“Nobody has the choice of stepping away from history…" remarked a well-renowned Indian writer Amitav Ghosh in one of his interviews. History has been an inevitable source of our past and nobody can escape from the past. However, the whose history has been narrated, who narrated and for what purpose it has been narrated are a few questions that have stirred the public consciousness. 

Even among laypeople of the day, historical consciousness and the sense of nationalism are hot topics. Numerous assertions, defences, and alterations are being used to rewrite the entirety of history. Diverse interpretations of history collide with one another. The goal of this iconoclast movement is to redefine and contradict the past while updating the nationalistic spirit. 

Time and again, Amitav Ghosh has pronounced his preference for fiction; for instance, Ghosh observes in his article Wild Fictions, “…human relationship with nature is so profoundly formed by fictional imaginings of it… I believe that only fiction can provide a canvas broad enough to address this relationship in all its dimensions”. Ghosh firmly propagates his belief that fiction can be viewed as a mode distinct from science, history etc.

Hence, fiction is a multidimensional narration in comparison to History. Analyzing fiction in order to dig into claimed historical facts or explore history itself might be of great help in the process of understanding Historical consciousness in general. The book SAARC Nations and Narrative wonderfully introduces SAARC literature in brief and discourse analysis of select fiction from SAARC Nations. 

Ajeet Cour, Padma Shri and Founder president of FOSWAL (Foundation of SAARC Writers and Literature) remark “The ubiquitous reception of the SAARC Literature has been the prime concern for us, and this book offers a conducive source for the same… provides the readers with an insight for the cultural integration or diversity, kaleidoscopic historical consciousness, identity crisis and various forms of nationalism among South Asian nations – specifically SAARC state members”.

If you are interested in reading fiction from a historical perspective and understanding the use of history from a writer's perspective you must grab a copy of this book. You can get your copy here. You can get the free sample on Google Play, preview on Google Books and explore the book by reading an interview with the author on Interview Times. 

"History is the version of past events that people have decided to agree upon", claimed Napoleon Bonaparte. Do you agree with him? or Do you want to explore that idea? Then go ahead and read the book SAARC: Nations and Narratives and leave your ideas in the comment box. 

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