Identitti A Novel
Identitti by Mithu Sanyal, published by Astra Publishing House on July 26, 2022, is a thought-provoking novel that explores themes of identity and cultural heritage. The story follows Nivedita, a prominent blogger and doctoral student, whose admiration for her South-Asian professor, Saraswati, is shattered when she discovers that Saraswati is actually white. This revelation forces Nivedita to confront her own identity and the implications of her previous praise, all while navigating the ensuing social media uproar.
In this genre-bending debut, Sanyal delves into the complexities of identity politics and the impact of social media on personal narratives. As Nivedita reflects on pivotal moments in her life, she grapples with her assumptions and the lessons learned from her professor. The novel combines elements of humor and black humor, offering a unique perspective on contemporary debates surrounding cultural identity and self-assertion. With 384 pages, this edition invites readers to engage with the intricate dynamics of race and identity in the 21st century.
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“Provocative and knotty . . . Identitti is a bracing story, one in which Sanyal refuses to give us the easy way out.”
—Olivia Craighead, The New York Times
Nivedita (a.k.a. Identitti), a well-known blogger and doctoral student is in awe of her supervisor—superstar postcolonial and race studies South-Asian professor Saraswati. But her life and sense of self are turned upside down when it emerges that Saraswati is actually white. Nivedita’s praise of her professor during a radio interview just hours before the news breaks—and before she learns the truth—calls into question her own reputation as a young activist.
Following the uproar, Nivedita is forced to reflect on the key moments in her life, when she doubted her identity and her place in the world. As debates on the scandal rage on social media, blogs, and among her closest friends, Nivedita’s assumptions are called into question as she reconsiders the lessons she learned from her adored professor.
In her thought-provoking, genre-bending debut, Mithu Sanyal solicited the contributions and commentary of public intellectuals as if Saraswati were a real person. A darkly comedic tour de force, Identitti showcases the outsized power of social media in the current debates about identity politics and the power of claiming your own voice.
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