How Delhi has been written over the years in novels and in stories (and essays)
The pandemic may have silenced the urban legends of the capital for a year, but there is enough and more in literature to look back on. Connaught Place, Delhi, before the pandemic. | PRAKASH SINGH / AFP
All great cities have great stories. New York, Cairo, Istanbul, Moscow, Shanghai among others, all have their grand, capacious histories, replete with triumphs, setbacks and even the odd comic interlude. Delhi has its glorious chronicles too, but they compete with those of New Delhi and more recently of all the Newer Delhis in the making.
Himal Southasian
12 noteworthy books on Southasia reviewed by our contributors this year.
As the year ends with a flood of the inevitable, and somewhat oddly titled, ‘best books of the year’ lists, we have instead compiled our own recommendations which we hope will serve as a starting point for richer conversations on Southasia. These books raise questions that deserve wider debate and deeper reflection. Here are 12 noteworthy books reviewed by
Himal Southasian in 2020.
Vanni: A Family’s Struggle Through The Sri Lankan Conflict by Benjamin Dix and Lindsay Pollock
‘Vanni: A Family’s Struggle Through The Sri Lankan Conflict’ by Benjamin Dix and Lindsay Pollock. Penguin Books, October 2019.