The session kicked off with a Hindi poetry book, Kuchh Ishq Kiya Kuchh Kaam Kiya, by Piyush Mishra, an Indian film and theater actor, music director, lyricist, singer, scriptwriter. Being a part of Bollywood, his writing is popular, Jay observed. It is very difficult otherwise for an unknown writer of poetry to be read and enjoyed. Since Mishra is one who has seen life in all its facets, his writing is informed by experience and the contemporary life. His style is to the point and devoid of unnecessary frills. Ari read out a couple of poems and the BYOB party took on an air of lyricism.

Archana spoke about a series that she was impressed by for its therapeutic and cathartic value- Conversations with God, a sequence of books, running up to three-thousand pages, written by Neale Donald Walsch where Walsch asks questions and God answers. Walsch wrote the book during a low period in his life when he was looking for answers.The first book published in 1995 became a publishing phenomenon, staying on the New York Times Best-Sellers List for 135 weeks.

Here is an interview with the author in case you want to listen to some words of wisdom from a spiritual messenger, where he talks about fundamental spiritual questions: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iwH8LOkugzE.

Abhaya mentioned that Muhammad Iqbal, a celebrated Urdu poet, has written two controversial books in a similar vein (this is much earlier, some time before the 1920s) called Shikwa and Jawab-e-Shikwa. While the first part of the book addresses questions to God and attracted much ire from Muslim scholars, the second part was welcomed and praised.

More books in Part 2.