The Paper Trail
Harper's Bazaar India|June 2017

How the smell of old books recalls memories of youth and a lesson in ageing gracefully.

Jerry Pinto
The Paper Trail

“When I was home, manuscripts surrounded me. My friends told me, ‘you have gone crazy. You can’t talk about anything else.’ I said, ‘leave me alone.’ The manuscripts had a certain smell, and they said ‘you are smelling of manuscripts, Abdel Kadir.’”

—The Bad-Ass Librarians of Timbuktu: And Their Race to Save the World’s Most Precious Manuscripts by Joshua Hammer (Simon & Schuster, 2016)

Every so often, some young person discovers that the attar-makers of X place in India—sometimes Jaipur, sometimes Mumbai, sometimes Falaananagar—have invented a perfume that smells like petrichor, the earth after rain. I wonder why no one has ever thought to make an attar that smells of old books. Could it be because they are generally ahl-e kitaab, people of the book? And the beautiful smell of a book is the smell of its ageing?

هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة June 2017 من Harper's Bazaar India.

ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.

هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة June 2017 من Harper's Bazaar India.

ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.

المزيد من القصص من HARPER'S BAZAAR INDIA مشاهدة الكل
Unyielding And Unmatched
Harper's Bazaar India

Unyielding And Unmatched

In an industry where every move is scrutinised, Kareena Kapoor Khan lives passionately, loves her job, and understands that there’s more to her than just box-office numbers.

time-read
10+ mins  |
September 2024
SEEN AND HEARD
Harper's Bazaar India

SEEN AND HEARD

Female authors explore how crucial it is that women write about their personal experiences.

time-read
4 mins  |
September 2024
INTO THE WORLD OF JUDY CHICAGO
Harper's Bazaar India

INTO THE WORLD OF JUDY CHICAGO

What makes the feminist trailblazer an icon?

time-read
3 mins  |
September 2024
'THE LEGACY OF A SINGER WILL ALWAYS STAY INTACT'
Harper's Bazaar India

'THE LEGACY OF A SINGER WILL ALWAYS STAY INTACT'

AR Rahman believes AI can be used without compromising on the artistic essence.

time-read
3 mins  |
September 2024
THROUGH HER EYES
Harper's Bazaar India

THROUGH HER EYES

Indian supermodels remember legendary photographer Prabuddha Dasgupta ahead of his 68th birth anniversary.

time-read
4 mins  |
September 2024
THE SHAPE-SHIFTERS
Harper's Bazaar India

THE SHAPE-SHIFTERS

From adorning your body to your mantle piece, jewellery designers are turning to homeware.

time-read
3 mins  |
September 2024
WEARABLE ART
Harper's Bazaar India

WEARABLE ART

Three limited-edition timepieces, inspired by Gaston-Louis Vuitton's love for artistry, is an ode to the Maison's legacy of craftsmanship.

time-read
2 mins  |
September 2024
AS LONG AS TIME
Harper's Bazaar India

AS LONG AS TIME

Bazaar India delves into the ethos of watch brands.

time-read
3 mins  |
September 2024
MILANO MAKEOVER
Harper's Bazaar India

MILANO MAKEOVER

Sabato De Sarno's reimagination of this classic Gucci bag is is an ode to his Milanese becoming.

time-read
1 min  |
September 2024
A LOVE LETTER TO JAIPUR
Harper's Bazaar India

A LOVE LETTER TO JAIPUR

Designer Surily Goel reveals the making of her latest collection.

time-read
2 mins  |
September 2024