● Launch of The Cosmopolitans
at the Apeejay Kolkata Literary Festival, January 14-17, 2016. Read more | ● Out shortly
from Cambridge University Press: A History of Indian Poetry in English. (With my
essay ‘Our speaking English voice: a voice that speaks for us?’
|
Just Published!
Qayenaat is a drifting, solitary, sensitive figure at the edge of the Bangalore art scene. When world famous artist Baban Reddy, once a young man who hung on her every word, returns to the city to show his latest artwork, all her old longings rise to the surface. Baban’s arrival accompanies other momentous events and sets Qayenaat off on the most unexpected journey of her life – to the heart of rural, war-torn India, in search of genuine experience, and into a relationship with the unlikeliest of men.
The Cosmopolitans is a novel of ideas and emotions – one that questions the place of art in modern life, and draws a vivid portrait of a woman at odds with the world. Tender and wry in equal measure, and rich in thought and insight, it confirms Anjum Hasan as one of our most exciting novelists today.
Hamish Hamilton (2015), 400 pages, Rs 499
From the reviews
“Fiercely
intelligent…Hasan, who made us aware of the mastery of craft in her debut novel
… now gives us a novel of ideas, one that is utterly necessary.”
Indian Express
“Engaging,
uplifting read… an author at the peak of her powers.”
Mint Lounge
“That rare
thing: a novel of ideas… it has been quite some time since a novel has been so
intellectually provocative.”
India Today
“Hasan’s
precise poetic voice soars…scrupulous and affectionate and a joy to read.”
Open
“A book of
constant surprises…Hasan’s deceptively simple and elegant prose, her lush and
graphic descriptions throw open arcane concepts…”
DNA
“The
Cosmopolitans is an intellectual novel, and punctures with sophistication the
eponymous quiet cosmopolitanism of its nature and structure, with several
clever surprises.”
Scroll
“The prose
is rich, nuanced and riveting. A writer’s writer, Hasan’s prose can stimulate
the average reader as well the discerning one…The Cosmopolitans is a
precious novel, to be read, shared, discussed and revisited every once in a
while.”
New Indian Express
“The
Cosmopolitans is an unusual read in the ways it holds up a mirror to
contemporary India but, despite its low-keyed satire, it is not an easy novel.
It reminds us of too many things we should address but would rather let alone.”
Hindustan Times
“Through
Qayenaat’s adventures, Hasan amply demonstrates the anxieties of a nation in
transition and raises questions which the already so-called developed countries
should be asking themselves.”
Asian Review of Books
“The
Cosmopolitans holds surprises and enlightenment in every page.”
Mail Today
“Just like
her previous works, Hasan’s poetic prose resonates with the reader the entire
length of the book.”
Tehelka
“In stepping
into a wider context than the one [Qayenaat] knows, she remains unlike most
recent heroines of IWE writing. It is her individualism and love of ideas that
are worth celebrating.”
Biblio
“Ambitious,
yet intimate, novel of ideas… [Qayanaat is] an appealing and important
character in a country obsessed with success.”
The Wire
“Her
protagonist and her choice of subject matter both stand out, because they don’t
fit into conventional Indian literature.”
Deccan Chronicle