Global Voices, Personal Stories: Megha Majumdar

Megha Majumdar’s most recent novel, A Guardian and a Thief (2025), considers the near-future implications of climate change in her home city of Kolkata, India. The bestselling novel is an Oprah’s Book Club pick and a finalist for the Kirkus Prize and the National Book Award. Her first novel, A Burning (2020), was likewise a bestseller, as well as a TODAY Show Read With Jenna book club pick and a nominee for the National Book Award.

Majumdar’s work touches on the interconnectivity of today’s most pressing issues, including immigration and the prospect of climate refugeeism; political polarization and its complicating effects on political, racial, and religious identities; and the shifting of morality in the face of hardship.

Moderator
Alison Cuddy, a Chicago-based writer, interviewer, and cultural producer, will join Megha Majumdar in conversation. Formerly the host of WBEZ’s award-winning Eight Forty-Eight and Artistic Director of the Chicago Humanities Festival, Cuddy is known for thoughtful conversations that explore literature, culture, and the ideas shaping our world.

Register for this free online event today.

Zoom registration approvals for this event will close at 5:00 p.m. on the day of the event. Registrations received after this deadline will stay pending and will be processed after the live event, ensuring that those who missed the cutoff will still receive the event recording. Attendance is limited to patrons of participating ILP member libraries; registrations from non-member library patrons will be declined.

Once you submit your registration, please allow two business days for the host to approve it. You will then receive an automated confirmation email from Zoom with the link to join. An email reminder with the link to join will also be sent to registered attendees one week, one day, and one hour before the event.

ASL interpreting and closed captioning are now available for all ILP Season 6 events—no requests needed. Event recording will be accessible to registered attendees for a limited time, typically up to 30 days, in accordance with contractual agreements with the speaker.