Amitav Ghosh, The 2012 Joan Jakobson Visiting Writer

The interplay of history and fiction marks Amitav Ghosh's work, and reflects his early life in India, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka. His well-known books include In an Antique Land, Dancing in Cambodia, The Glass Palace, and Sea of Poppies. His new novel, River of Smoke, is a narrative of the nineteenth century heroin trade in India and Canton and is an international best-seller. He recently received an honorary doctorate from the Sorbonne.