Bookstrapping: Illustrated books ahoy!

I came across the rather quirky book Bangaliyana by Rajiv Baneerjee first on LinkedIn. With chapters titled Muchmuche and Pujor Chutti, this was the work of an ardent Bangla-phile, albeit probashi. (born outside of Bengal)

Bangaliyana is an illustrated book for adults! First up, not a very large universe of such books. I asked the author, are you a caricaturist first or an author? He said, “Doodling is my first love. The sketches came first and the words followed suit. Cartooning and doodling has been a passion since childhood and all of it is self taught, looking, reading and observing the works of greats like R.K. Laxman, Mario Miranda and Ajit Ninan.” Tall order that!

Abound Bangaliyana itself, he adds, “This book took shape first in the form of sketches, about 8-10 years ago. The narrative around every sketch in the book was then woven in and they were based on my observations and personal experiences.”

Since these books are rare, ardent book lovers have started viewing them as collector’s items. Let's look at a few such gems.

1. The magnificently illustrated Neil Geiman’s ’Ocean at the End of the Lane: Negotiating As If Your Life Depended On It.’ This is a startling work of fiction that displays a rare and nuanced understanding of the human mind and asks an important question- can adults remain curious and feel safe to ask “stupid questions.”

2. How many author-doodlers are out there? Because an author can write and then farm the visual art out to a caricaturist. Rajiv Banerjee explains that the ‘writer-doodler’ identity is often singular, as in the case of the great RK Laxman who sketched and wrote extensively about his iconic ‘common man,’ and the polymath and genius, Satyajit Ray, who not only wrote, but also sketched! What better example than the famous detective character he created, ‘Feluda'!

3. A gem of book that has to make this list is ‘The Boy, The Mole, The Fox and The Horse’ by artist and illustrator Charlie Mackesy. It is a book for all age groups and has come to mean different things to different people. For millions of readers, this book is a source of strength and for others, it gives them hope!

4. If you’re a collector, you must procure a copy of the illustrated version of James Joyce’s Ulysess. A limited edition was published in 2022 and the interpretation of complex prose into art is captivating to say the least. The book features rich drawings by the neo-figurative artist Eduardo Arroyo, one of the greatest Spanish painters of his generation.

5. And while we are talking graphical novels, it is simply not possible to leave out Japanese manga novels. Lets make a special reference to the work of Nagata Kabi, the Japanese manga artist who has authored several books including My Lesbian Experience with Loneliness. The books deal with adult themes of eating disorders, mental illness, self-abuse and exposes the underbelly of biases in Japanese society.

Back to Bangaliyana! It is an intimate peek into the author’s life experiences and how he has interpreted them. Its tickles your funny bone because it lampoons its own protagonist-even as a community starts to speak as one. Like the delicious Sandesh holding its own in an exotic bevy of Michelin star desserts, the probashi Bengali has created their own cultural imprint on the world. Dive right in!

Reeta Ramamurthy Gupta is a columnist and bestselling biographer. She is credited with the internationally acclaimed Red Dot Experiment, a decadal six-nation study on how ‘culture impacts communication.’ A reading coach, you can find her on Instagram @OfficialReetaGupta.