What’s the worst thing about marriage?” my soon-to-be-married cousin asked. “Sharing a bathroom,” I replied. “And the best?” he searched hopefully. “Sharing books,” I said.

The husband rues the day he introduced me to Granta six years ago. Newly wed, my first mission was to append my name to his in ‘our’ collection of books. He was most possessive of his Granta handful and it had me piqued. The first Granta I ever read was the issue providentially titled Love Stories; I fell in love all right. I would later learn about, and eventually join him in, his quest for the magazine. Any local bookstore we’d visit, we’d first ask for a Granta and buy any issue provided, as the books aren’t easily available here. Now, as happy subscribers, we get new issues delivered to the doorstep each quarter.

Discussions on the new still-unreleased issue have already begun. It will be delivered on December 14, but for a week now we’ve been debating on its bill of fare. It’s the publication’s 100th issue and has all my heroes contributing — Salman Rushdie, Alan Hollinghurst, Mario Vargas Llosa, Martin Amis, Ian McEwan and Hanif Kureshi, among others.

That may be enough reason to anticipate its arrival, but there’s more. For followers of arguably the greatest literary magazine, it’s announces a new phase. Granta is changing guard with this issue. The magazine’s editor of 12 years, the prolific Ian Jack, has made way for James Cowley, and this will be Cowley’s first baby.

... contd.