Amit Chaudhuri launches his newest book, Friend of My Youth

Celebrated novelist, musician, essayist, and critic Amit Chaudhary launched his seventh novel at the Bikaner House, Pandara Road, in Delhi on Wednesday, May 3.
, explores the nuances of longing and belonging, much like his previous books. The book talks about his umbilical attachment to Bombay and her vivid charm. The book’s protagonist is an author named Amit Chaudhuri, who is in Bombay for a book tour after the release of his novel, .Amit seems intrigued by the Taj Hotel that evokes strong nostalgia within him and most importantly, his friend Ramu, an addict who keeps going in and out of rehab.
In a discussion with writer Amitabh Baghchi, Amit Chaudhuri read out excerpts from his book and talked about the novel’s efforts not just to break free from the tradition of plot but also about presenting a way of reading the book. Amit told the Times of India, “Ramu is as much a real character as he is symbolic of the protagonist’s urge of return and going away.” He spoke about the importance of many such Ramus to the development of the central character in a way that does not interfere with his formation, but is essential as a conscious interactive presence. “I keep returning to Ramu-like characters”, he said.
While discussing the book, Amitabh Baghchi asked the author: “We find in your previous books, your yearning for the city of Calcutta. While growing up, you never seemed to like Bombay. Why this tilt shift of emotions as you go back to Bombay now?” The author answered, “Amit had nostalgic and cultural connections with Calcutta. But he wants to go back to Bombay for reasons that have nothing to do with culture or prestige.”
Talking about the Taj hotel, the author says, “When he (Amit) looks at the Taj he sees that the hotel that stands in its pristine condition, where life is bustling, which was destroyed a few years ago and whatever he sees now is real but somehow also not real. So, he has a sense that he is looking at something that is exactly as it should be, but it is also illusive.”
The book opens with a quote by Walter Benjamin which the author read out during the reading. The author said the title of the book is inspired from the title of a story by Alice Munro by the same name, “Friend of My Youth”.
Amit Chaudhuri , a professor of contemporary literature at the University of East Anglia, United Kingdom, is known for pushing his novels out of a set genre and establishing a pattern in his books that can’t be mapped. The author says he doesn’t believe in the technique but the art that culminates into an intriguing form. The author affirms that he was influenced by the likes of D.H Lawrence, Elizabeth Bishop, T.S Eliot, and Virginia Woolf. He has been the recipient of several literary awards such as the Sahitya Akademi Award and the Commonwealth Writer’s Prize. He was one of the judges for the Man Booker International Prize 2009 that awarded Alice Munro.
Friend of My Youth is published by Penguin India and was released on April 17, 2017.