India has always fascinated me.

The dynamics of this old nation: the culture, the food, the landscapes - really captures my imagination. I took this photo in the back lanes of Kolkata leading into Diwali festival, and as you can read in my book, this city is the most intense human environment I have ever spent time in. Last year I returned to India to cover stories on the history of Kerala and its cuisine, for my next book. "India, is it nice?" Well yes, but it is everything, it challenges all your senses! But Kerala is much easier on the system than are some other parts. My chapters on India in WHAT THE MONSOON KNOWS are one of the most popular with readers. Why?

Well, one reader from Cronulla, Sydney, said that the Indian chapter and its description of the class system took he and his family back to a nation they had once visited. Another, a Northern Rivers of New South Wales resident, suggested that he felt he was there on the streets of Mumbai. He loved the descriptive language, it really highlighted just how impressive this mega-city is. I have a feeling that a few more trips to India are required to learn more about this life

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