<h2>On top of the news</h2>
<p>A man reads the newspaper under a patch of sunlight in a chawl in Parel</p>
<h2>A reading haven</h2>
<p><img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2025/jan/Juhu-reads_e.jpg" alt="A moment from a previous reading session of the club" width="1280" height="720" /><br /><strong><em>A moment from a previous reading session of the club</em></strong></p>
<p>As part of the Architecture and Design Film Festival starting today, city-based reading club Juhu Reads will be hosting a reading session at NCPA on January 12. Focussing on the idea of availability and accessibility of public spaces for community-based activities, the co-curator of the club, Shrishti Khanna (inset) told us, &ldquo;This session is just another way of continuing what we&rsquo;ve been doing with Juhu Reads &mdash; recreating public spaces as places of connection and leisure.</p>
<p><img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2025/jan/Shrishti-Khanna_e.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" /></p>
<p>The festival&rsquo;s themes of sustainability, design, and public spaces feel like a natural extension of what we&rsquo;ve been doing. It will be a silent reading circle where anyone can bring anything they&rsquo;d like to read. The focus isn&rsquo;t on formal discussions but rather on coming together in stillness and turning a public space into a little haven.&rdquo;</p>
<h2>Nostalgia times with Shabana and Kaifi Azmi</h2>
<p><img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2025/jan/Shabana-Kaifi_e.jpg" alt="Kaifi Azmi (right) with his daughter, Shabana Azmi. pic courtesy/instagram" width="1280" height="720" /><br /><strong><em>Kaifi Azmi (right) with his daughter, Shabana Azmi. Pic courtesy/Instagram</em></strong></p>
<p>On the occasion of Kaifi Azmi&rsquo;s birth anniversary (January 14), Bhendi Bazaar-based cultural association, Urdu Markaz is organising a Kaifi Azmi Walk from Madanpura to Byculla this Sunday, to be led by his daughter, Shabana Azmi. &ldquo;This is the first edition of a six-month-long series of culture walks that we have planned, starting with Kaifi Azmi. The idea is to take people through iconic spots and places in the city which have a connection to him. Kaifi Azmi was an extremely important figure in the literary scene of the past century, and this is our way of honouring his indelible impact on the cultural fabric of the country,&rdquo; Zubair Azmi, founder, told this diarist.</p>
<h2>The battle of poets begins</h2>
<p><img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2025/jan/Kopal-Khanna_e.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" /></p>
<p>After creating a platform for spoken verse enthusiasts to find a creative outlet, Tape A Tale founder Kopal Khanna (below) is now taking the initiative to the next level. Collaborating with stand-up comic Samay Raina, Khanna has set out to begin an inaugural poetry show, India&rsquo;s Kavya Samrat. &ldquo;We have already received a lot of submissions, and hope to shoot it sometime this month for a release early this year in Mumbai. As a platform, we have always hosted new talent who could send us emails, and reach out for an opportunity. This is a turn to a wider search akin to Indian Idol, but for poetry. We will have entrants from all over the country competing across several rounds,&rdquo; Khanna told this diarist. Those who are interested can check @tapeatale on Instagram for more details.</p>
<h2>We run the show</h2>
<p><img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2025/jan/Akshada-Patil_e.jpg" alt="Akshada Patil (right) in a moment from a previous running session" width="1280" height="720" /><br /><strong><em>Akshada Patil (right) in a moment from a previous running session</em></strong></p>
<p>City-based runner Akshada Patil is inviting Mumbaikars to a lively party in Juhu this weekend. The kicker? You&rsquo;d have to finish a 4km run to be on the guestlist. &ldquo;The Run and Rave concept has been around for some time in Europe. I reckoned Mumbai could use a similar incentive to get off their couches,&rdquo; Patil told us. Those who wish to participate in this unique initiative can log on to @overlydaa on Instagram.</p>
<h2>Nature on our mind</h2>
<p><img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2025/jan/Volunteer_eeeee_e.jpg" alt="" width="1278" height="720" /><br /><strong><em>A volunteer clears a trail of dry leaves (right) a signboard at the forest</em></strong></p>
<p>With the increase in pollution levels and a highly unpredictable weather, we think it is high time to start reparations with nature, starting with the lungs of our ecosystem &mdash; forests. iNaturewatch Foundation, an organisation working in the field of urban biodiversity recently put up sign boards warning people of forest fires at the Taloja Hill forest in Kharghar.</p>
<p><img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2025/jan/Dr-V-Subhalaxmi_e.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" /></p>
<p>&ldquo;We have been engaged in the process of reforestation and eco-restoration for quite some time now. Every year, during the winter months we hear news of forest fires due to the collection of dry foliage on the ground. Last month, a fire burnt close to 100 saplings that we had planted in the forest. We have placed signboards warning people of potential forest fire activities in both Marathi and English. We have also cleared forest trails with dry grass and marked spaces where birds reside, so as to preserve the biodiversity of the forest,&rdquo; Dr V Shubhalaxmi (inset), founder, signed off.</p><p>
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