The Nilgiris, where hills, mist, and clouds come together to create a surreal landscape of quiet beauty. These blue mountains have long inspired writers and poets. Joining the list is a group of avid readers from The Coonoor Book Club that gathers to discuss books over tea and varkeys. Members of the book club have recently brought out a collection of short stories, poems and essays titled Tall Tales & Short Stories, published by Ukiyoto. Edited by Nimi Kurian and Nina Varghese both of whom used to be journalists, and Theresa Varghese, the book features the work of 13 writers, all of whom are based in the Nilgiris.

Each piece carries the distinct flavour of the hills: think tea gardens, forest roads, grasslands, dinner parties with roast and pudding, the Toy Train that chugs along winding tracks and of course delicious gossip about neighbours. The idea for the anthology took shape during one of the book club’s meets. “My sister Nina and I started the club the year before last,” says Nimi. “There are lots of readers in Coonoor, we thought we should get together and discuss books.”

Members decide on a book to read, meeting at one of their homes to talk about it. “Each one takes turns to talk about what they like best,” says Nina, adding that their favourites include Perumal Murugan’s One Part Woman and Abraham Verghese’s The Covenant of Water. During one of their meetings, the members hit upon the idea to write stories on the Nilgiris. “People were quite enthusiastic, but most of them are first time writers. So, they were a bit nervous about getting down to writing. But then finally, they did it,” says Nimi. The book has small descriptions about each of the writers towards the end.

Tall Tales & Short Stories has some charming pieces. Nimi’s story Coffee’s Ready, that describes at length a dinner party hosted at The Bungalow by one Mrs Claire Williamson, is absolutely hilarious. She has also written a ghost story: what’s the hills without haunted bungalows with creaking floorboards and overgrown gardens?

Johnny John’s verses titled Nilgiris – Scapes and Scaped is an ode to all things Nilgiris, from the Neelakurinji, walks to Lamb’s Rock and Tenerife Hill, to shuttle games at the Club and warm bread with fish pie. Missy Ma by Shernaz Sethna talks about her life as a new bride in Coonoor’s palatial West Croft, where she moves in from Nagpur after her wedding. In her heartwarming essay, Shernaz recounts how she warmed up to life in the household and her friendship with Devadas, the cook and butler ‘who ruled with an iron fist’. She even shares her Parsi roast chicken recipe, a dish that she first cooked at the bungalow, under the watchful eyes of Devadas.

The stories, Nimi shares, were written last year. “We received most of them in January, and spent three months editing them, followed by some back and forth, and then the design was finalised,” she adds. Nimi left Coonoor in 1978 and moved back recently after a busy life as a journalist in Chennai. How does it feel to be back? “I thought it would be difficult to fit in again, but actually it was like wearing an old shoe,” says the 65-year-old.

Her sister Nina, with whom she started the book club, says that writing about the Nilgiris was a “gratifying process.” She says, “This is because all of us were writing about a place we love very much, one in which we are very invested in.” She adds that a sequel is in the pipeline. “It too will be based on Coonoor,” says the third-generation Coonoorian.

Tall Tales & Short Stories is available online

Published - August 08, 2026 02:33 pm IST