Nobel laureate Abhijit Vinayak Banerjee’s latest book added the perfect seasoning to the curtain raiser of Apeejay Kolkata Literary Festival (AKLF), India’s only literary festival organised by a bookstore, on December 7.
Banerjee, an avid cook, himself was present at the exclusive launch of the book, Chhaunk: On Food, Economics and Society (Juggernaut) at Oxford Bookstore, where he described the book as “not just economics, but a social science book”.
The winner of the 2019 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences was joined by Anuradha Lohia, former vice-chancellor of Presidency University, and illustrator Cheyenne Olivier, who contributed to Chhaunk. Lohia, reminiscing about Banerjee’s college days, said, “He always had a passion for writing, even contributing articles about university history back then.”
‘Not just economics, but a social science book’
Banerjee’s latest book intertwines food, culture, and economics into a rich narrative Amit Pramanik
Chhaunk is not your typical cookbook. It intertwines food, culture, and economics into a rich narrative. Named after the heart of Indian cooking — the tempering of oil with spices — the book offers a literary chhaunk (or phoron in Bengali) — a sprinkling of ideas that blend memoir, recipes and social commentary. Banerjee describes it as “not just economics, but a social science book.”
Through food, Banerjee explores broader themes, from women’s liberation linked to the Bengali dish ghonto to cultural capital reflected in dinner-table etiquette. In “Burden of Age”, he examines aging and loneliness, drawing on personal experiences. The Nobel Laureate has penned another cookbook Cooking to Save Your Life, published by Juggernaut in 2021.
Lohia praised the nuanced approach adapted by Banerjee in Chhaunk: “It gracefully connects food with culture, society and economics, allowing readers to savour its ideas thoughtfully.” “Being an economist is being a storyteller,” added Olivier.
AKLF 2025 will also provide the first look at Ruchir Joshi’s new novel. The curtainraiser event opened with a preview of AKLF’s stellar lineup for next year, including luminaries such as Ramachandra Guha, Rana Safvi, Neha Dixit, Ila Arun, William Dalrymple and Milind Soman. This edition will spotlight topics like environmental sustainability, history, gender, food culture, and mythology alongside featuring the announcement of the 10th edition of the Oxford Bookstore Book Cover Prize.
Allen Park will serve as the central hub of AKLF, hosting the majority of the events. Poetry Cafe is all set to be hosted at Alliance Française du Bengale, while the Oxford Junior Literary Festival (OJLF) will be held at the Oxford Bookstore.
‘A celebration of words, ideas and creativity’
(L-R): Anjum Katyal, director, AKLF; Swagat Sengupta, CEO, Oxford Bookstore; and Neeta Sreedharan, prorgramming head, AKLF Amit Pramanik
Reflecting on the journey of AKLF, Priti Paul, director, Apeejay Surrendra Group, said, “AKLF was born with a simple yet profound vision — to bring together the world of literature and the vibrant city of Kolkata in a celebration of words, ideas and creativity. Over the years, the festival has transcended its mere event status to emerge as a cultural cornerstone.” Anjum Katyal, director, Apeejay Kolkata Literary Festival, said, “At AKLF, you will find a strong focus on current issues like the environment, history and mythology, politics and current affairs, gender and women’s writing, translation, memoir, and more. Exciting new voices alongside veteran thinkers will bring variety and colour to the festival.”