By Umer Nangiana
Up and running, the Qatar Book Club (QBC) is all set to hold its first book discussion session next month. The book selected for reading is Mohanalakshmi Rajakumar’s latest The Dohmestics.
The book, a novel, by the Doha-based South Asian-American writer explores the vicissitudes in the lives of six women put together by fate in a compound, a typical Middle Eastern walled neighbourhood with a security gate.
Most critics and reviewers have appreciated Rajakumar’s novel for its thought-provoking traits and fixative content. “On the surface, it appears to be about six women whose lives intertwine, three are privileged women and three are their servants. But, there is so much more to this book,” writes one reviewer on Amazon.
“This was a remarkably well written novel. I appreciated how the author does not waste a great deal of time on extraneous descriptions. She sets the scene remarkably well, but also leaves room for the readers to use their imagination to help build this world,” comments another.
Mohanalakshmi Rajakumar is a South Asian-American who has lived in Qatar since 2005. She has since published eight eBooks, including a memoir for first time mothers, Mommy But Still Me, a guide for aspiring writers, So You Want to Sell a Million Copies, a short story collection, Coloured and Other Stories and a novel about women’s friendships, Saving Peace.
Her coming of age novel, An Unlikely Goddess, won the SheWrites New Novelist competition in 2011. Her recent books have focused on various aspects of life in Qatar. Dunes to Dior, named as a Best Indie book in 2013, is a collection of essays related to her experiences as a female South Asian American living in the Arabian Gulf.
Love Comes Later was the winner of the Best Indie Book Award for Romance in 2013 and is a literary romance set in Qatar and London.
The QBC’s two-hour book discussion is set to be held on November 26 from 6:30pm to 8:30 pm. The venue will be notified to members and all those interested to participate in due course of time, said QBC.
The QBC is a community initiative which was officially launched in a ceremony at Katara Art Centre on September 28 this year. Targeted at reviving reading culture and encourage book-sharing, the QBC is founded by Qatari-French couple who also aim at “breaking the ice between the expatriates and the local Qatari community.”
“There may be some expatriate people who would have never talked to a Qatari for instance and we intend to change this at QBC. It is a platform for both Qatari and the expat community members to connect and communicate,” Iman al-Doubali, a French expat and the co-founder of the club told Community at the launch of the club.
“We’ll never say it enough: this book club is by the community, for the community and will not last long without the community. We wholeheartedly hope we’ll meet your expectations and expect you’ll help us improve,” the QBC said in its note.
Apart from organising discussions on books suggested by the participants during the launch event, QBC will be hosting other activities throughout the year, such as movie screenings, workshops and more.
In its note, the club said, “If you’re an avid reader or if you’ve lost connection with books and want to find your way back to reading, you knocked at the right door.”
To make it easier and more accessible for the people, the book club is entirely English speaking and reading and is open to all. The membership costs QR150 per person and provides access to all book discussion for free, free priority access to the books bought by QBC for the discussions and a 50% discount on all events and workshops organised by QBC.
Not sure you want to register for the whole year? You can still attend book discussions by paying QR30 per session. The QBC said it has secured a few copies of the book to be discussed in the first of such sessions, however, priority will be given to the members. To reserve a book, you can send an email to [email protected] and the pick-up will be arranged on first-come first-served basis.
DEMAND: People registering for QBC membership at its launch event.
