AND THE BOOKER GOES TO.....

It's the moment we've all been waiting for. After the initial disappointment of seeing Claire Messud and David Mitchell being dumped, I was busy rooting for Hisham Matar and Kiran Desai.

It had to be down to the wire, both awesome books in their own right, tugging at your heartstrings with the multitude of issues they address.

I met Kiran's mother, the celebrated novelist Anita Desai and was fortunate to moderate a panel on 'Writing Across Time, Place and Identity' that featured her together with Meira Chand and Shalini Akhil at the Ubud Readers' and Writers' Festival. In fact, before the discussion, we talked about Kiran and how Anita has inspired a whole generation of writers and the fact that the teaching started right at home. Anita gave her usual kind smile and told me in her gentle whisper "I can't take credit for that." We talked about novel making and what a moment it would be if Kiran won the prestigious Booker.

The moment is here and even as I write this I can visualise Anita Desai's warm smile lighting up my space. It keeps Indian writing firmly in the spotlight and calls for more than just another celebration.

So if you haven't already read the book, there will never be a better moment to find out all about 'The Inheritance of Loss'.

If you are still thinking about it, read Sharon's brilliant prose on the book here:
http://thebookaholic.blogspot.com/2006/10/inheriting-loss.html