The College Arts + Humanities Institute is delighted to present a “Meet the Author” talk by Samrat Upadhyay (Professor of Creative Writing at IU Bloomington) in conversation with Sara Gregg (Associate Professor of History at IU Bloomington), about his recent novel, Darkmotherland, a dystopian reimagining of Nepal.
Samrat Upadhyay is the first Nepali-born fiction writer to be published in the West. He is the author of seven books of fiction that have been translated into French, Greek, Spanish, and Thai, among others. His books have won or have been finalists for major international awards, including the Whiting Award, the Asian American Literary Award, the Kiriyama Prize, the Frank O’Connor International Short Story Award, and the Aspen Literary Prize. They have received praise from The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The Los Angeles Times, among others. His story “The Limping Bride” is being made into the film “Perfect God,” directed by Khyentse Norbu. Upadhyay has written for The New York Times and has appeared on BBC Radio and National Public Radio. He is a Distinguished Professor of English and Martha C. Kraft Professor of Humanities at Indiana University, where he teaches creative writing.
Darkmotherland was published by Soho Press in 2025. Acclaimed novelist Ha Jin calls Darkmotherland “Samrat Upadhyay’s magnum opus, full of narrative energy and dramatic dynamics.”
Please note: Shannon Gayk originally planned to join this conversation to discuss her recent book, Apocalyptic Ecologies: From Creation to Doom in Middle English Literature, but she will not be able to attend due to unforeseen circumstances.
This event is presented by the College Arts + Humanities Institute with generous support from the College of Arts and Sciences and the Ruth N. Halls Humanities Fund. If you have a disability and need assistance, accommodations can be made to meet most needs. Please contact cahi@iu.edu or call 812-856-1169.
The College of Arts