In an Antique Land: History in the Guise of a Traveler's Tale

Amitav Ghosh is an acclaimed Indian author and academic, known for his genre- blending works. Born in 1956 in Kolkata, India, he studied at St. Stephen's College in Delhi and later earned a PhD in social anthropology from Oxford University. His work often explores themes of migration, colonialism, environmentalism, and global trade, with a particular focus on the interconnected histories of South Asia, the Middle East, and the Indian Ocean regions.

As well as In an Antique Land, Ghosh is known for fiction and non-fiction works including The Shadow Lines (1988), which examines the blurred boundaries between nations and personal identities, The Glass Palace (2000), a historical epic set in Burma, and The Ibis Trilogy (Sea of Poppies; River of Smoke; and Flood of Fire), which explores the opium trade and colonial exploitation.

Ghosh combines an interdisciplinary approach with his lived experiences, creating works which provide unique insights into global history. His works have won several awards, including the Jnanpith awards, India’s highest literary honor. Among the most notable of his other awards are the Padma Shri (one of India’s highest civilian honors) two lifetime achievement awards, and four honorary doctorates.

In an Antique Land thus fits within Ghosh’s body of work as it seeks to reckon with modern identities across the Indian Ocean and Middle East following colonialism.