Ghosh: Fiction is My True Home

Amitav Ghosh, returning to fiction with his novel Ghost Eye, declared his deep affection for the genre, stating, "My heart lives for fiction." He finds that fiction allows for an immersive engagement with the world, where ideas emerge organically through narrative. Ghosh emphasized the profound human connection to the universe through language and food, citing instances where children's unique linguistic and culinary preferences challenge societal norms.

Ghosh linked environmental degradation to a mechanistic worldview that sees the Earth as inanimate and exploitable. He advocates for a shift away from this perspective, drawing on his upbringing in India where alternative ways of understanding the planet were more prevalent. Major storms like Katrina, Aila, and Sandy served as significant "wake-up calls," profoundly altering his perception of environmental disruptions and shaping his writing.