Megha Majumdar


Megha Majumdar is an Indian novelist who lives in New York City. Her debut novel, A Burning, was a New York Times best seller.

Early life

Majumdar was born in Kolkata, India. In 2006, she moved to the United States to study social anthropology at Harvard University. She went on to complete her graduate studies at Johns Hopkins University, earning a master's degree in anthropology.

Career

Majumdar's debut novel, A Burning, was released in 2020 to positive reviews. It became a New York Times best seller. The novel tells the story of woman who witnesses a terrorist attack on a train stopped in a station. The woman posts to Facebook the next day, and draws the attention of police who arrest her on suspicion of committing the terrorist act herself. Following the accusation, her fate hinges upon her former gym teacher, PT Sir, who has become a politician in an Indian right-wing party, and on a hijra actress named Lovely.
Majumdar's writing style has been compared to that of Jhumpa Lahiri and Yaa Gyasi. At the time of her novel's publication, Majumdar worked as an editor at Catapult Books in New York City.