CATEGORIES

A Season of Sweetness & Joy

A wish list that found its way to ‘Santa’. An unlikely Christmas far from home. A community that brightened a grief-stricken home. If you need a little extra warmth this year, these wonderful stories will do the trick.

Bye-Bye, 2021

Two years ago, before The Time of the Virus, my husband and I spent a wonderful New Year’s Eve ringing in 2020. We drank prosecco and played charades with good friends at their country house surrounded by sparkling snow. Our two kids were off at parties with dozens of their friends, as one would expect from young adults.

Books

Under Something of a Cloud: The Best Travel Writing of Dom Moraes, Speaking Tiger

DRAMA IN REAL LIFE THE BOYS IN THE CAVE

For the soccer team trapped deep in a Thailand cave, rescue seemed impossible

The Dark Web Demystified

13 THINGS

STRENGTH AND SENSIBILITY

In her new novel, The Blind Matriarch, author and co-director of the Jaipur Literature Festival, Namita Gokhale speaks of the resilience women and families have shown during the pandemic and the renewed importance of pluck and perseverance

Up In LIGHTS

A community puts on a dazzling display of support for a grieving family

Awesome Tips For Getting Back Into Social Shape

How to navigate friends, family and social outings in a vaccinated world

Brain Games That Really Work

Researchers know more than ever about how puzzles and twisters keep your mind sharp (Hint: Start with games that are tough!)

How You Can Control Or Even Reverse This Diabetes

Striking new studies show how you can control or even reverse this common disease

Covid-19 And The Road Ahead

The long-awaited victory may be closer at hand than ever

THE WOMAN WHO WRESTLED A COUGAR

Her mind racing, Larrane Leech leapt on to the cat, hoping against hope she could protect the children

BORN THIS WAY

A glimpse into a transwoman’s resilient life, both synchronously coveted and singled out

Appealing to Our Better Nature

Amitav Ghosh’s novels— The Shadow Lines, The Glass Palace, the Ibis trilogy—were always things of delight. We savoured his prose while losing ourselves in the expanse of the worlds he had imagined.

ME & MY SHELF

Rahul Raina is the author of How to Kidnap The Rich. He divides his time between Oxford, England, where he runs his own consultancy, and Delhi, where in the down season, he teaches English and works for charities for disadvantaged children..

Books

Desperately Seeking Shah Rukh India’s Lonely Young Women and the Search for Intimacy and Independence

The Benefits of Cuddling

Touch is actually good for us

ME & MY SHELF

After moving to England in the 1960s, Farrukh Dhondy seemingly did everything. He worked as a writer, teacher, a journalist and a commissioning editor for Channel 4. His recently released memoir, Fragments Against My Ruin, records the highlights of a very full life.

LET'S GO FOR A WALK

I discovered that this gentle activity supports healing for both body and soul

NEWS FROM THE WORLD OF MEDICINE

FREQUENT INTERNET USE: NOT ALWAYS BAD

MY PENNILESS JOURNEY

In 1998 I decided to walk 805 km across England and into Scotland with no money. Would I be shown enough hospitality to keep going?

EACH ONE A CHAMPION

India’s para-athletes made history in Tokyo, but the story of how they got there is a true lesson in grit

FLASH FLOOD

Within seconds, the car carrying four Dutch tourists was swept down the hillside by the raging waters

It Happens ONLY IN INDIA

“Will you please lend me ₹10,000? I will pay it back after I win KBC.”

Words of Wellness

The surprising reasons why reading is good for your health

Books

The Nutmeg’s Curse: Parables for a Planet in Crisis by Amitav Ghosh, Penguin Allen Lane

Let's Talk About Sex

Why we need to rescue sexual health from taboo and misinformation

Are We Still Friends?

How to have a difficult conversation without losing your cool

How To Keep Your Heart Young

Exercise and proper diet are a good start. But these cardiologist-approved tips offer surprisingly helpful additions to any routine

Ping & Gaston

Fostering a pair of ducklings brought new joy to our home—until I discovered what awaited them back at the farm