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Join the Transnational Literature Series at Brookline Booksmith for an in-store event with author Shubha Sunder to discuss and celebrate the release of her new short story collection Boomtown Girl. She will be in conversation with writer Grace Talusan.
Set entirely in the Bangalore region of South India, Boomtown Girl explores the ambitions, delusions, and struggles of people navigating a rapidly developing city. A rebellious teenager and her workaholic father confront their mutual distrust while dining at a newly opened Pizza Hut; a tailor nostalgic for his past glory in the employ of an Englishman grows obsessed with an American customer; a techie, his fiancée having broken off their engagement, takes a young, eager intern into his confidence. These stories trace Bangalore’s warp-speed transformation from a leafy backwater into India’s Silicon Valley—a place where Digital Age values clash with tradition, where British colonialism casts its strong shadow, and where visions are inspired and distorted by the forces of globalization.
Shubha Sunder’s debut short story collection, Boomtown Girl, won the 2021 St. Lawrence Book Award and was a finalist for the Hudson Prize, the Flannery O’Connor Award, and the New American Fiction Prize. She is the recipient of fellowships from the Massachusetts Cultural Council, the Boston Mayor’s Office of Art & Culture, and the Corporation of Yaddo. She grew up in Bangalore, India, and now lives in Boston, where she teaches creative writing at Massachusetts College of Art and Design and at GrubStreet.
Grace Talusan is the author of The Body Papers, which won the Restless Books Prize for New Immigrant Writing and the Massachusetts Book Award in Nonfiction. Her writing has been supported by the NEA, the Fulbright, US Artists, the Brother Thomas Fund, and the Massachusetts Cultural Council. She teaches in the Nonfiction Writing Program at Brown University.
The Transnational Literature Series at Brookline Booksmith
The Transnational Series focuses on stories of migration, the intersection of politics & literature, and works in translation and is supported by the independent bookstore Brookline Booksmith. Subscribe to the Transnational Series newsletter for information on upcoming events, book recommendations, and more.
What You Need to Know to Attend
RSVP to let us know you’re coming! RSVPs don’t guarantee a seat, but you’ll be alerted to important details about the program, including safety requirements, cancellations, and book signing updates.
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Livestream!
Barring technical difficulty, this event will be livestreamed to our store YouTube channel.
Event Accesibility
This event will take place at street level. If possible, the event will be livestreamed to YouTube. ASL interpretation may be provided (based on the availability of interpreters) but must be requested at least 2 weeks in advance of the event. Seats are limited. Please email us at tickets@brooklinebooksmith.com as soon as possible if you require ASL interpretation, guaranteed seating, or other accommodations. We will do our best to serve your needs!
IMPORTANT NOTICE REGARDING COVID & IN-PERSON EVENTS:
Please note that any Brookline Booksmith in-person event may be canceled by the bookstore, publisher, or author based on concerns about health and safety around the time of the event. Wherever possible, any in-person appearance canceled due to COVID will be moved to the Brookline Booksmith Zoom as a Webinar at the same date and time, and all tickets & registrations will be transferred to the online event. Book signing details may change. Refunds may be requested in the case of a virtual pivot or event cancelation.