Brought To Book

Oxford, By Degrees

In a small but significant way, life came full circle for me today. At the Oxford Book Depot, on Park Street, we saw copies of my novel, `Vegemite Vindaloo', prominently displayed on the `Top Ten' shelf. Unfortunately, it was one of those rare moments when I did not have my camera with me, so I have no photographic evidence of the special moment.

Special? Why? Let me explain. As a kid, I used to be brought to Oxford as a treat. My mother, who loved reading even more than I do, used to bring me to this very bookstore, to choose so many of the books I read and re-read during my childhood in Calcutta. Now, having lived in Melbourne for 19 years, I find myself back in Calcutta on a very short visit and I stand in the same store, where my own work is accorded a special place. It is a special moment, but a very humbling one.

A few feet away from me, a bloke introduces himself. His name is Warren, or Woz to his mates. A Queenslander, he has just completed a Himalayan trek in Sikkim and is about to fly out of Calcutta in a few hours, to Germany. He is looking for a book for his sister. He watches as a store assistant says they have set up an area for me to sign copies of my novel. He immediately buys a copy of the book, has a hearty chuckle at the title, and asks me if I would mind autographing his copy. Not at all, I tell him. I would be absolutely delighted. I sign the book and he, in turn, photographs me doing so.

Another visitor, Claire, who is researching a book of her own, kindly offers to photograph the `Top Ten' rack where `Vegemite Vindaloo' sits so proudly. She takes several pictures, shows me the results on her camera LCD display and promises to email me the shots. So watch this space for a pictorial record of a special evening in my life.