Game Afoot

Fiction books include a wide range of books belonging to various sub – genres that may include novels about romance, mystery, science and adventure. Fiction books are written with the objective of inculcating certain values and principles and hence they may contain a writer’s social message. Very often, these books deal with real life situations that are described in an awe-inspiring manner. These books may contain some fantasy elements and have life – like plots with an interesting array of characters.

Some of the famous fiction books include “God’s Spy”, “Gone with the Wind”, “The Jules Verne Collection”and “Glasses & Garters.” Notable fiction books include works by versatile writers like Juan Gomez Jurado, Margaret Mitchell and Sir Arthur Canon Doyle. “God’s Spy” is one of the most renowned books is an exciting fast-paced thriller debut work by Spanish writer, Juan Gomez Jurado. The novel is set in the Vatican city during the conclave to elect a new Pope following the demise of Pope John Paul II in the year 2005. The novel opens with the cold-blooded murder of two cardinals who had been planning to join the conclave. Other notable themes in the novel include the sex abuse scandal of the revered Catholic church and the transfer of priests to other parishes. This novel is quite racy as it comes packed with fast-paced actions. The book has found appeal with a lot of readers on account of its characters that they can easily relate with.

Fiction books include some of the “hot” bestsellers of all times. For instance, American writer, Margaret Mitchell’s timeless classic, “Gone with the Wind” which continues to capture the imagination of readers around the world with it’s unique plot and character cast. The book is set in the Old South against the backdrop of American Civil War and Reconstruction. This critically acclaimed book has an adaptation film with the same name to its credit. The film, “Gone with the Wind” like the novel retells the story of the American Civil War and its aftermath from the vantage point of a white Southerner.

In this context, one cannot forget one of the most amazing flesh and blood characters like Sherlock Holmes, who is hailed as the famous and unforgettable “fictional detective“ of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries a fictional creation of Sir Arthur Canon Doyle. These fiction books and many more come with the promise of true entertainment and delight for every modern reader.

Pirates of Church Street

Every time we buy pirated copy we contribute to the criminal’s coffer

Walk down Church Street in Bangalore and you’ll see a man squatting on the pavement under an umbrella with his wares neatly spread beside him. He’s a bookseller. Of course he can’t read but he’s as passionate about books as a librarian. Pick up any book for Rs. 70 he encourages you. He’s not being particularly generous to you, neither is it a distress sale. Simply put, he runs a very low cost operation: His books are all pirated.

The illegal trade in books across the country is huge and has, over the years, cost publishers and writers crores of rupees in lost sales and royalties. Says Mr U.Premlal(first name not used because he used only initials), the branch manager of publisher Macmillan in Ahmedabad, “Every year we lose 25% to 30% of profits owing to this menace. Suppose we sell 100 books, the pirated book sellers will be selling the same number of pirated copies outside; if we give discounts of say 10%, then these same people give even higher discounts.” He complains that there is no public awareness of the problem. “It is spreading like fire.”

Explaining the different techniques used by the trade he says, “When we outsource our typesetting work, and if the typesetting or the data processing in-charge is not reliable then the matter given for typesetting can be leaked and another publisher might come out with the same book before us.”

The manager Mr Paresh Shah of Sapna Book House at Gandhinagar, Bangalore, agrees. “Yes people do need to be educated about this menace and their cooperation is needed, only then can we bring down the sale of these pirated books in the market.” He has sought the intervention of the Upparpet police against the trade.

“We have filed many complaints with the police here, but have been disappointed each time we did so. We also went to the extent of approaching the court, but because of the many loopholes in the Indian legal system, we have been unsuccessful every time we tried,” he complains. “Unless and until the author of a book, the publisher and the distributor of the book get together and file a complaint, nothing can be done.”

Deputy Commissioner of Police, Mr Shivkumar, says that on one occasion, when the pirated booksellers were questioned as to where the books were being printed, they denied any knowledge of the source. But even a cursory investigation reveals that pirated copies are being printed right here in Bangalore. “The printing takes place at Cottonpet Road,” he said, but only if the publisher or the author of the book concerned filed a complaint against the booksellers there, could they take any action, against them. He also said they were being printed in several small units in the city but on a large scale in Hubli, Bagalkot and Tiptur.

Says Mr Mayi Gowda, the owner of Blossoms on Church Street, “This year we suffered losses of around 20 to 25%,” on account of piracy. “It’s difficult to estimate the losses, but the sale of books here has definitely gone down, says Mr. Shanbhag, owner of neighbouring Premier gold mining equipment. Another bookstore owner, Mr Aatmaram of Gangarams, says “Our business has been affected badly, and is going from bad to worse. The losses incurred are more than Rs 50 lakh a year.”

Rajal, a regular customer at Blossoms, is clear that book piracy is wrong: “It’s definitely not correct. It’s not fair to the writer, who puts in all this effort.” But she’s the exception. India’s cost conscious consumers think little of copyright protection or brand ownership when they shop. Price is everything to them. So while authors, publishers, distributors and retailers are being ripped off everyday, our readers, even as they relish Sherlock Holmes’ investigative skills or Horace Rumpole’s courtroom theatrics, are unwittingly financing the very people they fight.

Hampshire is an area of England currently buzzing with life and potential. It has a population of more than 1 million people; around 200,000 of these are in Portsmouth and Southampton. This county is no stranger to fame either, Southampton is the home of the Spitfire Aircraft where it was built and tested. The very first Sherlock Holmes novel was written in Southsea and a new line of clothing was created by Thomas Burberry in Basingstoke. In fact the list of celebrities who came from Hampshire is quite long and a testimony to the area.

Hampshire is a mix between urban and rural with some beautiful unspoilt countryside and some fascinating exciting cities such as Portsmouth and Southampton. The best area to visit for an amble is the New Forest designated by William the Conqueror as a hunting ground. It was in fact here, near Stoney Cross that one of his sons died under suspicious circumstances in a hunting accident. You can even visit the Rufus Stone which marks the spot where he died if you dont mind the morbidity of it. On a lighter note, this area also boasts various plentiful walks and cycle tracks to peruse at your leisure. You can also visit some historical and architectural wonders such as the Beaulieu Abbey and Winchester Cathedral.

If you prefer, you can visit one of Hampshires cities such as Southampton where the Mayflower set sail in 1620 for the New World. Southampton has remained a strong port throughout the ages since it was founded 2000 years ago as an established seaport by the Romans and currently boasts cruise ships as an important location for the cruise ship industry. Holidays from Southampton are not just limited to the seas either; you can drop by from Southampton International Airport.

If its the night life you are after Southampton is no stranger to bars, pubs, clubs and cinemas. If you would rather digest some culture you can visit the Eastleigh museum which is open all year round four days a week or the Southampton Maritime Museum. You could even visit the Museum of Archaeology where you can discover the story of Southampton from birth to present day.

Hampshire is home to a novel feature in the form of a man who has been dubbed Britains kindest boss Colin Potter. Although he hopes his latest adventure will land a profit of around 25 million over the next three years he has already pledged every penny of his profit to be distributed to various charities. Hampshire business is booming and churning out success stories. Many businesses are now reaping the benefits of Hampshire culture and taking their clients out to a lunch with style.

I’m sure we’ve all seen the famous calabash pipe, favoured by Sherlock Holmes. You know, the curly calabash with it’s distinctive shape? It’s just as much a part of Sherlock Holmes as his deerstalker hat and magnifying glass.

The original calabash pipes are made from the calabash gourd. The African variety is regarded as the best to use, as the European (usually Greek) calabash gourds rarely have the right shape favoured by the pipe makers.

The main part of the calabash pipe is the top, bent stem of the African calabash gourd. The actual bowl, in which the tobacco is smoked, is an insert, often of meerschaum or porcelain. Which is inserted into the hollowed out gourd stem, with the aid of a cork gasket.

A ferrule, of wood, or plastic, or other suitable material, is inserted into the narrow part of the gourd stem. This is to take the bent vulcanite pipe stem which is the part which goes into the mouth of the smoker. If that stem were to be inserted directly into the gourd there would be a good chance of cracking or breaking it.

Some calabash pipes are decorated with silver bands, even a silver cover around the top of the bowl. So we can see that these pipes are pretty labour-intensive. Making them expensive these days.

Calabash pipes smoke cooler and drier than many other types of pipe, because it’s construction means that the smoke passes from the bottom of the actual smoking bowl into the empty space of the gourd beneath, which takes away a lot of the heat and strength of the smoke.

Now, where Sherlock Holmes comes in. The construction of the calabash pipe gives it a low centre of gravity. This allows the smoker to easily hold the pipe in the mouth alone. Actors would take advantage of this property, as it allowed them to depict their character smoking a pipe while leaving the hands free for other “business”. Think of Basil Rathbone and William Gillette, who both played Sherlock Holmes.

In fact Sir Arthur Conan Doyle never actually wrote of Sherlock Holmes smoking a calabash pipe, and Sidney Paget in his illustrations usually had Holmes smoking a long-stemmed (churchwarden) pipe.

We know that Sherlock Holmes himself preferred very strong, harsh tobacco, and would probably never have given the calabash the time of day, due to it’s mellowing effect upon the smoking mixture.



By: Chris Haycock

About the Author:

The image of a man smoking a pipe always gives the impression that he is thinking, pondering or churning something in his mind. And the bigger the bowl, the deeper these men seem to go into their thoughts. The man that most comes to mind is Sherlock Holmes. One of the deepest thinkers of the 19th century. And even though he was a figment of Conan Doyle’s imagination, we always have a hard time believing that the detective is imaginary. He is so real.

Many of Sherlock’s habits are reputed to have been emulated from Mr. Doyle’s own habits. Most illustrations of the period show the famous detective and Mr. Doyle puffing away on a long stemmed clay pipe, with his tobacco at his side, kept in an old Persian slipper. In those days, Holmes’ habits of smoking cigars, cigarettes, and pipes were not considered a vice. Holmes always described his habits as bohemian.

Why then, has the Calabash pipe always been related to the famous detective? Because at the time, it was used by actors who portrayed characters that smoked pipes. The Calabash pipe not only can be seen from very far, it is also a great hand prop for delivering poignant lines.

The calabash, or “a calabash” is a vegetable, a form of squash. When ripe, it is used in Asia, African mail order brides and Central America as a culinary delicacy. When mature, or dried, it’s gourd is used as a musical instrument, to transport water or to smoke tobacco.

An old style Calabash pipe is made of a part of the calabash gourd resembling a horn. Inside the wide end of the gourd is inserted a detachable bowl, in the shape of an upside-down bowler hat. A cork gasket keeps the bowl firmly in place. The bowl is usually made of Meerschaum stone, but sometimes we can find the bowl made of porcelain or briar wood.Some of the older Calabash pipes would have a silver cover, but not today. On the narrow end of the gourd, a briar cylinder is inserted, many times covered with a silver band. This is the actual shank, where the tenon of the stem is inserted. This is necessary because the gourd’s material is too fragile to sustain so many insertions and removals of the stem when the pipe needs cleaning. The stem is usually bent, made of vulcanite or lucite.