Here and Hereafter: Nirmal Verma’s Life in Literature by Vineet Gill

He also talked about the motivation behind writing this book, ‘I wanted to look at Nirmal Verma as a cosmopolitan writer who was not confined to Hindi or “Indian” tradition. I wanted to highlight his achievements as a reader, essayist, and critic. I wanted to view his work in relation to that of his forebears and contemporaries, and to the politics of his time. And finally, I wanted to create a personal record of sorts—about my own life as a reader and writer, and about how reading can lead to writing. I hope I have managed to bring together these disparate strands in my book.’

Elizabeth Kuruvilla, Executive Editor, Ebury Publishing and Vintage, Penguin Random House India, says, ‘In his book Here and Hereafter, Vineet Gill writes, “I am excited by this idea of reading as a form of biographical excavation.” This is precisely what makes this book unputdownable and one of a kind. What Vineet has done is read—and investigate—the clues to his life that Nirmal Verma has left behind in his works, giving us a truly unique perspective on a man who contributed tremendously to the world of words and ideas.’

Milee Ashwarya, Publisher, Ebury Publishing and Vintage, Penguin Random House India, says, ‘A writer’s work is inseparable from his life, experiences, and influences. In Here and Hereafter, Vineet Gill tries to unravel the making of Nirmal Verma as a writer through his novels, stories, essays, and critiques but also through the books he read and the social milieu he lived in. I am proud to publish this literary masterpiece, and I hope it finds readers across the world.’

About the author

Vineet Gill is a writer and editor. His essays, often literary-critical in nature and occasionally personal, have appeared in various Indian and international publications. He has spent the better part of the previous decade trying to read and write and trying to build a life around those two interrelated pursuits. This is his first book.