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Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Bernardine Evaristo, Olga Tokarczuk, Virginia Woolf and other women authors you should read - books

It might be unfair to say that we should celebrate women on a particular day while on other occasions we question women’s safety, health issues, navigate around violence against women worldwide and more. March is also the designated month to celebrate the literary works of women around the world.With the written word in the digital age and the growing platforms on social media, people are connected through a lot more than shared interests that might not have been able to be discussed until a little over a decade and a half ago. From important topics such as gender, feminism, self-care, mental health, body positivity, environment, climate change, to evergreen discussions pertaining to poetry, spoken word, romance, erotica, relationships among others, the conversations are aplenty as much as the platforms - social media, podcasts, videos, blogs and more.A popular quote that circulated on social media a few years ago read: When you see a person reading a book you love, it’s like the book is recommending the person. When it comes to finding the right gift to give, there’s nothing like a book in paperback or Kindle form or any literary gift which will remind you of each other everytime you recollect the memories in your mind. Gifting a book is not just a basic gift, it’s a gift of knowledge and something everyone will love and cherish. When you recommend and gift literature to someone, you’re bringing them closer into your inner circle and nothing can trump that feeling. ALSO READ: Top 10 Instagram handles to follow if you love quaint, beautiful book cafesThis International Women’s Day, we’ve compiled our list of women authors you must read, their popular books and why you should read them. The list can never be narrowed down into a handful and we’re glad about that, but this list is simply in order of the classic nostalgia factor, recent mentions, and popular voices extending beyond books: Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie: Since her iconic TED talk which subsequently became a bestseller, We Should All Be Feminists, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie has written several other novels namely Purple Hibiscus, Americanah and others which have found a place in many hearts, bookshelves and night stands. As of today, Chimamanda is an important feminist voice and multitasks as a fashion influencer on Instagram, all while inspiring other women. In We Should All Be Feminists, she brought up oft ignored yet necessary discussions on being treated equal like the man whom she was entering a restaurant with, being presented the bill because she too had the purchasing power along with several other pointers highlighting what feminism means and should be rightly perceived as instead of being confused for a particular ‘kind’ of feminism. There is no variety, it just is. Louisa May Alcott: Having written one of the most popular literary classics, Little Women, Louisa May Alcott changed perceptions about women back in the nineteenth century. Little Women was a coming-of-age story of a kind of four sisters who lived with their mother and waited for their father’s return from war. The story develops into more complex themes of falling in love, dealing with loss and an ailing parent and more. This book was followed by sequels on the March sisters titled Good Wives, Jo’s Boys and more. Jane Austen: Through the six novels Jane Austen wrote, she created vivid fictional worlds, drawing a large part of her literary material from the lives led by the English country gentlefolk that she knew of or had met during her lifetime. Austen had a magical knack of transforming the stories of unremarkable people and situations into notable works of literature. Even in the present day, Jane Austen’s storytelling skills inspires awe and finds newer fans every day. The best part, her headstrong female characters who would always stand their ground. Enid Blyton: One of the first reasons to begin reading, Enid Blyton has fed the imagination of many children across decades through her characters in The Famous Five, The Secret Seven, Noddy and many more. The author’s literary works can easily be credited with taking you back to the carefree days of the summer holidays from school, waking up at leisure, enjoying great food at home and also learning about usually unheard of concepts such as ‘high tea’ and ‘supper’ in Indian homes. J.K. Rowling: The seven-book-long Harry Potter series is J.K. Rowling’s most famous work to date and have been touted to be a children’s books when they first released a little over 20 years ago and became a sensation soon after. It is, however, inaccurate to assume that one of the most-loved authors in the world today, wrote only for children. A large part of the content in the Potter books is layered and dark - something you wouldn’t understand without personal experiences or learnings from around you as time goes by.The Bronte Sisters: Charlotte, Anne and Emily Bronte originally published their poetry and literature under male pseudonyms. Charlotte’s Jane Eyre, Emily’s Wuthering Heights, and Anne’s Agnes Grey came out in 1847 but after great trouble of finding a publisher. Emily Bronte is only credited with writing one of the greatest stories of love and loss in Wuthering Heights, however, Charlotte went on to write other titles in her lifetime. Toni Morrison: The first African-American woman to become a Nobel Laureate in Literature, Toni Morrison wrote her books managing her job and single-motherhood. Her works, even though fictionalised accounts of the African-American experience, belonged to a world similar to her own but remained invisible from mainstream literature at the time. She was unapologetically flawed and broken from her experiences, but the characters she wrote into existence – black and mostly female – remained true to her cause. Their lives were woven together by love, pain, trials and triumph and can be seen in all her works beginning with the widely popular Beloved.Bernardine Evaristo: The Anglo-Nigerian author, whose book, Girl, Woman, Other follows the lives and strife of twelve contrasting characters from different walks of life tied for the coveted Man Booker Prize last year. Mostly women, black and British, the characters tell the stories of their families, friends and lovers, through the years. Olga Tokarczuk: The 2018 Nobel Prize in literature laureate, made her debut as a fiction writer in 1993 with Podroz Iudzi Ksiegi (The Journey of the Book-People). Olga Tokarczuk’s third novel Prawiek i inne czasy which came in 1996 was a breakthrough. Tokarczuk is the author of eight novels and two short-story collections and her books have been turned into plays and films and translated into more than 25 languages, including Catalan, Hindi and Japanese.Virginia Woolf: A video by TED explains why one should read Virginia Woolf, saying that “if William Shakespeare had a female version, it would be Virginia Woolf”. The prolific author’s haunting language, her insights into a wide array of issues including historical, political, feminist and the non-linear approaches to the narrative which she adopted, exerted a major influence on the modernist genre. Through her popular books like To the Lighthouse and The Waves, Virginia Woolf became one of the three major English-language Modernist experimenters in stream-of-consciousness writing along with noteworthy names such as James Joyce (Ulysses) and William Faulkner (The Sound and the Fury). Candace Bushnell: Sex and The City became a phenomenon on television with its six seasons that spoke about adult friendships, finding love after 30, getting married after 40, fashion weeks, open conversations about men, desire and so much more. Over two decades later, the show is a pop culture phenomenon with dedicated pages on social media. But it all started with Candace Bushnell’s genius chick-lit that took the world by storm. The author has since also written a prequel that talks about Carrie Bradshaw coming to New York City and working her way up the journalistic ladder, meeting her friends and more. A sequel also released last year and is titled, Is There Still Sex In The City? Sophie Kinsella: She is the quirky brain behind the very popular Shopaholic series that also got made into an equally popular film, except on opposite shores. Madeline Wickham, who writes and is best-known by her pen name Sophie Kinsella, inspires young minds through the simplicity in her writing. It’s usually the simplicity one misses the most while dealing with the other complexities of life, and Kinsella’s writing fills that vacuum just fine. Aside from the Shopaholic series, Kinsella has written other interesting stories namely The Undomesticated Goddess, I’ve Got Your Number, an endearing story of a teenager dealing with depression in Finding Audrey among other titles. Have you read any of these authors’ works? Tell us your favourite authors, titles and why you loved reading them. Follow more stories on Facebook and Twitter Read the full article

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In der Akademie für Illusions- und Wandmalerei in München @benad.academy lernen wir wie man einen Vorhang mit Acrylfarben malt😍 Workshop in München: 4 Tage Ich freue mich auf mehr! Academy in Munich: @benad.academy @artstudio_post @sfa_studiofineart @artstationhq #artlife #academyofart #munich #acrylicpainted #teaching #art #artists #artsupplies #curten #illusionsmalerei #illusionpainting #illusionpainting #wallpainting #Germany #munich🇩🇪 #bestteacherever (at Munich, Germany) https://www.instagram.com/p/Bqo4SOUgCHC/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=yrkmfubdd9y5

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Charles Darwin 211 birth anniversary: Interesting facts about man behind the Theory of Evolution - art and culture

The man who is best known for his contributions to the science of evolution, Charles Robert Darwin was born on February 12, 1809. He published his theory of evolution in the 1859 book On the Origin of Species and proposed that all species of life have descended over time from common ancestors -- a fact that is widely accepted by the scientific community now. One of the most influential figures in human history, Darwin’s explanation of the diversity of life was in sharp contrast to Victorian beliefs of the time. However, the book aroused international interest and saw less controversy that his less scientific work Vestiges of the Natural History of Creation. Darwinism went on to become a movement covering a wide range of evolutionary ideas. His work on the theory of evolution also broke through Godwinian utopianism, a theory propounded by philosopher-novelist William Godwin. Godwinian utopianism considered co-habitation to be an evil and termed marriage as a “system of fraud.” In 1882, Darwin was diagnosed with heart disease and died at Down House, United Kingdom, in April. At the time of his death, the scientific community was convinced that evolution as descent with modification was correct, making him a revolutionary scientist. On Darwin’s 211th birth anniversary here’s looking at a few interesting facts about him Darwin got enrolled in the prestigious University of Edinburgh to study medicine, but soon realised that the subject was not meant for him, mainly due to his aversion to blood. He ended up graduating from Christ’s College in Cambridge with a degree in arts. He embarked on a five-year voyage on the HMS Beagle, which helped establish him as an eminent geologist. His observations supported Charles Lyell’s conception of gradual geological change. The publication of his journal chronicling the voyage made him famous as a popular author as well. The chronicling of Darwin’s voyage, which ended in 1836, resulted in his theory of evolution and natural selection. However, he did not present his theory of evolution until 1858 when he announced the same with British naturalist Alfred Russel Wallace, who had proposed a similar theory as. Darwin published his seminal work, ‘The Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection’, the year after. Charles Darwin shares his birthday with Abraham Lincoln. Born on the same day and year, the two had another similarity. While Lincoln is known for abolishing slavery from America, Darwin was passionately opposed to slavery as well. Darwin’s interaction with Yaghans (Fuegians) during the second voyage of HMS Beagle had a profound impact on his view of primitive peoples and added to his views against slavery. Darwin not only proposed the theory of the origin of species but liked dining on quite a few exotic ones as well. During his time as a student at Cambridge, he formed the Glutton Club, with the sole aim of dining on exotic birds and beasts which were unknown to the human palate. He was known to have dined on hawk, armadillo, ostrich and even a puma. Follow more stories on Facebook and Twitter Read the full article

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If Romeo and Juliet did the bhangra - art and culture

After the hugely popular stage musical, Mughal-e-Azam, director, Feroz Abbas Khan, is back with Raunaq & Jassi, a new take on Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. It bears all the elements of Khan’s signature style – lavish sets, colourful costumes and attention to detail. Khan’s latest is based on a classic, and so was Mughal-e-Azam. But that’s where the similarity ends. Khan said that Raunaq & Jassi’s scale and messaging should not be compared with any of his previous works. Mughal-e-Azamwas a theatrical adaptation of K Asif’s 1960 film, retaining the story and characters of the original. Raunaq & Jassi has only taken the idea of Romeo and Juliet, that of star-crossed lovers in the backdrop of hate. The script, music and dialogues are original. “We have made many changes... For example, there comes a point in the story when the two families forget why they hate each other,” said Khan. “Doing something on the lines of Mughal-e-Azam would have been an easy journey for me. The idea was to take the path less taken.” Why is the play set in the Punjab of the 1950s? “Think of Punjab and a certain terrain with a distinct sound and image of celebration come to mind. We have also set the story in 1950s rural Punjab to add colour to the overall story,” said Khan. He acknowledged that it was challenging to revisit a story which has been told in many languages in various eras. “I chose to go with a classic because it remains eternal. We’ve told the story in verse as the original tale is in verse,” he said.

“Doing something on the lines of ( Priyanka Parashar’/Mint ) There are high expectations from Khan’s latest. “People thought I would fail with Mughal-e-Azam because how could one surpass K Asif’s masterpiece? This time, they want me to succeed,” said the director. Khan has worked with the same team that helped him deliver Mughal-e-Azam: Manish Malhotra (costumes), Piyush Kanojia (music), Iqbal Raj (lyrics) and John Narun (projection design). Neha Sargam, who plays Jassi, had also played Anarkali in Mughal-e-Azam. “The previous play made my job easy this time round because I could work on my pronunciation and diction,” she said. “This role is more performance oriented as compared to Anarkali’s role which required a lot of singing,” she added. Raunaq & Jassi is scheduled to be staged from February 29 to March 1, at Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium, Delhi Stage to screen, best adaptations New Theatre, London, 1935 Directed by John Gielgud, the play had Peggy Ashcroft as Juliet. Laurence Olivier and Gielgud alternated between Romeo and Mercutio. The George Cukor film, 1936 Starring Leslie Howard and Norma Shearer, it featured in The New York Times’ Best 1,000 Movies Ever Made. Old Vic Theatre, 1960 Lauded for its realism, this play was directed by Franco Zeffirelli. Judi Dench played Juliet, John Stride Romeo. West Side Story, 1961 Retold as a musical about two rival gangs in New York, the film won 10 Oscars. Natalie Wood played Maria (Juliet); Richard Beymer, Tony (Romeo). Royal Shakespeare Company, 1986 Set in the 1980s, in this play the actor wore Armani suits and death came with a drug-filled hypodermic needle. Directed by Michael Bogdanov, it had Sean Bean and Niamh Cusack in the title roles. Read the full article

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Cloning musical heritage in the key of 3D - art and culture

When Mina Jang played the same melodious tune on two different flutes behind a screen, she said the examiners grading her couldn’t tell the difference.Yet the two instruments were made in dramatically different ways.One was a handmade version of an original early 18th-century flute crafted in 2001, while the other was made of white plastic and “cloned” using a 3D printer in 2019. The Museum of Music in Paris, whose collection includes a 2,500-year-old flute made of a vulture bone, has recently begun experimenting with the technique in an effort to better preserve period instruments.“The idea was to find out how to rapidly obtain a copy of an instrument whilst respecting the original flute,” said the 35-year-old professional flautist and researcher in baroque music, who initiated the idea. Before being printed, the carefully copied 18th-century flute was x-rayed to identify its precise characteristics. The original it was based on was made by the celebrated French composer and instrument maker Jacques-Martin Hotteterre and is today preserved behind glass at the museum. Musical time travel3D printing has advantages over handmade instruments, taking just 24 hours to make, compared to a month in a workshop, and costing hundreds instead of thousands of euros. But Stephane Vaiedelich, in charge of the museum’s laboratory which worked with other partners on the project too, says the move is purely about conserving musical heritage. “3D printing isn’t about replacing instrument makers,” he told AFP. “The idea is to recreate a historical instrument so that the public can appreciate its sound and to revive an important heritage.“It’s an extraordinary way of travelling through time and recapturing old repertoires,” he said, adding that a second flute had also been cloned.While 3D printing has become increasingly popular in different sectors over the last 20 years, including for reproducing instruments, Vaiedelich said the museum believed it was the first to experiment with the 3D reproduction of old instruments, using a scientific approach. A few orchestras play using original instruments from the period, such as the French group Les Siecles (The Centuries), but wind instruments struggle to withstand humidity. “It expands wood and can break” the instruments, Vaiedelich said.The museum chose to copy a transverse flute, precisely because -- unlike an oboe -- most of the musician’s breath passes outside the instrument.“The material has less of an impact on the timbre,” Vaiedelich said. Using plastic for the 3D reproduced instruments also raises environmental issues. Vaiedelich said the ideal would be to print using recycled materials.Fanny Reyre Menard, vice-president of the trade union grouping together makers and repairers of instruments, said the material used was the only downside. “For craftsmen, plastic cannot be compared to wood,” she said.“A wooden sound box is fundamental for a violin.” On the whole though, Menard said that 3D printing presented an opportunity. “It’s not a danger, but rather a very good tool for sharing information and prototypes between craftsmen,” she said. Instruments sometimes need to be customised for musicians with different needs. “Some parts are improved when adapted, for example chin rests for violins or mouthpieces on wind instruments,” said Menard. “If I find a form that interests me, I send a file to a colleague and he prints it. It’s great.” (This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text.)Follow more stories on Facebook and Twitter Read the full article

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A rainbow on the silver screen - art and culture

A coming out story of a gay man portrayed in the freeness of an animated film, the stark reality of the life of a transman shown as a documentary, a feature film of a budding lesbian romance in the villages of Maharashtra, and another about the fate of a transwoman accepting her reality. Such was the line-up of the two-day (January 21 and 22) theatrical release of these short films across eight cities — Mumbai, New Delhi, Kolkata, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Pune, Nagpur and Chandigarh, where they were showcased on the big screen. These films were among those showcased at Kashish, an LGBTQ+ film festival that was held in June last year, and went on to win many accolades before making it to the big screen across the country. “For the past decade, Kashish has been screening 160 to 170 films from 40 countries. In the last few years, India has been topping the list with around 30 films. None of these have ever seen a theatrical release or gone on to OTT platforms either (for the world to see). This package of award-winning short films (Monsoon Date, The Fish Curry, Ladli and U for Usha) will help mainstream audiences understand the diverse lives and experiences of the LGBTQ+ community. We want audiences to take back a slice of LGBTQ+ lives feeling that we are as ‘normal’ as everyone else,” says Sridhar Rangayan, founder and festival director. He is one among many who hope LGBTQ+ films get silver screen releases. He adds, “We hope to make this a continuous exercise where we are able to enable LGBTQ+ cinema across the country.” Though obtaining censor board certificates, which is a requirement for every film, is the “main blockage” right now for short films.

A still from the movie Monsoon DateTo quote Konkona Sensharma, who was the lead protagonist of Monsoon Date, “When we exclude LGBTQ+ from society, from our films, we tell an incomplete story of the world.” And her sentiments resound with director Tanuja Chandra, who showcased a film at Kashish for the first time this year. “I wasn’t able to catch these films at the fest, but they are beautiful, sad and heartbreaking at the same time. And they would be because they’re about an oppressed community.” She adds, “I want to make more short films, tell more stories that one doesn’t have the scope to do in commercial cinema.” Speaking about the plight of short films not getting a commercial outlet she says, “People do it out of their own passion for cinema. So, to imagine a future where these get a theatrical release is superb.”The storyline of her feature film, Monsoon Date, is the tear-jerking tale of Ghazal Dhaliwal and her journey of telling her lover about her past. Speaking about making the film, Tanuja says, “Ghazal is an old friend and an associate. And to have Konkona in the film was amazing not just because she is a great actor but also because she brings great empathy to the role of a LGBTQ+ character. If you can create empathy and compassion in the heart of a viewer, that makes it even more relatable.” Read the full article

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Love Chris Rock and his angry vibe - art and culture

At a time when smartphones and highspeed internet was taking off, comedian Rohan Joshi’s career was in its nascent stage. He started the All India Bakchod (AIB) YouTube channel in 2013 along with fellow comedians Tanmay Bhat, Gursimran Khamba and Ashish Shakya.Over the years, Rohan has tried to build his own brand of comedy as well. With his new solo stand-up special Wake N Bake, produced by Only Much Louder (OML), the comedian opens up about comedy, Online platforms, and more. Edited excerpts.Could you share some details about your latest show?Wake N Bake is my first ever stand-up special. It has taken me about a year and a half to write it. It is a selection of jokes and thoughts about various topics. It does have a common theme running but it is at the end of the day, a collection of jokes. They are not massively deep or profound. It’s just me on stage for an hour, taking the audience on a journey. It is about things that I am learning as I grow older.Why is it that you thought that this was the right time to come up with a show like this?It’s just something that I wanted to do but I had other priorities. Now, I finally feel like I have time and it also feels like I am ready to do a show by myself. Although I have been in comedy for a decade, it is kind of embarrassing that I hadn’t written an hour-long solo special yet. That is the reason I wanted to get this done.What do you think of the various online streaming platforms that are emerging?It is incredible and a blessing for comedians such as myself. They allow you to host so many different shows that a traditional television format wouldn’t. You can have unlimited content on these platforms. In television, there is the scope of making something theatrical or a typical series. These platforms give you a much larger platform to try different styles and genres, as a creator. In comedy itself, so many sessions are different from one another. But, the biggest boon has been quality content. It doesn’t have to fall into the mediocrity of television. Why do these platforms give comedy so much importance?People live stressful lives. News is so scary these days, so maybe people need that catharsis of laughter. Comedy is also another way of presenting an argument as opposed to shouting at people’s faces. That’s why we need comedy.What genre of comedy is trending right now?There are a bunch of genres. Though the one thing we notice right now is relatability. Earlier, if you kept yourself away from the crowd, it was considered mysterious. But now, if you’re more relatable or humane, the audience is able to see themselves in you. It is evident from the latest crop of internet stars as well, who try to work their way around relatable content, and I’ve heard so many people in the crowd say, ‘oh my god, that is so me!’ to those jokes.What does it take for a stand-up comedian to connect with the audience?On stage, good jokes and interesting stage presence is what sets you apart. Who is your favourite comedian?I love Kanan Gill and Zakir Khan. Internationally, Ali Wong is hilarious. I also like John Mulaney. From the older lot, I like Chris Rock, I love that angry vibe he carries on stage.You were once a journalist and then you became the ‘news’ itself. How do you feel about that? Does it come with a lot of stress?It comes with a little stress because at the end of the day, you’re in front of the public eye, but that’s a very small trade-off. There are other benefits such as people treat you nicely, it pays well, you get to do what you love for a living.Being a journalist has helped me understand what to say, and what not to say. I know what I could get misquoted on, I am aware of how content can be selectively edited against me. There are people with their own agendas waiting for an opportunity to tweak things I say. Coming from a news background, it has helped me be more aware and careful. Could regional comedy ever be mainstream?It was always mainstream. For the simple fact that there are more people who speak and relate to their respective vernacular languages. A Johnny Lever or a Raju Srivastava will have way more viewers than I do. I don’t think it is different, it has always been mainstream for a really long time. Their number and their tickets have been higher. In fact, we are the industry that’s new and are playing catch up with them with our semi-adult and semi-English comedy. We are the ones trying to break into their mainstream. Read the full article

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‘People are more enthusiastic about theatre in Delhi than Mumbai’ - art and culture

It was the role of a spoilt Tia Ahuja in the TV show Remix, that made actor Shweta Gulati a known face in the world of Indian television, but for the actor, it is theatre that keeps her busy these days. Talking about her recent play, Ab Tera Kya Hoga Waalia, Shweta says, “It is the story of a man who has two wives. I am playing a third woman in his life. He is confused, as he is juggling a lot of things. Mine’s a special appearance and I get to add the glamour quotient in the play. Please don’t ask me if I relate to the character, because I don’t.”Shweta, who’s moved to doing a lot more theatre than television, made a “conscious” decision to venture into it, because, she says the satisfaction of playing a character live on stage is “incomparable”. “In theatre, there are no retakes, it doesn’t allow that. You’re liked or disliked by the audience then and there. It gives you an adrenaline rush that other mediums don’t,” she says.The actor, who’s also been a part of a Kingdom of Dreams production, Jhumroo, in Gurugram (Haryana), says that Delhi has a better theatre scene as people are more enthusiastic about going out and watching plays. When asked if theatre is a sustainable medium for actors, Shweta admits, it’s not. “The revenue that is generated from theatre is less.There are no ad promotions because the budget is low. So, stage actors are hardly paid anything. If they are doing plays, it’s never for the money, it’s for the love of the art,” she adds.Talking about the amount of time she invests in rehearsals, she says, that depends from play to play, and character to character.“For Jhumroo, I moved to Gurugram for a year and a half because it required that much time and effort.” Currently working on a play called Ananyaa along with Ab Tera Kya Hoga Waalia, Shweta signs off by saying, “that’s what I would like to focus on for now”. Read the full article

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Mirza Ghalib 222nd birth anniversary: Facts about the legendary Urdu poet - art and culture

Mirza Asadullah Baig Khan, better known by his pen name Ghalib and Asad, was born on December 27, 1797. Honoured with titles Dabir-ul-Mulk and Najm-ud-Daula, he wrote in both Urdu and Persian and traced his ancestry back to Aibak Turks who moved to Samarkand following the fall of the Selijuk dynasty. Ghalib’s grandfather immigrated to India from Samarkand during the reign of Ahmad Shah. Regarded as one of the greatest Urdu poets, Ghalib’s love for Delhi is well known. He has time and again immortalised the spirit of the city, once writing, “Ik roz apni rooh se poocha, ki Dilli kya hai, to yun jawab main keh gaye, yeh duniya mano jism hai aur Dilli uski jaan.” (I asked my soul, ‘What is Delhi?’ It replied: ‘The world is the body, Delhi its soul”).   On the poet’s 222nd birth anniversary, here are a few facts about Mirza Ghalib 1. Ghalib married the daughter of Nawab Ilahi Bakhsh, Umrao Begum, when he was just 13-years-old, following which he settled in Delhi. 2. In 1850, Emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar II bestowed upon Mirza Ghalib the title of Dabir-ul-Mulk, as well as the title Najm-ud-daula. 3. It was Bahadur Shah Zafar II who awarded him the title of Mirza Nosha, thus adding the word Mirza to his name. 4. Bahadur Shah Zafar II had appointed Ghalib as his tutor for poetry in 1854 and later he appointed him the tutor to his eldest son Prince Fakhr-ud Din Mirza. During this time, Ghalib was also appointed by the Emperor as the royal historian of the Mughal court. 5. Ghalib wrote his first verse at the age of 11, and interestingly, it has been noted that in most of his verses, the gender of the beloved is never known. 6. Ghalib’s closest rival was the poet Mohammad Ibrahim Zauq. Another contemporary of Ghalib who was well-known was Momin, whose ghazals were known for their lyrical styles. 7. The famed figure in Urdu literature Altaf Hussain Hali, who is also known as Maulana Khawaja Hali, was a shagrid (student) of Ghalib. Hali went on to write a biography on Ghalib titled Yaadgaar-e-Ghalib. 8. Following the death of Ghalib in February 15, 1869, the last great poet of the Mughal era was buried in Hazrat Nizamuddin near the tomb of Nizamuddin Auliya. 9. Being a member of declining Mughal nobility, Ghalib depended on either royal patronage, or the generosity of friends. Following the fall of the Mughal Empire, Ghalib could never get his full pension restored. 10. Before Ghalib, letter writing in Urdu was extremely ornamental. The poet, who was also a gifted letter writer, made the style more conversational. 11. Ghalib chronicled a turbulent period in Mughal history. He would time and again write about the destruction of the famed bazaars of Mughal Delhi as well as havelis and mansions. 12. Mirza Ghalib’s residence, which is located in Gali Qasim Jan, Ballimaran, Old Delhi, has been converted into a heritage site. The museum also houses a life size replica of the legendary poet. Follow more stories on Facebook and Twitter Read the full article