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British author Alan Hollinghurst on CNN’s ‘Talk Asia’
CNN's chat show Talk Asia catches up with British author Alan Hollinghurst. He won the prestigious Booker Prize in 2004. He talks about his award-winning novel The Line of Beauty. The show airs on 7 May at 8:30 am, 10 am, 10:30 pm and on 8 May at 4 pm and 8:30 pm.
He says, "When I wrote my first book, which I started writing over 20 years ago now, gay lives and gay sexuality really hadn't been written about at all in literary fiction in England. And there did seem an urgency and originality in doing that. It was a whole new subject, which was just waiting to be written about. And I sort of did that."
During the half-hour interview, the British author also talks about his other novels – highly acclaimed volumes of prose describing life in the 1980s, homosexuality, Aids and Thatcherism. Hollinghurst continues to discuss his interests in literature, music and architecture and how he incorporates his hobbies into this novel.
"I think one of my pleasures, there's a sort of proxy way of being an architect if you like, that I do invent, construct houses in my books. That's sort of the nearest I get to do the real thing."
Additionally, the author chats about the influences in his life, his work as an editor for the Times Literary Supplement and professor at Oxford University, and the possibility of exploring new writing styles for his future literary works.
"I do feel that I want to do something different. I don't have another novel at the moment, but I do have a lot of ideas for stories so I want to see if I can do that. Short stories…which is something I've never really done."
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Rising Bharat Summit 2026 spotlights India’s global ascent
PM Modi keynotes two-day event with ministers, diplomats and icons in New Delhi.
MUMBAI: India didn’t just host a summit, it threw a coming-out party for a nation ready to own the global stage. The News18 Rising Bharat Summit 2026, held on 27–28 February in New Delhi, emerged as a high-octane platform for ideas, vision and strategic dialogue, uniting national leadership, global policymakers, industry titans, defence strategists and cultural icons under the theme “Strength Within”.
Prime minister Narendra Modi set the tone with a keynote that framed India’s resurgence as a reclaiming of lost potential built over generations. “In previous industrial revolutions, India and the Global South were merely followers,” he said. “But in the era of Artificial Intelligence, India is a partner in decisions and shaping them.” He highlighted the country’s thriving AI startup ecosystem and the recent AI Impact Summit attended by over 100 nations.
Union minister Piyush Goyal (Commerce & Industry) stressed India’s readiness to scale exports and deepen manufacturing, while Ashwini Vaishnaw (Railways, I&B, Electronics & IT) positioned technology and infrastructure as twin engines of growth, especially in AI and digital trust. Jyotiraditya Scindia (Communications & North East Development) revealed India’s ambition to lead in 6G through the Bharat 6G Alliance and partnerships with over 30 countries.
Global voices added depth: former Singapore Foreign Minister George Yeo called India’s development “self-sustaining” and strategically vital; ex-UK Chief of Defence Staff General Sir Nick Carter asserted India deserves a seat at the great powers’ table; and former US Commerce Secretary Carlos M. Gutierrez joined ambassadors from Norway, Germany and Sweden in discussions on geopolitical realignment, sustainability and defence preparedness.
Other speakers included veteran investor Ramesh Damani, World Gold Council CEO David Tait, Vianai Systems founder Dr Vishal Sikka, DeepTech Bharat Foundation co-founder Shashi Shekhar Vempati, defence experts Rajesh Kumar Singh, Sunil Ambekar, Patrick McGee, Tom Cooper and Adrian Fontanellaz, plus cultural and sporting icons Kangana Ranaut, Saina Nehwal, PR Sreejesh, Mohammed Shami, Yuzvendra Chahal, Mithali Raj, Anil Kapoor and Yami Gautam.
The summit was supported by Jio Financial Services (Presenting Partner), Phonepe and DS Group (Co-Presenting Partners), Pernod Ricard India and Kia Seltos (Powered By & Driven By), state governments of Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Uttarakhand (State Partners), and associate partners including NSE, M3M Foundation and Reliance Industries.
Broadcast live across News18 Network, CNBC-TV18 and CNBC Awaaz, the event reinforced India’s image as a confident democracy and emerging global power proving that when strength comes from within, the world can’t help but watch.
