Welcome back, everyone! Today we're discussing the book Memory of Light by Ruth Vanita.

Here's a summary:

Preparations for King George the Third's fiftieth birthday gala are in full swing in Lucknow. As poets and performers vie to be part of the show, Chapla Bai, a dazzling courtesan from Kashi, briefly enters this competitive world, and sweeps the poet Nafis Bai off her feet. An irresistible passion takes root, expanding and contracting like a wave of light. Over two summers, aided by Nafis's friends, the poets Insha and Rangin, and Sharad, himself in love with a man, they exchange letters and verses, feeding each other the heady fruit of desire. When Chapla leaves for home, they part with the dream of building a life together. Can their relationship survive the distances?

Narrated in the voice of Nafis, Memory of Light weaves an exquisite web of conversations, songs, reminiscences around a life-changing love.

CW: colourism, fatphobia, British colonisation of India, mentions of violence including beheadings, death in a pandemic, death due to disease, alcoholism, mentions of drug use, mentions of suicide, death.

You can find us at queerilyeverafterpodcast.weebly.com where you can find all of our socials.