ABOUT THE BOOK
Deeper Than Indigo
Deeper Than Indigo is an extraordinary journey across time and place, weaving together biography, memoir, detective story, travelogue, and history.
The author, Jenny Balfour Paul, begins her quest in the British Library, where the illustrated journals of Victorian traveller Thomas Machell (1824–1864) spark a powerful connection. Like Machell, she has journeyed through India, worked with indigo, and kept her own journals. Captivated by his quirky watercolours, his unfinished dream of writing “a novel in the form of an autobiography,” and the mysterious gaps in his life, she sets out to retrace his footsteps.
From the ancestral hills of northern England to the deserts of Arabia, from Bengal’s indigo plantations to Kerala’s Malabar Hills, through the China Seas and even remote Polynesian islands, the narrative follows Machell’s remarkable life as a restless outsider during the height of the British Raj. Along the way, Jenny discovers how chance, history, and an unexpected love story intertwine, revealing forgotten connections between East and West.
This spellbinding journey through the 19th century brings to life a hidden history, illuminated by serendipity, intuition, and a search for meaning that resonates in the present.
OUR NEW TITLES
Sea of Pearls
Before the discovery of oil, the sea was the Gulf’s greatest wealth. Each summer, fleets of wooden dhows sailed out into the turquoise waters, their crews diving deep on a single breath, armed only with a nose clip, a stone weight, and a rope. They returned to the surface clutching oysters, hoping for the prize within pearls so perfect they adorned the crowns of kings and captivated the luxury markets of India and Europe.
Lorimer
In 1908, the British government quietly commissioned a vast and meticulous record of the Arabian Gulf and surrounding regions. Compiled by John Gordon Lorimer, a senior political officer in the Indian Civil Service, The Gazetteer of the Persian Gulf, Oman and Central Arabia became one of the most extraordinary works of intelligence ever produced by a colonial administration.
Julius Euting
In the winter of 1883, German epigraphist Julius Euting and French-Alsatian geographer Charles Huber departed Damascus on a perilous journey into the heart of northern Arabia. Their mission: to uncover ancient inscriptions and reveal the region’s forgotten history.
In Praise of the Artisan
Across the Islamic world, artistry is not only preserved—it continues to evolve. From the rhythmic tapping of stone carvers in Rajasthan to the delicate calligraphy of Istanbul’s masters, from Cairo’s woodworkers to the skilled embroiderers of Makkah, crafts that have shaped homes, mosques, and cities for centuries are still vibrant today.
Bedouin Weaving
In the vast deserts of Arabia, where landscapes appear austere and endless, Bedouin women have for centuries created beauty from the simplest of materials. Using the wool of their camels, sheep, and goats, they wove vibrant textiles—bold geometric designs in deep reds, blacks, and whites—that adorned tents, protected families from the elements, and carried symbolic meaning.
A Journey to Arabia Felix
In the vast deserts of Arabia, where landscapes appear austere and endless, Bedouin women have for centuries created beauty from the simplest of materials. Using the wool of their camels, sheep, and goats, they wove vibrant textiles—bold geometric designs in deep reds, blacks, and whites—that adorned tents, protected families from the elements, and carried symbolic meaning.