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.

This event is made possible by Illinois Libraries Present (ILP), a Member based initiative of the Illinois Library Association and a statewide collaboration among public libraries.

American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation and Closed Captioning are provided for all Illinois Libraries Present events by default--no special request needed.

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