P E N G U I N B O O K S I N D I A

E D I T O R I A L T E S T
NAME: ______________________________________________________
DATE: ______________________________________________________
TIME: _______________________________________________________
THIS TEST IS TO BE COMPLETED IN 2 HOURS.
All information in thi !o"#m$nt i tri"tl% "onfi!$ntial.
PART ONE
Choo$ th$ &or! &ith th$ "orr$"t '$llin( from th$ follo&in( 'air)
accomodate accommodate
vermilion vermillion
milennium millennium
omelette ommelette
supersede supercede
anoint annoint
idiosyncracy idiosyncrasy
harassment harrassment
dessicated desiccated
miniscule minuscule
Penguin Books India
PART T*O
Choo$ th$ "orr$"t "ontr#"tion from th$ follo&in( 'air)
The inde! to a nation"s development is the state o# its$it"s economy%
Petty the#t can &e descri&ed as a venal$venial sin%
To &e caught in a tra##ic 'am can &e a nerve(racking$nerve()racking e!perience%
A skil#ul )orker can &e descri&ed as ingenuous$ingenious%
I# your &oat develops a small leak* you might )ant to &ail out$&ale out%
I# something has a uni#orm character* it may &e descri&ed as homogenous$homogeneous%
I# you are sure o# your o)n a&ilities* you may &e descri&ed as complacent$complaisant%
I# you decide to go )ithout dinner* you )ould #orgo$#orego it%
I# you )ere asked to evaluate something* you )ould apprise$appraise it%
The paper you )rite on is part o# stationary$stationery%
Penguin Books India +
PART THREE
Th$ follo&in( 'i$"$ ha $+$ral t%'o(ra'hi"al,'$llin( $rror- an! #ff$r from
fa#lt% t%'$$ttin(. Pl$a$ 'roofr$a! it "ar$f#ll% an! mar. %o#r "orr$"tion in th$
mar(in.
Every march* )hen the rhododedendrons stian the slopes crimson )ith their
&looms, a sturdy litle steam engine goes hu##ing and pu#ing through the -o+ tunnels
&et)een .alkA and /imla%
This is por&a&ly the most pictures0ue and romatic )ay o# approachhing the hill(station* al
though the 'ourney &y road is much 0uicher% But 0uiet recently I )ent to /himla &y a
little udes route* the road #rom Dehra dun via Nahan 1 /olan% It takes one #irst trough the
su&(tropical Siwaliks* and then a#ter Nahhan into the #oothills and some &eauti#ul and
e!tensive pine(#orests* &e#ore 'oiining the mian high)ay near solan% B y &us it is A
tedious -2 hour 'ourney* &ut &y car it is a picturess0ue ride* and there is very little tra##ic
to cotend )ith%
Penguin Books India 3
PART /OUR
Th$ follo&in( 'aa($ mi(ht r$0#ir$ "o'%1$!itin( an! r$tr#"t#rin(. 2o# &ill alo
n$$! to "h$". for "onit$n"%. 2o# ma% r$&rit$ $"tion if n$"$ar%- &hil$ .$$'in(
"lo$ to th$ ton$ an! $n$ of th$ ori(inal.
The term occured to me )hen )e started out on the #irst phase o# a tour o# .arnataka*
#rom Mysore* through 4unsur and 4assan* and returned to Mysore nearly one )eek later*
having continually 'ourneyed up and do)n the ghats* .onkan coast and 5oorg* and never
seeing a dry patch any)here% 6reen o# several shades )e sa)* mountain(sides lightly
coated )ith verdure and #ern* the dark #oliage o# trees rising hundred o# #eet #rom the
7alley* light green* dark green* pale(green* ever green* and every kind o# green shade*
)ere o##ered #or our delectation all through our circular tour o# appro!imately a thousand
kilometers%
The road to 4asan passed through rice(#ields on &oth sides* across the course o# &oth
5auvery and 4emavathi rivers% That is the most un)earisome part o# the 'ourney &y car
since there is so much to )atch 8 tiled #armhouses* or little shrines* or mantaps set amid
transluscent* )aving paddy #ields* and the roadside villages consisting o# no more than a
do9en houses along the high)ay* and displaying sign&oards o# tailor shops* restaurants
and hair(cutting saloons and hoarding s advocating children #amilies on all their )alls% I
used to live in 4assan over hal#(a(century ago* long &e#ore the rail)ay )as laid* )hen )e
had to reach it &y &ullock cart #rom Arsikere:an all night caravan 'ourney to cover
t)enty(seven miles% 4assan had only one main road: #lanked &y lantana hedges* and the
homes o# the district o##icials )ere set #ar &ack* &eyond a drive o# murmuring casurina
trees% My #ather"s o##icial residence* #or a 4eadmaster* )as a colonial style house )ith a
trellised porch* covered )ith purple #lo)ers and giarded &y a huge 6old Mohur tree* set
in a three acre ground* amidst grass #ields* )here co&ras also lived &ut at peace )ith us%
Penguin Books India ;
PART /I3E
E!it th$ follo&in( 'aa($. 2o# ma% r$&rit$ if %o# thin. n$"$ar%. U$ 456 '$llin(
an! Britih '$llin(.
The arrival o# the #amily priest a little a#tre sunrise #ollo)ed &y that o# the &ar&er a #e)
minuites later )as the signal #or the )omen to leave the room% 7ivek )as surprised at
ho) calm he could remain even )hile he )atched his mother* her eyes red and s)ollen*
shu##le out o# the room* her piteous so&&ing o# the nigh having su&sided into a silent
e!houstion%
7ivek could not help &ut recoil #rom the #irst contact )ith the ice cold #lesh% <or a #e)
seconds his eyes* )ith a )ill o# their o)n* re#used to &e averted #rom his #ather"s cock*
the mighty paternal phallus o# his &oyhood imagination* #lopping against a #aintly &lue
thigh as the men roughly pulled do)n the shorts%
A#ter the sponging )as completed and the &ody )rapped in a coarse )hite cloth* the #ace
le#t uncovered* 7ivek helped to tie it do)n to the &ier )ith thick 'ute strings% The
concentration re0uired &y the task o# pulling a string tight enough and tying a good knot
so that the &ody )ould not shi#t or perhaps even slide o## )hen the &ier )as li#ted up on
the shoulders o# #our men and taken to the municipal hearse parked outside the house )as
'ust )hat 7ivek needed to keep the #lo) o# time damned% The mourners:neigh&ors* his
#ather"s colleagues and their )ives* looking strangely un#amiliar )ithout the e!pression
o# sel# importance they normally )ore in pu&lic:&egan to #ill the room% 4elping
themselves to garlands o# marigold and rose petals that )ere heaped on silver trays in one
corner o# the room* they placed the #lo)ers on the &eir and the &ody &e#ore touching his
#athers covered #eet in silent leave taking% 7ivek care#ully avoided looking at this mother
)ho had sat do)n on the #loor at the #oot o# the &ier% /he )as surrounded &uy a group o#
)omen clad in cotton sarees in various shades o# )hite )ho had enthusiastically slipped
into ritual grieving%
Penguin Books India =
PART SI7
E!it th$ follo&in( 'aa($. 2o# ma% r$&rit$ if %o# thin. n$"$ar%. U$ 456 '$llin(
an! Britih '$llin(.
6opal"s visions ended )hen he gre) &reasts% 4e )as #i#teen% 4is )ere not the #la&&y
&reasts o# old men &ut the small* #irm and per#ectly pronounced or&s o# a young girl )ho
nonetheless lacks &reast pride% 4e had al)ays &een a plump child &ut no) the #lesh on
his chest &egan to s)ell and carve itlse# into t)o distinct mounds% <or a )hile in the
&eginning* he kept the upper hal# o# his &ody covered )ith a )rap even in the heat o#
summer% <inding himsel# alone in the #ields* he )ould even slap his &reasts* saying 6o in*
go in>
Ever since he )as ten years old* he had &een in great demand at religious ceremonies and
#estivlas in the vilage )here he loved to sing in praise o# )hichever god or goddess )as
&eing cele&rated% ?hat so attracted his liteners )as not only his s)eet singing voice a
lyric soprano or his ear #or melody and rhythm &ut the intensity and depth o# #eeling he
put into his songs* especially those praising .rishna* his #avorite god% There )ere three
occassions )hen sitting in #ront o# the congregation* singing along )ith others* he had
seen the idol o# the god come alive% Involuntarily he had stood up and stretched his arms
to)ard the deity% ?hile an a)ed hush #ell on the gathering* his &ody &egan to move
rhythmically and songs o# praise came trilling #rom deep )ithin his chest* )ithout his
having made a conscious choice o# a particular song or an e##ort to remem&er his )ords%
The ecstatic mood deepended and there )as a constant #lo) o# tears o# 'oy #rom his hal#
closed eyes% A#ter a )hile* the rapture )as so su&lime that the song stopped in mid(
sentence% 4is lim&s sti##ened his &ody &ecame as rigid as a statue and had to &e supported
&y others less he #ell and hurt himsel#%
Penguin Books India @
PART SE3EN
Pl$a$ t$ll # 8in a9o#t 2:; &or!< a9o#t th$ mot tri.in( &or. of fi"tion %o# ha+$
r$a! in th$ lat %$ar. 2o# ma% "hoo$ from 9oo. &ritt$n 9% int$rnational or In!ian
a#thor. Som$ 'oi9l$ "hoi"$ in th$ $"on! "at$(or% mi(ht 9$ Amita+ Ghoh6
River of Smoke- Salman R#h!i$6 Luka and the Fire of Life- Si!!hartha
M#.h$r=$$6 Emperor of All Maladies or Kh#h&ant Sin(h6 Sunset Club. *$ &o#l!
li.$ a !i"#ion of &hat %o# fo#n! int$r$tin( or im'r$i+$ a9o#t th$ 9oo.- a &$ll
a an anal%i of it tron( an! &$a. 'oint.
Penguin Books India A
PART EIGHT
?rite a short &lur& o# a&out -22 )ords )ith a headline that can &e used as a catalogue
entry or go on the &ack cover o# a &ook #rom the #ollo)ing &rie#% The &lur& you )rite
must convey the gist o# &ook* the kind o# )riting and enough BteaserC in#ormation to
make a reader )ant to &uy the &ook%
Title: The 5ardamom 5lu&
Author: Don /tock
Type o# &ook: De&ut )riter, crime #iction )ith a literary slant% 7ery reada&le%
5ommercial positioning desired, cover )ill &e very commercial mass market
The /tory: Ea' Nair* the main protagonist o# the novel is an MI= operative posted to
India% 4is cover is that o# a doctor in the British 4igh 5ommission in Ne) Delhi% As Ea'
is called upon to investigate a series o# incidents* Ea'"s #ather is arrested in Britain #or
spying% Ea' reali9es he"s up against a secret organi9ation that goes &ack to colonial days
and even no) has in#luences in ?hitehall% The organi9ation is called the 5ardamom
5lu&% Ea' has to e!pose the clu& and e!onerate his #ather%
The )riter"s style is similar to that o# 6raham 6reene and 4 E .eating% 4e
presents the con#lict o# moral dilemmas and political machinations% The )riting is )itty
and elegant and the &ook &uilds up tension 0uietly through plenty o# t)ists and turns in
the plot%
Penguin Books India F
PART NINE
Gou have &een charged )ith evolving a campaign line #or a #orthcoming summer crime
1 thriller promotion )hich )ill #eature over -22 titles at &elo) Es 22 and )ill include
authors like 5onan Doyle* Agatha 5hristie* Dorothy /ayers* Margery Allingham* P%D%
Dames* 5liver 5ussler* Nelson DeMille* Tom 5lancy and a #e) de&ut )rites like Mark
Billingham and P%D% Tracy% The purpose o# the promotion is to generate more sales #or the
list and esta&lish our authors alongside$a&ove competition &estsellers like ?il&ur /mith*
Dohn 6risham* etc%
Devise a catchy headline #or the promotion that can &e used on all promotional material%
Gou may o##er up to + options i# you so desire% Gour main headline should not e!ceed -2
)ords though you can have a second su&sidiary line o# 2 )ords% Gou may also suggest a
visual image i# you so )ish%
Penguin Books India -2