Delhi Noir

"This book is a chance to get a fix on some of India's best crime writers, most of whom are totally unknown in North America. Like the rest of this superb series ( Brooklyn Noir , L.A. Noir , Toronto Noir , etc.), we are introduced to the city by stories set in locations iconic to the city. In the case of Delhi, that means we go to come very dark spots indeed."- Globe & MailBrand new stories by: Irwin Allan Sealy, Omair Ahmad, Radhika Jha, Ruchir Joshi, Nalinaksha Bhattacharya, Meera Nair, Siddharth Chowdhury, Mohan Sikka, Palash K. Mehrotra, Hartosh Singh Bal, Hirsh Sawhney, Tabish Khair, Uday Prakash, and Manjula Padmanabhan.The eyes of the world are gazing at India--the world's largest democracy. But the books you read about this Asian giant only show part of the picture. Delhi Noir offers bone-chilling, mesmerizing takes on the country's chaotic capital, a city where opulence and poverty are constantly clashing, where old-world values and the information age wage a constant battle. Delhi Noir 's fourteen original stories are written by the best Indian writers alive today--the ones you haven't yet heard of but should have. They are veteran authors who have appeared on the Booker Prize short list and budding geniuses who your grandchildren will read about in English class. Delhi Noir is a world of sex in parks, male prostitution, and vigilante rickshaw drivers. It is one plagued by religious riots, soulless corporate dons, and murderous servants. This is India uncut, the one you're missing out on because mainstream publishing houses and glossy magazines can't stomach it.Editor Hirsh Sawhney has written for the Times Literary Supplement , the Guardian , Time Out New York , Outlook , and the Indian Express . He splits his time between Delhi and Brooklyn.

IntroductionPart I: With You, For You, Always“Yesterday Man” by Omair Ahmad (Ashram)“How I Lost My Clothes” by Radhika Jha (Lodhi Gardens)“Last In, First Out” by Irwin Allan Sealy (Delhi Ridge)“Parking” by Ruchir Joshi (Nizamuddin West)“Hissing Cobras” by Nalinaksha Bhattacharya (R.K. Puram)Part II: Youngistan“The Railway Aunty” by Mohan Sikka (Paharganj)“Hostel” by Siddharth Chowdhury (Delhi University, North Campus)“Small Fry” by Meera Nair (Inter State Bus Terminal)“Fit of Rage” by Palash Krishna Mehrotra (Defence Colony)“Just Another Death” by Hartosh Singh Bal (Gyan Kunj)Part III: Walled City, World City“Gautam Under a Tree” by Hirsh Sawhney (Green Park)“The Scam” by Tabish Khair (Jantar Mantar)“The Walls of Delhi” by Uday Prakash, translated by Jason Grunebaum (Rohini)“Cull” by Manjula Padmanabhan (Bhalswa)