Longwood Days

A blend of fiction an my personal observations and experiences.

A writer, a poet, a travel guide, a passionate walker with an encyclopedic knowledge of Shimla City, Sumit Raj was born in 1967 in Shimla. His father, a railway engineer by profession was also a well-known Urdu poet, who wrote under the pen name of Talat Irfani, and was never interested in leaving Shimla; but because of his official transfers he had to move first to Rohtak and then to Delhi. Hence, Sumit’s phase of academic education was spread over these three towns because of which despite being a nature lover and a writer he could not acquire the culture of big towns.Shimla town has always been his first love. After doing his postgraduate diploma in tourism he jumped into the field of tourism and returned to the town he yearned for in 2000.Now he tells stories, conducts walks, writes books about his travels and runs an experience providing company to visitors adventuring towards the Indian Western Himalaya. He is a perfect tour companion for the Himalayan valley outings and helps those British who return to Shimla looking for their family history. In his words, “It is impossible for me to live away from the mountains. Mountains travel like blood in my veins and when I inhale; they enter my mind and soul”.For those interested, he conducts extraordinary, tailor-made Heritage and Nature Walks; and in no time his walks have become famous with locals and travelers alike, especially for the detailed narrations and insightful anecdotes.Sumit has authored six books. Shimla – A British Himalayan Town, the first coffee table pictorial coverage of Shimla has been a best seller. His sixth book, a novella titled Tea Shop at Narkanda is being made into a film by the Film Division Mumbai, 2018.