Amitav Ghosh

As transporting and mesmerizing as an opiate induced dream, River of Smoke will soon be heralded as a masterpiece of twenty-first century literature.

In September 1838 a storm blows up on the Indian Ocean and the Ibis, a ship carrying a consignment of convicts and indentured labourers from Calcutta to Mauritius, is caught up in the whirlwind. When the seas settle, five men have disappeared – two lascars, two convicts and one of the passengers.

On the grand scale of an historical epic, River of Smoke follows its storm-tossed characters to the crowded harbors of China.  All struggle to cope with their losses – and for some, unimaginable freedoms – in the alleys and crowded waterways of 19th century Canton.

Amitav Ghosh is an astounding writer, and winner of countless awards. We urge you not to miss this evening!