Fiona Fernandez On Her Book H For Heritage, Love For Mumbai And More

I was 17 when I moved to Mumbai for my higher education, stayed back for almost 8 years before the COVID-induced lockdown made me pack bags and move back home. I changed cities over the years and currently live in the foothills of West Bengal but a tiny part of me still longs for Bombay/Mumbai. 

So when I sat down for an interview with journalist and author Fiona Fernandez to talk about her new book H for Heritage: Mumbai, we couldn't help but digress to talk about our love for wandering in the city of Mumbai. Fernandez says she's a 'historian at heart with a time-traveller’s soul'. Her third book H for Heritage is also the result of years of wandering through the city’s known and forgotten precincts. Part guide and part trivia trove, this book is an alphabetical exploration from A to Z that crisscrosses the city and its suburbs.

Excerpts from the interview here

H For Heritage shares lesser-known details about the city’s history, culture and people complemented by Sumedha Sah’s drawings. Your previous works Bombay MeriJaan and Ten Heritage Walks of Mumbai also shed light on the city. Tell me what brings you back to Bombay? How does it find a place in your writing? 

I think we have to credit the city and its people for that. This city always welcomed people from all walks of life, since it is by the sea it also had ties with traders from across the world. We constantly had a flux of people coming here because they found Bombay to be the place whether it's trade, commerce, or education, everybody has come here with some goal. Hence, when we say Bombay is a city of dreams, we need to understand that it all started so early, almost to its history.

And that also gives me a lot of fodder for my work. I keep coming back to the city because it is filled with stories in every corner every gully. So, I have to be very grateful that I live in one of the cities of the world which is an old city, and I keep finding stories every time.

Bombay has been a melting pot of stories, its old-world charm brings out a certain character to it. I believe it has a place for every penmanship, if I may say so. What are your personal favourite works when it comes to the city?

I am glad you brought it up because sometimes you don’t even realise how much you are influenced by the cultural, the literary part of the city. Back when I was in college there was Nissim Ezekiel poetry, there was Behram Contractor whose role as Busy Bee, I have mentioned in the book as well. They both played a huge role in my early days because I was able to understand that the city is full of characters. By that time I had already realised that Bombay is a very very busy city, everyone is in a hurry to catch something or the other, and they helped me look at the lighter side of life.

Later with Amitav Ghosh, I enjoyed the way he discovered and described Bombay to us. Then of course there is no other like --- Jerry Pinto, whose literature is without any filters. It's very very clear. And it is probably because of films, I think people from other cities have an idea about Bombay, thanks to films. I liked Basu Chatterjee’s work because it is much about Middle-class Bombay, the Mumbai I know, it is quite nice to see that on celluloid. Then of course there are other movies like Salaam Bombay by Mira Nair,  which showcased this other side of Bombay, that is not necessarily the happy ending sort of thing.

Every day we hear reports on climate change. There are global surveys that claim Bombay might sink down by 2050. There's a pressing need for sustainable cities. How do you address these concerns through your writings? 

There is this need to converse and preserve in every format, be it national heritage or built heritage. I think somewhere as conscious citizens we all need to do our bit. So as a journalist, I must inform people about activities that are necessarily not synced with what is happening around them. For example, two places are mentioned in the book too, one is Sanjay Gandhi National Park and Thane Flamingo Snacturay, both places are constantly under threat. I think awareness is of utmost importance, and in both cases, we have seen some strong movements by the citizens. 

We must also remember that Bombay is a coastal city and it is prone to climate change. I personally wish that builders and people in power understand the geography of Bombay - we were seven islands at some time and the land was reclaimed to form the city that we know today. I am no expert in architecture or a geologist but in this quest to move forward, we can’t forget our history because that is where we are going to find our answers.

Bombay has witnessed so many cyclones and flooding in areas, which we have never had before. These are very critical things. It hurts me to see things happening around, you know which are obviously not in our hands, so many parts of Bombay have been pulled apart, so many buildings, beautiful areas, all just in the name of redevelopment. There is an alternative way to restore a building but people choose the easier part. 

Rapid Fire, Rapid Bombay

What is the most extraordinary detail (place) which often gets unnoticed in the city?

There are two sets of architectural sites across the Oval Maidan, on the one side we have Victorian Gothic buildings like Raja Bai Tower and Bombay High Court; the other side is spread with Art Deco buildings that are a little modern and then you have this maidan in the middle. Hence, there's this beautiful juxtaposition of everything that I find very stunning. I feel we all are so busy catching trains and buses that we tend to miss this beautiful part of the city. It remains one of my favourite areas.

Is there a place you often return to? 

I like to go to those smaller lanes of Bhuleshwar, Kalbadevi. It's funny how you will find something new every time you go over there, maybe there's a new engraving somewhere, a stone bust or something. I should quickly add that the book that I have written right now is A to Z but I have enough content to do a second round because there is so much in the city. 

What is the most heartbreaking moment for you from the city?

If you would say episodically, then it will be the terror attacks that happened in the city back In 2007. It changed how we look at the city, maybe vulnerable but it also showed us the spirit and soul of the city with just how it bounced back. 

What has been the most celebratory moment for you from the city?

It has to be the UNESCO world heritage tag that was conferred to the Victorian Gothic and Art Deco ensemble that I mentioned in my previous answer. It was very special because I as a journalist covered the entire campaign for 6 to 7 years, and worked with the citizen community. Most of those guys are retired now but they are the most dynamic and enthusiastic bunch.

Lastly, how would you encourage young dwellers and readers to preserve the old-world charm of the city?

There’s so much to be done, but I will keep it short. You know for a child, a young mind the most impressionable place while growing up is home and school, so I think these both factors can do their bit. If parents at home can maybe take children out in the city, start something as small as a walk in the town. It will help induce curiosity in a child’s mind.

Schools must encourage things like heritage walks, museum walks because it is important. Allow them to think beyond the history syllabus. My book is a small tribute to the city in that way, I want to encourage them to go out.  

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