The third book in Amitav Ghosh’s hugely popular Ibis Trilogy, Flood of Fire, was among the most-awaited novels of 2015. The final instalment, set a few months before the outbreak of the First Opium War (1839-42) between Britain and China, follows the fortunes of the four main characters through the war and its aftermath.
In the digital age, where readership of serious fiction is on the decline, Ghosh’s 600-odd-page tome, an exploration of the impact of the opium trade on Asia, was an instant hit among fans and critics alike. In an interview earlier this year, the 59-year-old author said the final book with its “large number of characters was the most difficult one”.
While the first book, Sea of Poppies, was shortlisted for the 2008 Man Booker Prize, the second, River of Smoke, was longlisted for the Man Asian Literary Prize (2011). Flood of Fire has already been shortlisted for the Hindu Literary Prize. Ghosh was also among the 10 finalists for the Man Booker International Prize 2015, which went to László Krasznahorkai from Hungary. The Padma Shri awardee is now working on two short works of non-fiction.
Literary influences
Herman Melville’s Moby Dick, Rabindranath Tagore’s writings and Ved Vyasa’s Mahabharata
favourite foods Appam and idiyappam, Bengali dish potato skin