TOMB OF SAND by Geetanjali Shree (Tilted Axis Press, tr. Daisy Rockwell) is the Winner of the International Booker Prize 2022: an urgent yet engaging protest against the destructive impact of borders, whether between religions, countries or genders. « In northern India, an 80-year-old woman slips into a deep depression at the death of her husband, then resurfaces to gain a new lease of life. Her determination to fly in the face of convention confuses her bohemian daughter, who is used to thinking of herself as the more ‘modern’ of the two. To her family’s consternation, Ma then insists on travelling to Pakistan, confronting the unresolved trauma of her teenage experiences of Partition. Despite its serious themes, Geetanjali Shree’s light touch and exuberant wordplay ensures that Tomb of Sand remains constantly playful – and utterly original. »
