Pulitzer Prize-winning Bengali-American author Jhumpa Lahiri returned to Calcutta’s favourite literature festival after 12 years, championing the short story form. The other incredible thing is that short stories, like many poems, by virtue of their brevity, can be read in one sitting. This is something beautiful, almost sacred,” Jhumpa said on the opening day of the Exide Kolkata Literary Meet, partnered by The Telegraph. Discussing her book, Banerjee noted how publishers often favour novels over short stories. That is the beauty of cities and urban spaces that create these places that belong to everybody and nobody,” Jhumpa said.

Source: The Telegraph January 23, 2026 01:47 UTC