First published 1997
Salman Rushdie brings together India's leading voices from five decades following independence. The anthology features fiction, poetry, and essays from both renowned masters and rising talents. These writers bear witness to a nation transforming after Partition's upheaval. Their works explore religious strife, family conflicts across generations, and the tension between traditional ways and rapid modernization. Authors chronicle the vibrant chaos of cities like Mumbai while grappling with what it means to be Indian. The collection covers 1947 to 1997, showing how writers have struggled to define themselves within a country of immense diversity and contradictions. These literary voices illuminate the intricate challenge of identity in a land where countless languages, faiths, and customs both unite and divide.
Genres: fiction, anthologies, historical-fiction, 20th-century, asian-american
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, social-commentary
Setting: India
Period: 20th Century
606 pages · Paperback · Vintage Books
Content warnings: colonialism