Mumbai Diary: Saturday Dossier

Pic/Sameer Markande

Saffron salutation

On Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Jayanti, women draped in orange weaves pay tribute to his statue at Masunda Lake, Thane West

Where we park the wheels

A photo from Nathan Fernandez's picture series, Parked in Goa, features in the magazine

What happens when a watchful writer - also an urbanist - finds books such as The Image of the City and Learning from Las Vegas? In Radha RH's case, it inspired (our) Parking Mag - a publication on news and literature for both the car owner and parking enthusiast. "I wanted to write and was always curious about how cities work. At some point, I started seeing parking lots as public spaces; much like our parks and playgrounds. The journal deep-dives into alternative ways of considering parking lots with regard to how automobile-centric our surroundings are," she shared.

Also Read: Mumbai Diary: Friday Dossier

City-based architect and author Robert Stephens likes how the magazine is full of movement, coloured with rich visuals, and riddled with deep questions and imaginative speculations. "All of the qualities that are typically not associated with parking weave their way into the publication. I love it for its whole-hearted devotion to parking - the underdog of urban arts in India, and in many ways, a necessary evil," Stephens told us.

Committed to comics only

A creator presents her books at a stall during last year's festival

Are you the kind of comic-book reader who looks beyond the big banner publications? Do you browse for independent titles in the genre to savour its wide variety of self-expression? The Indie Comix Fest, scheduled for later this month at YMCA in Mumbai Central, is just the place for you. Organiser Aniceto Pereira shared, "The platform is open to all kinds of readers, but usually attendees are aware that this is a small community that cherishes the genre for the sake of it. And they keep coming back year after year." He told this diarist that the first edition in Mumbai - held in 2017 - had inspired creators to initiate city-specific chapters in Delhi, Chennai, Bengaluru, Kolkata and Pune. The two-day festival will feature creators such as Bakarmax, The Blue Jackal, Holy Cow Comics, Comixsense and Unbearable Comics, among others.

Those who write in green ink

In the context of a literary scene that boasts climate realities in India, an upcoming course in environmental writing will focus on young readers. About the Nature Writing for Children course, author Meghaa Gupta (below) said, "Our first edition was held last year and the response was so encouraging that we have decided to offer this on a quarterly basis. Chosen participants get an opportunity to learn about the children's publishing landscape for environmental writing in India, interact with professionals in the field, and get professional feedback on their writing." Facilitated by Azim Premji University, the course has been designed by Gupta, Shashwat DC and Harini Nagendra. Gupta hopes that the platform will grow to include more languages.

A sweet pairing

Owners Stacy Gracias, Ralph Prazeres

It's easy to imagine a room filled with the aroma of sweet delicacies as this diarist writes about the new pop-up that will open up at KMC' this weekend. Padaria Prazeres - a Goa-based bakery that serves artisanal breads and hand-crafted pâtisserie - will be part of the three-day event. Chef Ralph Prazeres shared, "We were always keen to do something in South Bombay, especially after our previous pop-up, and when we heard that KMC' was open to collaborating with us, we came here to look at the space, and absolutely loved it. Visitors can expect fresh bakes in flavours including custard berliners, chocolate palmiers and a savoury garlic cream cheese focaccia.

Comic timing

In a world where laughter is visited intermittently - almost as a distraction to our mainstay - this diarist often mulls the value we attach to comedy. Does comedy only hint at the lightness of things? Or, can it inspire thoughts, effect significant change? It's as if lyricist Varun Grover (left) and actor-director Akarsh Khurana (right) heard us thinking. The duo will be seen discussing the role and responsibility of comedy in stories in an upcoming masterclass. The session scheduled to happen at a Khar venue will also spill the beans about writing for laughs. This diarist finally hopes to find answers to her random deliberations.