Novara FM: Truth That Only Fiction Reveals w/ Pankaj Mishra

After 9/11, the writer and essayist Pankaj Mishra found himself losing faith in journalism’s ability to convey the complexity and nuance of the situation. Much of what he knew of the world, he realised, from history to political psychology, had originally been gleaned from fiction.

Since then, Mishra has published several novels – including last year’s Run And Hide – as well as numerous powerful essays and non-fiction works exploring empire, globalisation, populism and the life of the Buddha.

He joins John Merrick on Novara FM to talk about his latest return to fiction and why novels are indispensable for anyone hoping to make sense of their time. They also discuss the culture of Hindu nationalism, the promise of socialist fiction, and why class is so often ignored by contemporary novelists and critics.

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