Amit Chaudhuri Book order

Amit Chaudhuri, one of the most exploratory writers of English-language fiction, has also written and published poetry that shares many of the concerns of his prose while sounding a distinct and memorable note of its own. This book collects the greater portion of that work for the first time, starting with St Cyril Road (2005), Sweet Shop (2019), Ramanujan (2021), and a selection of new and uncollected poems, as well as translations from Bengali. This English-only edition does not include the poems in their original language.

'When freedom is the only reality, you're no longer free.'A man arrives in Berlin to take up an appointment as a visiting professor. At once a record of what it means to live in the moment and a fable, Sojourn is a response to history and what it means to encounter it in the new 'free' world.

Exploring themes of loss and renewal, Amit Chaudhuri's poems reflect on the interplay between past and present, intertwining personal grief with broader cultural connections. The collection juxtaposes figures like mathematician Ramanujan and a 9th-century Chinese poet, revealing shared experiences of absence and longing. Through vivid imagery and rhythmic echoes, Chaudhuri captures the essence of human connection amidst bereavement, ultimately conveying a profound sense of wonder and the continuous journey of understanding one's place in the world.

'[A] compelling meditation on Indian and Western art-making.' The New YorkerFinding the Raga is Amit Chaudhuri's revelatory exploration of North Indian classical music: an ancient, evolving tradition whose principles and practises will alter the reader's notion of what music might - and can - be.

Making it as a lawyer has always been a cutthroat business. But now that a sadistic serial killer is on the loose the consequences could prove deadly… A killer is targeting former students of The Bloomsbury Academy of Law. The victims – all female – are gruesomely butchered according to a pattern corresponding with the legal syllabus. Even more disconcerting are riddles sent by the killer to investigating officer, Chief Inspector Jake Carver, offering clues as to who is next and where they will die. Up-and-coming lawyer Madeline Kramer, a former classmate of a number of the slain, soon finds her life turned upside down by the savagery. And when she decides to help Carver track down the killer, she places herself in mortal danger. Can Maddy unscramble the complex riddles, save her own life and those of others destined to die? A. A. Chaudhuri’s Ripper-like mystery The Scribe throws down a challenge even hardened crime thriller fans will be unable to resist.

Amit Chaudhuri's new collection of poems makes a fresh, spiritual accommodation with the world. The poems often take their themes from sweets named and eaten, meals remembered, and matches these with meditations on culture, people, time and identity that slowly unfold as much in the mouth as in the mind.

These essays testify to a formidable intelligence at work. Chaudhuri's engaging yet exacting reflections range widely across literature and the arts. Puncturing intellectual pieties and lazy thinking, they challenge us to rethink how art and the world connect. Rita Felski, William R. Kenan, Jr., Professor of English, University of Virginia

In Friend of My Youth, a novelist named Amit Chaudhuri visits his childhood home of Bombay. The city, reeling from the impact of the 2008 terrorist attacks, weighs heavily on Amit's mind, as does the unexpected absence of his childhood friend Ramu, a drifting, opaque figure who is Amit's last remaining connection to the city he once called home.

Through a deeply personal lens, Amit Chaudhuri explores his two-year journey in Calcutta, the city of his birth, capturing its unique essence amid globalization. The narrative weaves together encounters with diverse residents, from the homeless to the elite, while vividly describing the city's architecture, cuisine, and sensory experiences. Combining memoir, reportage, and history, Chaudhuri reveals his profound connection to Calcutta, showcasing its vibrant streets and complex socio-political landscape with striking clarity and emotional depth.

A stunning collection of short stories from the author of Sojourn and Friend of My Youth.