"Smoke on the Backwaters" Ignites the Imagination

Madras Book Club and Anglo-Ink hosted a function on June 4, 2025, to help Leslie Carvalho launch his novel titled Smoke on the Backwaters at CP Arts Convention Centre in Chennai. Broadcast journalist Jennifer Arul had a lively conversation with Carvalho, and Britiny Catherine Barren read excerpts from the book. 

The story follows a twenty-year-old girl whose life changes after a single incident causes her to leave her coastal town in Mangalore, South India. Her journey across continents helps her heal, but upon her return after seven years, she finds her town unchanged. She seeks to find meaning and purpose in her life. Anglo-Ink is India's first Anglo-Indian book publishing company, founded by Harry MacLure.

                                                                                                                   Contributed by ELWYN