In an invaluable addition to the genre of Partition literature, Alok Bhalla explores the concept of boundaries and homes through his interviews with six well-known novelists from India and Pakistan. In conversation with Intizar Husain, Krishna Sobti, Bhisham Sahni, Krishna Baldev Vaid, Kamleshwar, and Bapsi Sidhwa, Bhalla invokes their personal experiences and memories of the years around 1947; their families in pre-Partition India; their Hindu, Muslim, or Sikh neighbours; their ideological shifts; their difficult days of survival amidst the carnage, and the impact of Partition on their writings. This book will interest general readers, students, and researchers in politics and society, South Asian literature, and social history.

‘Bhalla’s scholarship and erudition come through in a fine introduction. This is a splendid book, a must-read for anyone interested in Partition. —The Hindu

‘… historically and literally a work of importance and interest. Many writers still have many insightful things to say and it is important to read an assessment of their work and lives in their own words.’ —The Financial Express