Kapil Sibal's book launch 'I Witness' in Bangalore

Media News

Bangalore, September 05, 2008

Roli Books released ‘I Witness’ by Kapil Sibal in Bangalore. The book was launched by Ms Waheeda Rehman, a veteran Bollywood actress. Renowned journalist Ms. Maya Sharma from NDTV moderated a discussion between the author and Bachi Karkaria, Associate Editor of the Times of India.

About the book

“I Witness” is Kapil Sibal’s first venture into the literary sphere, a refreshing detour from his pragmatic and prosaic world of administration and policy-making. Mostly composed on the cellphone in rhyme, they are contemporary in theme, wickedly amusing, sharp and sparkling like cut glass. On the other hand, revelations of tenderness, longing and a certain tentativeness through romantic yet feisty love poems bare a hitherto hidden facet of a very public man. Emotions ranging from love to terrorism, Twenty20 cricket to global warming and Antarctica are disarming yet perspicacious and strung together with sensitivity. And above all, there is the ability of the poet to laugh at himself.

For the first time in India, the book cover is a painting by the legendary Picasso titled Sitzende Frau (Sitting Women). Priced at Rs. 295/-, the book contains 84 poems in 160 pages.

Praise for the book:

Kapil Sibal is finding more fulfilment in poetry than he did in law or politics. He writes on a wide range of topics : cricket, coruption, political skullduggery, nature, romance and love. Whatever his theme, he writes with wit, satire, humour, compassion with no holds barred he makes wonderful reading.

-Khushwant Singh

I can see that these poems have emerged from a searching mind in action..’Defining Moments’ is the crowning poem…where Kapil has injected his own typical humour. This book indeed a good collection of important societal thoughts emerging from his exeriences in law judiciary, politics, sciences and technology.

-Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam

Kapil Sibal’s poems range frm the personal to the political. They are often touching, always keenly – observed and thought-provoking. They are infused with a passionate concern for both individuals and issues that matter to a public man who is also a private poet. This is a collection that rewards reading and re-reading with many verses that ar a delight to read aloud.

-Shashi Tharoor

About the Author

Myriad-minded, Kapil Sibal is the Union Minister for Science & Technology and Earth Sciences, member of the Lok Sabha representing the Indian National Congress, and a lawyer. An L.L.M from Harvard Law School, he has had an illustrious legal career, having been elected President of the Supreme Court Bar Association for three terms. He practiced law at Wall Street before he returned to India in 1980 to resume his practice. He has made significant contributions in the field of Constitutional Law and is the only lawyer in India who has had the privilege of addressing Parliament in 1994, in the historic impeachment proceedings of a then sitting Judge of the Supreme Court. He led the Indian delegation in 1991 to the Human Rights Commission in Geneva and also served as Chairman of the Working Group on Arbitrary Detentions, set up by the Commission.

For further information, please contact

Roli Books

Shridhar Kulkarni

E-mail: shridhar@rolibooks.com

Mobile: +91-9845675768