This is an archive article published on July 6, 2022
‘It’s been a rich experience and I am still processing it’: Geetanjali Shree
At a celebratory interaction with this year’s International Booker Prize-winner Geetanjali Shree, the writer on how life has changed and why it’s good to be confounded by literature sometimes
It’s been a sudden thrust into the limelight following her International Booker Prize win alongside Daisy Rockwell for Tomb of Sand (2021), the English translation of her Hindi novel Ret Samadhi (2018). But writer Geetanjali Shree hopes that given the nature of literary acclaim that is distinct from the celebrityhood of film stars or cricketers, the dust will settle down soon and allow her to return to her life of quiet contemplation.
“Booker mere se thoda alagh hi chalega,” she said in jest, in response to an audience’s question about whether the win will make her more conscious about her future works. Shree, 65, was in conversation with journalist and translator Poonam Saxena at a celebratory interaction organised by Teamwork Arts and ILF-Samanvay at the India Habitat Centre in New Delhi.
Earlier, during the conversation, Shree, who uses her mother’s surname, had spoken of how in the days since the win in late May, her life has been a whirlwind of social interactions. “My circle of friends and well-wishers has increased incredibly within these very few days. Old friends have resurfaced, new friends have emerged… It’s been a very rich experience and I am still processing it,” she said.
Set in north India, Shree’s novel has at its core the story of an octogenarian — Ma — who finds her way back into life, even as the narrative interrogates boundaries between nations, religions and genders. Speaking of her unusual choice of protagonist, the writer said that she felt compelled to interrogate the image of an old woman lying with her back to the world and what it was that nestled at the core of her being. In the course of her writing the book, it revealed itself as “jijivisha” — a lust for life — hardly ever associated with people of that age.
To Saxena’s query if her unconventional use of the Hindi language made her works difficult to read, Shree said, “I have been asked this question many times, and I always wonder what is the problem in it (being a difficult read)? Ashok ji (Vajpeyi, poet and critic) is here. I am going to use his dialogue. He says, literature is not a samosa, that you put it in your mouth and gulp it down. Why is it difficult if you have to halt somewhere, or circle back to a particular place or try again? Even if you don’t get it, it’s not a big deal. There are many things we see or feel that we cannot express in language but we understand its heft…”, adding that the joy of literature can sometimes lie in being motivated to “think anew”. The conversation was followed by book signing.
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Paromita Chakrabarti is Senior Associate Editor at the The Indian Express. She is a key member of the National Editorial and Opinion desk and writes on books and literature, gender discourse, workplace policies and contemporary socio-cultural trends.
Professional Profile
With a career spanning over 20 years, her work is characterized by a "deep culture" approach—examining how literature, gender, and social policy intersect with contemporary life.
Specialization: Books and publishing, gender discourse (specifically workplace dynamics), and modern socio-cultural trends.
Editorial Role: She curates the literary coverage for the paper, overseeing reviews, author profiles, and long-form features on global literary awards.
Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025)
Her recent writing highlights a blend of literary expertise and sharp social commentary:
1. Literary Coverage & Nobel/Booker Awards
"2025 Nobel Prize in Literature | Hungarian master of apocalypse" (Oct 10, 2025): An in-depth analysis of László Krasznahorkai’s win, exploring his themes of despair and grace.
"Everything you need to know about the Booker Prize 2025" (Nov 10, 2025): A comprehensive guide to the history and top contenders of the year.
"Katie Kitamura's Audition turns life into a stage" (Nov 8, 2025): A review of the novel’s exploration of self-recognition and performance.
2. Gender & Workplace Policy
"Karnataka’s menstrual leave policy: The problem isn’t periods. It’s that workplaces are built for men" (Oct 13, 2025): A viral opinion piece arguing that modern workplace patterns are calibrated to male biology, making women's rights feel like "concessions."
"Best of Both Sides: For women’s cricket, it’s 1978, not 1983" (Nov 7, 2025): A piece on how the yardstick of men's cricket cannot accurately measure the revolution in the women's game.
3. Social Trends & Childhood Crisis
"The kids are not alright: An unprecedented crisis is brewing in schools and homes" (Nov 23, 2025): Writing as the Opinions Editor, she analyzed how rising competition and digital overload are overwhelming children.
4. Author Interviews & Profiles
"Fame is another kind of loneliness: Kiran Desai on her Booker-shortlisted novel" (Sept 23, 2025): An interview regarding The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny.
"Once you’ve had a rocky and unsafe childhood, you can’t trust safety: Arundhati Roy" (Aug 30, 2025): A profile on Roy’s recent reflections on personal and political violence.
Signature Beats
Gender Lens: She frequently critiques the "borrowed terms" on which women navigate pregnancy, menstruation, and caregiving in the corporate world.
Book Reviews: Her reviews often draw parallels between literature and other media, such as comparing Richard Osman’s The Impossible Fortune to the series Only Murders in the Building (Oct 25, 2025). ... Read More
