Three literary sessions featuring conversations with internationally acclaimed authors. Writer and former diplomat Vikas Swarup explores his latest novel, The Girl with the Seven Lives, in conversation with Jim Hildebrandt. Writer, broadcaster, and researcher Aarathi Prasad discusses her book, Silk: A History in Three Metamorphoses with the SCMP’s Zuraidah Ibrahim. And finally, author and historian John Zubrzycki talks about his book, Dethroned: The Downfall of India’s Princely States. He will be in conversation with Fionnuala McHugh.

Words on Water is being held in collaboration with the Hong Kong International Literary Festival

Vikas Swarup in conversation with Jim Hildebrandt | The Girl with the Seven Lives by Vikas Swarup

RUNDOWN:
09:30: Registration 
10:00: Program Starts
11:00: Program Ends
ASHK Members/Friends of IBB/Students Ticket: HKD 200
Non-Member Ticket: HKD 225

Vikas Swarup’s debut novel, Q&A, made an explosive impact and became an international sensation with the Oscar-winning adaptation, Slumdog Millionaire. His latest novel, The Girl with the Seven Lives, chronicles a young girl's odyssey across India after being abducted by a masked gunman. In conversation with Jim Hildebrandt, Swarup explores the trajectory of his writing career, exploring the ideas and words that have shaped his craft.

Vikas Swarup is a former diplomat and best-selling author who gained global recognition with his debut novel Q&A, adapted into the Oscar-winning film Slumdog Millionaire. His second novel Six Suspects was made into The Great Indian Murder on Disney/Hulu. His books have been translated into 47 international languages.

Jim Hildebrandt is an avid reader and collector of the best novels of the last 75 years, working his way through a very long list of award-winning literature. To the extent possible, he is trying to be encyclopaedic in this pursuit. Hildebrandt works in the private equity industry and has been based in Hong Kong since 1993. 

Aarathi Prasad in conversation with Zuraidah Ibrahim | Silk: A History in Three Metamorphoses by Aarathi Prasad

RUNDOWN
10:45: Registration 
11:15: Program Starts
12:15: Program Ends

ASHK Members/Friends of IBB/Students Ticket: HKD 200
Non-Member Ticket: HKD 225

Silk, prized for its lightness, luminosity and beauty, is also one of the strongest biological materials ever known. Aarathi Prasad’s Silk is a cultural and biological history from the origins and ancient routes of silk to the story of the biologists who learned the secrets of silk-producing animals - the moths of China, Indonesia and India, the spiders of South America and Madagascar and the molluscs of the Mediterranean. She will be in conversation with the Executive Managing Editor of South China Morning Post, Zuraidah Ibrahim.

Aarathi Prasad is a writer, broadcaster, and researcher. Her works also include In the Bonesetter's Waiting Room: Travels Through Indian Medicine and Like a Virgin: How Science Is Redesigning the Rules of Sex. Dr. Prasad has a PhD in molecular genetics from Imperial College London and is trained in bioarchaeology. She is an Honorary Research Fellow at University College London’s Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment.

Zuraidah Ibrahim is the Executive Managing Editor of SCMP and supervises the publication’s Hong Kong, Asia and international coverage as well as its photo, graphics and Young Post desks. She also oversees This Week in Asia, an award-winning Sunday current affairs magazine. 

John Zubrzycki in conversation with Fionnuala McHugh | Dethroned: The Downfall of India’s Princely States

RUNDOWN:
12:00: Registration 
12:30: Program Starts
13:30: Program Ends
ASHK Members/Friends of IBB/Students Ticket: HKD 200
Non-Member Ticket: HKD 225

John Zubrzycki’s recent book, Dethroned: The Downfall of India’s Princely States, is a riveting account of the absorption of the Princely states into the Indian union post-1947. Zubrzycki expertly juggles a fascinating cast of characters including Lord Mountbatten, Jawaharlal Nehru, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and V. P. Menon to present a captivating account of the game of chess that saved the subcontinent from fragmentation. 

John Zubrzycki is the author of six books on India, most recently, Dethroned: The Downfall of India’s Princely States. His earlier books include: The Shortest History of India, and The House of Jaipur: The Inside Story of India’s Most Glamorous Royal Family. He has worked in India as a diplomat and foreign correspondent and has a PhD in Indian history.

Writer Fionnuala McHugh first visited India in 1986 and has returned many times since. She has written for a wide range of publications and has lived in Hong Kong since 1993.

There will be a brief book signing with the authors following the event, with their books available for sale onsite.

*Moderators and speakers are subject to change 

About India by the Bay:
India by the Bay is Hong Kong’s only annual, week-long celebration of Indian arts, culture and heritage. Each year, the festival brings the soul of India and its unique diversity to the city’s shores, with a curation featuring music, dance, theatre, cinema, literature, wellness, fashion and food. For nearly a decade, India by the Bay has served as a cultural bridge – engaging and entertaining the people of Hong Kong and fostering conversations and collaborations. The festival is co-presented by Teamwork Arts and the Asia Society Hong Kong Center. In its 9th edition, India by the Bay is reaffirming its commitment to exploring the arts as a powerful conduit for connection.

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The views and opinions expressed are those of the speakers and participants and, unless expressly stated to the contrary, do not reflect the opinion, position or official policy of Asia Society Hong Kong, its members, or its committees. Asia Society Hong Kong does not endorse or approve, and assumes no responsibility for the content of the information presented