy writers. The
main difference is that our sloppy writers overseas fall by
the wayside much faster; in Goa, they rush to a local printer
and become 'published' authors. The sloppy writers in Goa who
self-publish their books then give self-publication a bad
name, thus muddying the waters for the good writers in Goa
who also decide to self-publish their books.

FN: From your interaction with young writers in Goa -- and
you have many such -- what do you feel of their potential,
their shortcomings, and the challenges they need to work on?

VRR: I feel they have great potential, but this
potential is limited by an equally great ego.
Somehow some of them have come to believe that
whatever they write is perfect as soon as they have
set it down on paper, and therefore needs no
improvement. Revision is an alien concept.

"Rewrite? Why? This is already very clear!" is a protest I
hear more often in Goa than I would from one of my writing
students at Fairleigh Dickinson University in New Jersey.

So the greatest challenge young writers here have to work on
is their own sense of self. They need to realize perfection
is a goal they have to strive for, not something they have
already achieved or were born with.

I have gained some success as a writer, but not only do I
regard each manuscript as a work in progress, but I also
regard myself, the writer, as a 'work in progress'. I am
continually trying to improve my writing skills, learning
almost every day from writers who are better than I am.

FN: Could you mention three most crucial things that Goa
needs to be doing, so as to give a push to writing and
creative endeavours here?

VRR: Goa needs to develop the reading habit. Goa
needs to establish a well-stocked, up-to-date,
professionally staffed and inviting public library
in every village.

Goans need to buy books for their home bookshelves,
to recommend books that they like to their friends,
and to give books that they like as presents,
giving them as birthday and Christmas gifts, and
sometimes giving them for no reason at all.

FN: Whom do you rate as the three most promising young Goan
fiction writers today?

VRR: Frederick, I'm 83 years old. To me, every other writer
is a young writer, including Damodar Mauzo, who is a senior
writer, and Margaret Mascarenhas, who will soon have a
blockbuster on the international scene!

Recently, I read several ghost stories by Venita Coelho, and
I found some of them to be really quite out of the ordinary.
So I would regard Venita as a promising young Goan fiction
writer.

Because I live overseas for most of the year, I'm not aware
of other young writers who are publishing short stories
locally. Jose [Lourenco] writes an occasional story in
English, but has now switched to Konkani. If you name some
names, I'll be glad to look at their work.

FN: How do you compare writing in English, with writing in
other languages (in Goa, or the diaspora)?

I'm not sure I understand the question fully, and even if I
did, I'm not sure I'd be qualified to answer it. Writers
writing in English, and those writing in Konkani, Marathi,
and Portuguese, have different traditions and different
models to follow.

I am still familiarizing myself with the Devanagari
script so I at the moment I can only read through
Konkani stories with difficulty. I have also just
begun to spell my way through a Marathi book on the
Ranes. So while I'm unqualified now, five years
from now I may be able to give you a better answer!

FN: Would you go along with the view that writing in English
throws up alien and unauthentic voices in a country like
India, and particularly in the context of Goa?

Writing in English is now throwing up alien voices in
countries around the world, because English is now the
de-facto national language in many countries that do not
recognize it as such.

Does it throw up the occasional unauthentic voice? Of course
it does. In the past these voices belonged to people who had
only a passing knowledge of Goa -- Anita Desai and Irving
Stone come to mind. More recently, non-Goans settled in Goa
have written about Goa. A non-Goan settled in the US has also
been writing about Goa.

Some of these works disparage or caricature Goa and
annoy the heck out of some of us. They are
unauthentic, not because of their subject matter,
but because they do not really show any
understanding of the Goan ethos. Can anything much
be done about it? Re-education camps, perhaps?
Nah!!!

FN: How do you perceive the outside world taking to your
writing, which usually focuses on very Goa-related themes?

It is true that I focus generally on very Goa-related themes,
but I also touch on universal human values.

Tivolem was a novel about a fictional Goan village,
but it struck a chord with readers from around the
world. A Brazilian teacher told me it reminded her
of home in Sao Paulo; an American poet who had
travelled widely said it reminded him of time he
had spent in the Abruzzi in Italy; a Filippina said
it reflected life in the Philippines, and of course
every Goan thought Tivolem was his own native
village.

It was because of this universal connection -- and inspite of
its 'Goanness' -- that an American publisher not only brought
out my book in hard cover but awarded it a fiction prize, and
that a professional publication picked it as one of the
'twenty notable first novels' published in America in 1998.
And a New York Times critic praised it precisely because it
"resonates with events in a far-off place and time." [I am
quoting from memory.]

I should tell you that in the United States the years from
1956 through 1989 were fallow years for me as a fiction
writer. The breakthrough came when in 1990 I wrote a story
about Lazarinho, the petty thief who figured later in
Tivolem.

This story got me a rave letter from a top literary magazine,
the Iowa Review, which accepted it because they felt it
projected a vivid and believable picture of village life. The
same story, along with two others, won me a New York
Foundation for the Arts fiction fellowship worth $7,500. It
also got me readings all over New York.

I promptly enrolled in the Iowa Summer Writing Workshop,
choosing a group that would be led by the editor of the North
American Review. At the very first session, I read a story
about life in the US, which he accepted that very evening. At
a later session he accepted Angel Wings, a story about life
and death set again in a small village in Goa.

Obviously, the fact that I wrote about Goa was not
a handicap. Rather, I became known because my
stories about Goa intrigued American readers -- but
to intrigue them they had to be well written!

FN: Tell us what were the three most difficult challenges you
yourself had to face to make it as a writer?

VRR: Strangely enough, it was the fact that whatever I wrote
while I lived in Bombay was published the very next day. This
gave me the false sense that I was better than I really was.

When I got to New York in 1956, the stories that I sent out
were rejected routinely. I realized then that I really had
to settle down and learn the craft of fiction writing. I also
had to learn to critique my own work, and to revise it and
rewrite it much as a jeweller works with a diamond.

Secondly, the constant rejections made me question my faith
in myself as a writer. But at the same time I was covering
concerts and opera for The New York Times, under my own
byline, and that did help sustain my self-confidence. Because
I was deeply involved in music, I began writing on that
subject; my first major book on music was published in 1981
and the second one followed ten years later.

The third challenge was having to earn a living. I
often had to work two jobs. For example, while copy
chief at an industrial Fifth Avenue ad agency, a
9-5 job, I would go home for dinner, then go back
to Manhattan to type ads for the Daily News from 7
p.m. to midnight. Or I'd be teaching at a school
while copy-editing for major publishers on the
side. Bread had to be put on the table first; but
giving up writing was never an option.

FN: Which of your books do you feel most proud about in
hindsight, today? Why?

The first is a book nobody knows about. In January 1953 the
Times of India had recruited me away from the National
Standard and sent me off to Calcutta as Sunday Editor of its
new Calcutta edition. In August they shut us down overnight
and I was jobless.

Back in Bombay, I had an irresistible urge to go to St.
Xavier's College and see my old guru, [the prominent
historian] Fr. Heras. He said, immediately, "Victor, an angel
has sent you."

Apparently he was desperate to find someone to edit a stack
of secret East India Company documents, 1796-1803, that Dr.
Saletore of the National Archives had turned over to him on
Independence. A professor Fr. Heras had assigned to do the
job had done nothing, and now Dr. Saletore was threatening to
cut off his grant. Fr. Heras showed me the stack and said, "I
need an introduction, thorough editing, footnotes, maps, and
a bibliography. You have three months. Can you do it?"

I was young, stupid, and out of a job. I said, "Of course I
can." And I delivered. The volume has been published by the
National Archives, with Fr. Heras's name as editor. But I
have letters from him proving I did the work.

The second book I am proud of is Baroque Music, A
Practical Guide for the Performer, published by
Schirmer Books in New York in 1981. It was praised
by Yehudi Menuhin and other great musicians, and
helped change the way music of that period was
being performed and recorded.

It took me ten years to research and write it, and now
anytime I read it I am surprised by the depth of scholarship
that was involved. The book is found in music libraries
across North America and Europe, and also in the Kala Academy
library in Panaji. I am now preparing a second edition.

FN: Is it viable to live from writing in the 21st century?

If you write about sex. If you write a series of
self-improvement books. If you write believable horror
stories and novels. If you write gripping mysteries. If you
write fiction that includes lots of sex and/or violence.

FN: What advice would you give to young writers wanting to
enter the field?

VRR: Believe in yourself, but shed any illusions you have of
quick success. Prepare to work hard. Acquire technique. Read
widely, but selectively. Write every day. Writing is a
discipline as well as a profession.

Join a writers' group. You will learn to critique and to
accept criticism. Learn to edit and to proofread -- these are
essential skills, and you will need them when your work is
accepted and you are given proofs to check.

Prepare yourself for rejection slips -- react
positively, revise your work, send it out again. If
you achieve success, remain modest. Success can be
very short-lived. Share your knowledge with others,
especially if they reach out to you.

Contact Victor Rangel-Ribeiro: vrangelrib@yahoo.com

ENDS

VRR mentoring a writer's workshop
http://www.flickr.com/photos/fn-goa/169979105/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/fn-goa/169973942/

First published in the Herald, Panjim on Dec 28, 2008.