When searching for their literary roots, contemporary fiction writers don’t often journey further back than the 19th century. We understand the novel and short story as distinctly “modern” forms. But they were preceded by millennia of sharp, marvelous, and wise story-telling, traditions of prose that can still be powerfully evocative and provocative for us today. Through the reading of excerpts of pre-modern prose, guided writing exercises and discussion, this session will explore the ways writers can refresh their modern fiction by delving into the past.
Kanishk Tharoor is a writer and broadcaster. His debut collection of short stories Swimmer Among the Stars (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2017) was a Guardian Book of the Year and a NPR Book of the Year. The collection was awarded the Tata First Book Award for fiction in India. His short... Read More →
