https://www.scmp.com/rss/12929/feed en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com The Parcel by Anosh Irani Knopf Canada 3.5 stars Mud, blood and other bodily fluids: this novel takes no prisoners in its portrayal of prostitution in today’s Mumbai. Yet against this sometimes upsetting backdrop, author Anosh Irani presents a compelling tale of dignity and sacrifice. The title refers to Kinjal, a 10-year old girl who has been trafficked from her village in Pakistan. She is kept in a cage in the attic of a brothel to prepare her for “opening”. The story, however, focuses more on... https://www.scmp.com/culture/books/article/2054134/book-review-parcel-anosh-irani-sordid-story-sex-sale-mumbai-and-hard?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/culture/books/article/2054134/book-review-parcel-anosh-irani-sordid-story-sex-sale-mumbai-and-hard?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 13 Dec 2016 04:00:30 +0000 Wrapped in a black canvas hold-all is no way to return to the country of your birth, especially if you're approaching 100 years old. But 12 hours in an overhead locker had to be preferable to roughing it in cargo, even with bubble wrap. That's just how an artefact from the colonial era - a rosewood and silver box presented to the 16th governor of Hong Kong, Sir Reginald Edward Stubbs - has returned to Hong Kong. A farewell gift, the box had been presented by the Chinese community on the... https://www.scmp.com/article/567589/relic-returns?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/567589/relic-returns?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 13 Oct 2006 16:00:00 +0000 Whoever said it's better to travel than to arrive obviously didn't have two small children in tow on a long-haul flight. So, much as I'm looking forward to a few weeks' summer holiday in Britain, I'm dreading the journey. Our track record isn't good. There was the occasion when two-year-old Emily ran around Denpasar's business-class lounge, brandishing our new Ikat hanging like a sword, smashing a champagne glass and almost taking out the eye of a German tourist. And what about when baby... https://www.scmp.com/article/556658/ire-miles?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/556658/ire-miles?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 14 Jul 2006 16:00:00 +0000 Fifteen minutes of fame is what everyone gets, according to American artist Andy Warhol. But what he didn't mention is that even 15 minutes is too long. And how do I know? There's a celebrity in my home right now. Imagine the scene. I'm in Stanley Plaza, minding my business. Suddenly, there are people running towards me, shouting, waving cameras. At last, I've been recognised! The great English writer! The adoration I deserve! I ready myself for autograph requests. But as they close in, I... https://www.scmp.com/article/545751/too-cute-shoot?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/545751/too-cute-shoot?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 21 Apr 2006 16:00:00 +0000 Everyone in my family used to think I was some kind of weirdo. My father still does. Even my sister, a sometime-vegetarian who's partial to bacon and sausages, thinks I should have grown out of it. But I haven't. I just can't help it: I hate fish. For a family of avid pescivores, a non-conformist was a constant source of bother. 'Can't under-stand why you won't eat it,' my mother would grumble. 'I spent all day cooking that.' 'It's a wonderful flavour,' my father would chip in. 'Don't know... https://www.scmp.com/article/541841/fishy-legacy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/541841/fishy-legacy?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 24 Mar 2006 16:00:00 +0000