When you read his books, they seem effortless and fluid, a stream of words, and comfortable and familiar, like a conversation that you are a part of — yet they are extraordinary, and their impact, sublime. When he talks, you recognise the voice — it feels like, for a change, you have the pleasure of hearing one of his characters speak, rather than reading about them in his books. Verve has award-winning author Amitav Ghosh — whose Flood of Fire, the third installation of his bestselling Ibis trilogy, has been creating waves in literary circles all over the world — letting you in into his private space.
WHAT ATTRACT YOU TOWARDS HISTORICAL FICTION?
I’ve always loved reading historical fiction, even as a child. I used to read it in English and Bengali. I remember when I was in school, I wanted to write a novel about the great Mughals. To me, there is no essential difference between fiction and historical fiction. All fiction is historical fiction — because technically you can’t write about the present for by the time you write it, it has become the past. So fiction does have a very intimate relationship with the past, and how you remember and narrate it.
HOW EASY OR DIFFICULT IS IT TO MAINTAIN THE BALANCE BETWEEN HISTORY AND FACT?
This story is from the August 2015 edition of Verve.
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This story is from the August 2015 edition of Verve.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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