Immigrant Experience

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Turning the pages
We seem to take for granted that Indian writers have as much sway over the canon of English literature, as have been influenced by British writing. From Salman Rushdie, Sir V S Naipaul and Vikram Seth, among countless others, their works have shown the two-way traffic of influence. Now, the Kitab Festival, scheduled for later this spring, will explore how contemporary Indian literature is changing the British writing horizon. Equally, the festival will also attract a number of Indophile British writers who are seen to have an impact on modern Indian writers. If this all sounds very 8216;8216;circular8217;8217;, it8217;s because it8217;s meant to be, according to Kitab8217;s organisers, who have pulled in a comprehensive line-up of participants.

The Indian contingent includes Sunil Gangopadhyay, Suketu Mehtu, Nabaneeta Deb Sen and Amit Chaudhuri. There8217;s a mass Brit troupe heading over, led by Geordie Greig, editor of the society glossy magazine Tatler, who has previously been a judge of the Whitbread Prize. But it8217;s not just about earnest discussion of semantics and publishing: glamour is also on the menu, in the form of Goldie Hawn, who is expected to attend.

Baby Guru and her gentle ways
It8217;s certainly a sign of the times here when a medical specialist to the stars becomes a star in her own right. Especially when the doctor in question specialises in birth and obstetrics. But Dr Gowri Motha, who has been nicknamed the 8216;8216;Baby Guru8217;8217; by A-list celebrities, including Gwyneth Paltrow, has inspired a huge following, thanks to her special techniques called the Gentle Birth Method: the Jeyarani Way to help pregnant women and new mothers cope. Of Sri Lankan parentage, Dr Motha grew up in south India to a doctor father; her mother, Jeyarani, after whom the technique is named, always practised complementary therapy at home. But Dr Motha trained as a doctor in conventional medicine and it was only when she moved to England that she discovered 8216;8216;obstetrics was a form of crisis management8217;8217;. While working in a London hospital, she began to develop her own programme for which she soon shot to fame when supermodels such as Kate Moss and Elle McPherson spread word of her talents.

8216;8216;It was friends recommending me to each other,8217;8217; says Dr Motha modestly. 8216;8216;Kate Moss started it.8217;8217; And given that Ms Moss is such a trend-setter, it was barely a cat8217;s whisker moment before fashion designer Stella McCartney daughter of Beatle Paul and Gwyneth Paltrow came to her clinic. Her latest book, Gentle First Year published by Thorsons Elements in mid-March has already been requested by celebs, pre-publication. Check out http://www.gentlebirthmethod.com in the meantime.

Former editor of Shoo magazine, Robina Dam contributes to the London Evening Standard and the Sunday Times Magazine