Shubhangi Swarup was awarded the 2012 Charles Pick Fellowship for Creative Writing at UEA on the strength of her first novel. An award-winning journalist, she travelled to and lived in all the places in whichLatitudes of Longing, her first novel, is set, working as a teacher and undercover reporter. She lives in Mumbai.
Intense, lyrical, and powerful. This is a remarkable debut * Jeet Thayil, author of Narcopolis and The Book of Chocolate Saints * The insistent pulse of the earth beats through the human interactions in this exquisite novel. Her voice is original, and her work shows the measured pace of dance. Latitudes of Longing is a book to be savoured * The Hindu * Shubhangi Swarup's debut fiction novel should be your next read. It's a journey through the physical and the metaphysical * Elle India * If one of the roles of fiction is to reframe our view of the world, this is an uncommonly bold and imaginative attempt * India Today * Astonishing and completely original, Shubhangi Swarup's magical novel will change the way you see people-and landscapes, forests, the oceans, snow deserts. She stirs your curiosity about the earth, takes you from sadness and heartbreak to rich, unexpected surprises, and finds hope in the cracks of broken lives [Swarup's] debut novel will certainly be one of the most wondrous literary achievements to hit the shelves this year. A multigenerational epic intertwined with spellbinding myths, Swarup's is a many-layered narrative...Extraordinarily affecting. * Library Journal * Swarup's lyrical debut exalts in the majesty of the South Asian subcontinent.... Generous doses of magical realism mixed in with regional folklore add to the atmospheric charm * Booklist * A thoughtful, philosophical book...Their stories unfold movingly in four sections, each with only a loose connection to the last. A unique and rewarding read * Grimsby Telegraph * Beautifully written in lush, lyrical prose * Irish Times * An exuberantly flowing novel... a promising debut * Mail on Sunday *