Requiem for Calcutta
A passionate tale of discovery and belonging through an intricately woven mosaic of seven fictional biographies.
A mix of culture, history and pathos driven fiction that makes Calcutta come alive through its characters.
A book in search for the real Calcutta, a quest for belonging, a wading through its past and the present. It takes you on a journey that defines Calcutta through its people and different social groups.
This passionate search conjures up a personalized self-styled cultural biography that makes the city as elusive as it is real with people and their stories.
Although unique, this journey will evoke a sense of nostalgia and connectedness for those associated with Calcutta. For those who aren’t, it will take you on a fascinating journey of fact and fiction, history and culture, sadness and joy, life and death.
This book is as entertaining as it is credible and informative.
What others say about Requiem for Calcutta
Requiem for Calcutta by Ivan Fernandes is a rare gem that celebrates Calcutta. It is a true accomplishment when a writer can capture the essence of such a unique and brilliant city. Ivan Fernandes recreates the magic, juxtaposing its magnificent past and current tribulations, its wealth and poverty, its victories and losses, and the triumphs and struggles of its residents in everyday life—for Calcutta is a city of contradictions. He does this with a simple and intimate style of writing—insightful, compassionate and tinged with humour.
Ivan Fernandes brings the reader up close to Calcutta, through personal stories of seven charismatic men and women, painting an evocative and heartbreaking picture of how the city has changed over the centuries, marked by the ebb and tide of politics, power and greed of people, against the backdrop of Calcutta’s tumultuous struggle to survive and flourish.
Social justice, an egalitarian society, human rights, healing the sick, educating street children, nurturing stray dogs … these extraordinary
people dedicated their lives to such causes. I laughed and cried as I rejoiced and mourned for these magnificent personalities.
They are neighbours, teachers and family friends you and I would know from our daily lives—who span the spectrum of class, gender, sexuality, age, religion and national origin. This is what Ivan Fernandes makes possible for the reader. To experience the amalgam created by the ability of Bengali society to welcome all—British, French, Chinese, Parsi, Gujarati, Anglo-Indian, Punjabi, Marwari, to name a few.
I experienced the quintessential diversity of Calcutta. You will too, as Ivan Fernandes weaves together pearls of cultural history in his stories, creating unforgettable characters who emerge distinct, multi-dimensional and real.
In the reading of the stories I finally understood the magic of Calcutta. Requiem for Calcutta touched, moved and inspired me.
About Ivan
Ivan Fernandes born, raised and educated in Calcutta, a city and its people he loves and sometimes loves to hate. A journalist by profession, Ivan is based in Bangkok but is still nostalgic about the city that made him what he is today — a thoroughbred Calcuttawalla.
Ivan Fernandes 