Three authors, three worlds!

This Sunday, The English Book Depot, Dehradun hosted a delightful literary gathering that brought readers and authors together in a warm and welcoming atmosphere.

The event featured Janhavi Prasada, known for Nainital: Through Memory, Stories and History; Rushina Munshaw Ghildiyal, author of Chutney: A Compendium of Stories and Recipes; and our Sir Sandeep Dutt, author of My Good School.

Rather than a formal discussion, the event had a more personal and welcoming tone. Readers got the opportunity to interact with the authors, see their books up close, and appreciate the diverse themes their works explore.

My Good School highlights the importance of values and holistic learning in education. Chutney beautifully combines food heritage with culture and memory. Meanwhile, Janhavi Prasada’s book on Nainital captures the charm, history, and emotional landscape of the beloved hill town — making her meet-and-greet especially meaningful for those connected to the region.

The gathering was simple yet special — a space where literature brought people together, sparked curiosity about different kinds of storytelling, and reminded everyone of the joy of meeting the minds behind the books.

Sometimes, just being in the presence of authors and their work is enough to inspire readers — and this Sunday did exactly that. 

- Sneha at The English Book Depot

BOOKS OF THE WEEK

THE DARK-COLOURED WATERS : A Journey Along River Chenab by Danesh Rana 

ABOUT THE BOOK
The Dark-Coloured Waters is as much the story of a river as it is of a man shaped by its course.
Danesh Rana has had a profound connection with the Chenab. As a child, it flanked family road trips to Kashmir. In the 1990s, it ran through the newspaper headlines of bloodshed and militancy. And in 2002, it flowed past his police station in Ramban during a tense posting flat the heart of conflict. In 2018, on election duty in Himachal Pradesh, Rana arrived at the river’s source – a symbolic homecoming that compelled him to write this book.
Spanning decades and landscapes, The Dark-Coloured Waters traces the Chenab from its mythic origins to the violence-scarred landscape of Jammu and Kashmir. Along the way, Rana blends memoir, travelogue and keen observation to chart the river in all its complexity. Every bend reveals something new – culture and conflict, memory and myth, power and resistance. The Chenab is also a river of diplomacy, enshrined in the Indus Waters Treaty and entangled in the acrimony of India–Pakistan relations. From Bollywood to bloodshed, spiritual quests to statecraft, the Chenab reflects the many Indias that surge along its banks.
This is no linear chronicle, but a riverine journey – restless, reflective and deeply human.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Danesh Rana is an Indian Police Service officer of the AGMUT cadre. He has served for 25 years in different capacities in the three regions of (the erstwhile state of) Jammu and Kashmir. Presently, he is on central deputation with CRPF. His debut novel, Red Maize, won the Tata Literature Live! First book award for fiction in 2015. His second book, a work of non-fiction, As Far as the Saffron Fields: The Pulwama Conspiracy (2022) , is a definitive work on the deadly Pulwama blast of 2019.

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Discussing Assessment Methods in Education

Reading from the book What Did You Ask At School Today? by Kamala Mukunda

Recording Summary - January 30, 2026

Fridays @ EBD focused on discussing assessment methods in education, particularly exploring alternative approaches to traditional testing. The participants, including teachers and students, shared experiences and perspectives on collaborative testing, portfolio assessments, and rubrics. They discussed the challenges and benefits of these methods, including their potential to reduce test anxiety and promote deeper learning. The conversation also touched on emotional health in schools, with participants sharing examples of how their institutions support students’ mental well-being. The conversation ended with a discussion on academic emotions and their impact on learning, emphasising the importance of recognising and addressing students’ emotional states in the educational context.