Rana Dasgupta on Melinda Talks, on YMPM

Rana Dasgupta was born in the UK in 1971 and grew up in Cambridge. As an adult he lived in France, Malaysia and the US before moving to Delhi in 2000.

His first book, "Tokyo Cancelled", was published in 2005. Narrated by travelers stuck for a night in an airport, "Tokyo Cancelled" is a cycle of folktales about our contemporary world of globalization, corporations, film stars and illegal immigrants. It was short-listed for the John Llewellyn Rhys Prize and the Vodafone Crossword Award.

"Solo" came out in the UK in 2009 and was awarded the Commonwealth Writers' Prize. Set in Bulgaria, "Solo" follows the life and daydreams of a melancholy centenarian, so embarking on an epic exploration of science, memory, music and failure. "Solo" has been translated into twelve languages and will be available in the US in February 2011.

We get to discuss his now book Capital!

REVIEWS OF "TOKYO CANCELLED"

"Only the most gifted writers can hold the surreal and the real in satisfying equilibrium. This elite now welcomes Rana Dasgupta to its ranks" - Time Out

"Brilliantly conceived and jauntily delivered" - San Francisco Chronicle

"These stories ... ah, they outdo the Arabian Nights for inventiveness. One closes the book with head spinning" - The Guardian

REVIEWS OF "SOLO"

"Solo is ... utterly unforgettable in its humanity" - The Guardian

"A necessary as well as a timely novel" - Sunday Business Post

"Weird, wonderful and warmly wise" - Daily Mail

"This is an important work" - The Australian

[http://www.ranadasgupta.com]