Second Thoughts: On Books, Authors and the Writerly Life

• The essays take readers from Shiraz and Kabul to St Petersburg and Mumbai, combining personal observations with literary criticism. The collection grew from Sarna's writings for The Hindu Literary Review

• Navtej Sarna is an Indian writer and former diplomat. A member of the Indian Foreign Service, he served in several countries and later became India's High Commissioner to the UK. He has written novels, literary works, travel writing, and translations

Second Thoughts explores Sarna's encounters with books, writers, places, and literary traditions. Through personal reflections and critical observations, the book celebrates the relationship between travel, reading, writing, and the people behind great literature.