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2023 Longlist

Tomb of Sand

Translated from the original Hindi by Daisy Rockwell

ABOUT
THE BOOK

An eighty-year-old woman slips into a deep depression at the death of her husband, then resurfaces to gain a new lease on life. Her determination to fly in the face of convention – including striking up a friendship with a hijra (trans) woman – confuses her bohemian daughter, who is used to thinking of herself as the more ‘modern’ of the two. At the older woman’s insistence they travel back to Pakistan, simultaneously confronting the unresolved trauma of her teenage experiences of Partition, and re-evaluating what it means to be a mother, a daughter, a woman, a feminist. Rather than respond to tragedy with seriousness, Geetanjali Shree’s playful tone and exuberant wordplay results in a book that is engaging, funny, and utterly original, at the same time as being an urgent and timely protest against the destructive impact of borders and boundaries, whether between religions, countries, or genders.

 

 

ABOUT
THE AUTHOR Geetanjali
Shree

Author of three novels and several story collections, Geetanjali Shree‘s work has been translated into English, French, German, Serbian, and Korean. She has received and been shortlisted for a number of awards and fellowships, and lives in New Delhi.

Author of three novels and several story collections, Geetanjali Shree‘s work has been translated into English, French, German, Serbian, and Korean. She has received and been shortlisted for a number of awards and fellowships, and lives in New Delhi.

NOMINATING LIBRARY COMMENTS

This is an amazing and experimentally written book. Geetanjali Shree’s playful tone and exuberant wordplay results in a book that is engaging, funny, and utterly original, at the same time as being an urgent and timely protest against the destructive impact of borders and boundaries, whether between religions, countries, or genders, highly recommend it, especially since it gives an insight to many customs and habits of India. A rare gem of a novel.

–  India International Centre, India

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Date published
26/08/2021
Country
India
Original Language
Hindi
Publisher
Tilted Axis Press
Translator
Daisy Rockwell
Translation
Translated from the original Hindi by Daisy Rockwell

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