Anita Mani is an Indian writer and editor who runs the Indian Pitta, India’s first dedicated book imprint for bird lovers, conservationists and policy makers. Through the pages of the Indian Pitta, she attempts to go beyond just field guides about birds and natural history, to explore the bigger mosaic of habitats, ecosystems and human interactions that touch the lives of birds. She speaks to Tamara Raza about her journey so far as an avid birdwatcher and her passion at bringing more interest into the realm of ornithology and natural history through literature.
You edit the Indian Pitta, an imprint of Juggernaut Books, exclusively dedicated to writings on birds. What is the inspiration behind an interest so distinct?
Reading! Tim Birkhead, Mark Cocker, Tim Dee…. It’s incredible the number of books on birds and wildlife that come out each year. Most of these are published overseas, and my question was – given our own rich natural history and well of writers, why are no good books on birds/natural history beyond field guides? This question led to the start of the Indian Pitta imprint.
In The Fall of A Sparrow, Salim Ali speaks profoundly about an incident from his childhood when - he accidentally knocked off a sparrow with his airgun - which changed the course of his life. Is there any incident in your life that might have triggered your array of interest into ornithology?
Not really. My interest in birdwatching was triggered by my son who picked up his first pair of binoculars at the age of 4 …. and is yet to put them down!
India is home to a diverse set of birds yet its awareness and conservation efforts seem to appear limited. Would you agree that publishing writings on ornithology would help in such a scenario?
Totally. Well written natural history books take key ideas out of the echo chamber of naturalists, and those interested in wildlife to a broader audience. Sometimes, that is a better way to highlight issues and conservation strategies.
You have recently brought out 'The Living Air' by Aasheesh Pittie. Tell us something about the book.
Aasheesh Pittie’s book of essays, The Living Air is a great place to start a love affair with birds and birdwatching. This book will not only make you want to get out and observe your city and surroundings in a whole new light, but it will also offer a fresh perspective into what birdwatching is and the many ways you can benefit from it. Informative and a joy to read, that is truly what the book is.
Would you recommend any writers writing on Indian ornithology?
There are some wonderful writers – M Krishnan, Zai Whitaker, TR Shankar Raman, and Ranjit Lal.
This year, Shaunak Sen’s documentary ‘All That Breathes’ received an Academy nomination. Also, this year, you brought out 'The Living Air'. Do you feel 2023 is a good year for art and literature on ornithology?
It’s a massive compliment to be spoken of in the same breath as an Oscar nominated film – but its early days yet. Ask me again in five years.
Please tell us something about your upcoming or future projects.
We have just released a seminal book on the birds of the Delhi area by Sudhir Vyas which is a very important addition to the ornithological history of the region. In a few months, we will be releasing a book on Indian women wildlife biologists which features incredible scientific work done by some brilliant women, some of whom have been cloaked in the dust of history until now.