Degree Coffee by the Yard: A Short Biography of Madras

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This is a tale of two cities-Madras and Chennai. In this book, the author braids together the essential aspects of Madras and Chennai to give us an exquisite portrait of the iconic city on the Coromandel Coast. The story of Madras, founded by the British almost four hundred years ago, gives way to that of Chennai in 1996, but the two are so intertwined that it is impossible to tell them apart. The history of the city is populated with fascinating characters—writers, builders, thinkers; British traders, luminaries and rogues; freedom fighters and political leaders who changed the city’s political milieu. In independent India, the political life of Madras was marked by battles for equality, the demolition of unjust caste structures, and a remarkable spirit of secularism, all of which the author brings to vivid life.

But the city’s unique flavour is not limited to its history and politics, it owes much to its rich cultural, religious, gastronomic and sporting heritage—highlights of which include the largest classical music festival in the world, a remarkable array of cuisines, both native and imported, from the crisp dosai to spicy Chicken 65, a passion for cricket, tennis and chess and the best filter coffee on the planet. Sharply observed, yet meditative and personal, Degree Coffee by the Yard brings a great city to rare and refreshing life.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Nirmala Lakshman

Nirmala Lakshman is a journalist and Director of The Hindu group of publications. She was Joint Editor of The Hindu and has held senior editorial positions at the newspaper for more than three decades. Nirmala founded and edited The Hindu Literary Review, and conceptualized and created Young World, India’s only children’s newspaper supplement. She launched and curated The Hindu’s literary festival, Lit for Life, and initiated the annual Prize for Best Fiction from The Hindu. Nirmala has a PhD in postmodern fiction from Madras University and a master’s degree in English from the United States. She is the editor of an anthology of contemporary Indian journalism, Writing a Nation.