Art nights at Kemps Corner, a ladies' coach poetry crawl and Stephen Alter's last Bullet book

A message on a visitor's T-shirt at Marine Drive has suited the uncertainty now gripping the stock market. Here are some other items from Mumbai's art and literary circles.

Think painting classes are only for children? The Messy Art House in Kemps Corner is now making room for adults too. At the Art Nights held every Thursday, adults are asked to put their phones aside and get their hands busy with clay, canvas and quirky craft pieces. Beginners are welcome, and materials, techniques and ideas are provided to get started. Private art and craft workshops for birthdays, get-togethers with friends and team evenings are also held here. Founder Upasana Poddar said, "We do not want to make artists. You sketch something, you have fun, your nails fill with clay and paint gets on your clothes. Somewhere in all this you genuinely feel relaxed. Art is only the excuse. Letting loose is the whole point."

In the discussions at the Sikkim Literature Festival, Stephen Alter, who offers advice on conservation and philosophy, comes across as an affable man in his seventies. But at heart he is a biker. The author, who writes extensively about nature, said his next book, "My Last Bullet", due in December, will be based on his favourite rides and his writing. He said, "In 1977, when I sold my first novel, I got 500 pounds and spent all of it on a Bullet. Now, in my seventies, I will not be able to ride much. So I recently bought my last Bullet. I want anyone who loves the Royal Enfield to read this book." He said this with a laugh. He is fond of old Hindi films, especially those of Dev Anand and Amitabh Bachchan, which makes one picture a young Alter speeding a Bullet through the lanes of Mussoorie.

The ladies' coach has heard countless conversations, watched daily dramas and carried women of all backgrounds. Now it will get a tribute in poetry. The Ladies Local Poetry Crawl, hosted by actor and theatre person Apoorva Kadam, will feature poems by women poets who capture the wild, chaotic and everyday realities of life in the ladies' coach. Readings in Marathi and English will be accompanied by translations. Saranya Subramaniam, founder of The Bombay Poetry Crawl, said, "The ladies' coach is a space that is segregated by gender yet liberating. It is one of those places in the city where women from many layers of society come together." The hour-long train journey will start from Dadar station on November 8. For more details, see @The Bombay poetry crawl.

The Serendipity Arts Festival will make its leap into Europe in June 2027, with its first London edition. The festival's all-women curatorial team includes two prominent names from Mumbai's art and music scenes: musician Sneha Khanwalkar and art critic Nancy Adajania. They will bring music, dance, food arts and voices in new media to London's museums, cafes and streets. The Great Exhibition Road Festival will be part of the presentation.