Amitabh Ghosh

Indian Writing in English has proliferated over the last few decades and has made a huge impact on English readers. Not only do the works of Indian authors writing in English find a place on the best-seller list, they are also receiving critical acclaim across the world. Starting from Rabindranath Tagore, Sarojni Naidu, R.K. Narayan, Raja Rao, Mulk Raj Anand, to V.S. Naipaul, Salman Rushdie, Vikram Seth and Amitav Ghosh, we have an array of writers adorning the literary horizon. All these writers have considerable following in the English speaking countries, and Amitav Ghosh certainly occupies an important place among them and is much acclaimed for his literary style and content. One of the most prolific postcolonial writers writing today, Amitav Ghosh has received many awards: The Circle of Reason, winning the Prix Medici Etranger (one of France’s top literary award), The Shadow Lines, winning the Sahitya Akademi Award, and The Calcutta Chromosome, bagging the Arthur C. Clarke Award for 1997. His latest novel, Sea of Poppies too has been highly appreciated. This book, which is an anthology of critical essays, deals with fictional as well as non-fictional works of Amitav Ghosh. It focuses on Ghosh’s idea and theory of the novel, postcolonial rationality in The Circle of Reason, nationalism in the context of Partition in The Shadow Lines, and East-West encounter in The Calcutta Chromosome. Besides, it also discusses power structure operating within the narrative of The Glass Palace, and the question of space, identity and cultural difference in The Hungry Tide. Though different from each other, some of the essays take up common themes for discussion and offer new insights into Ghosh’s works. The essays are thoughtful, incisive and refreshing. This book is meant for the undergraduate and postgraduate students of English literature. Besides, all those readers who wish to delve deeper into the works of Amitav Ghosh will find reading the text extremely informative, stimulating and useful.