anuradha roy

Yesterday Suman, a friend who lives down the stairs, handed me a mango. It was one of the few she in turn had been gifted by her brother who in turn had been gifted by…. Well, this was no ordinary mango: it was an Alphonso, and therefore it was an act of real generosity for her to part with one. I had never tasted the fabled Alphonso, could hardly believe I had one in my hand. She shrugged that she thought it overrated, but ok, an Alphonso, is an Alphonso, she said, why not taste it and decide. I realised,  going up the stairs holding my precious Alphonso, that I had actually tasted one, not a month ago, in London. Only, I had clean forgotten it. To those of us used to the Benishaan, the Chausa, the Langra and the Sindoori,   the vital thing is that lovely tangy twist that gives mangoes character. Their tastes unroll on the tongue layer by layer. I had forgotten eating the Alphonso because it was merely nice: sweet, pleasant, uncomplicated. photo courtesy: enjoyingindi

"The themes of innocence stolen, the refuge of the imagination, and the inclination to look away are handled with sensitivity and subtlety in some of the best prose of recent years encountered by this reader. Roy brings a painterly eye, her choice of detail bringing scenes to sensual life, while eschewing floridness: a masterclass rather in the art of restraint, the pared-back style enabling violence close to the surface to glint of its own accord."   Rebecca K. Morrison, The Independent "Anuradha Roy’s brilliant new novel, Sleeping on Jupiter , is a riveting and poignant read...There’s a whole tapestry out there: lost innocence, displacement, violence, friendship, survival, unconventional love, rejection, and pain...all penned with excellent craft. The opening chapters are violent but etched in delicate, detached prose." Suneetha Balakrishnana, The Hindu "Both incredibly timely and extremely brave." Lucy Scholes, The National "P

Sleeping on Jupiter was released in April in India (published by Hachette India) and in Britain (published by Maclehose Press). The formal "launch" was at Asia House London. A complete account, including an audio link here , from the Asia House site. Spunky, feisty older Indian women are central characters in new book Indian author Anuradha Roy, left, the Guardian and Observer books  editor Claire Armitstead, right, at the launch of 'Sleeping on Jupiter', which was held at Asia House 01/05/15 By Naomi Canton A book portraying older Indian women – not the typical centres of Indian fiction – as spunky, strong, rebellious and flirtatious and no longer simply living their lives for others, was launched at Asia House. Sleeping on Jupiter by Indian author Anuradha Roy, was launched as part of the Asia House Bagri Foundation Literature Festival  2015 and was the first pre-Festival event. In the same way that The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel  (2011)