THE ASIATIC SOCIETY OF MUMBAI
The Literary Club of the Asiatic Society of Mumbai
invites you to an “In Conversation” on the novel
“Tryst with Koki” by Dr Subhadra Anand
Friday 27th October 2023 at 5 p.m.

The Literary Club of the Asiatic Society of Mumbai is pleased to invite you to join us in conversation with the author Dr. Subhadra Anand, on her debut novel “Tryst with Koki”, on Friday 27th October 2023 at 5 pm in the Durbar Hall of the Society. She will be in conversation with our member Shridhar Naik, a media professional and author.
The novel is set against the backdrop of Partition when numerous families were uprooted from their ancestral homes in Sindh and sought refuge in India. Sheila Advani was 18 when conditions in Karachi, the city of her birth, compelled her family to leave a fine home on Clifton Beach. Accompanied by her mother and two young siblings, Sheila began her turbulent journey on a steamship to an unfamiliar land, destined for a life of challenges, responsibility and care-giving. She overcame the death of both her parents, fostered her siblings and rebuilt their lives, escaping from the squalor of a refugee camp in Ulhasnagar to a home in an up-market locality in Bombay.

The stash of Kokis, that quintessential long-lasting Sindhi flatbread laden with ghee, chillies, onion and coriander that she packed into her luggage, held the key to her survival and forbearance. Koki could well be a metaphor for the powerhouse of energy Sheila was to become. This is her story: a journey of a myriad extreme emotions, successes and losses.

Dr. Subhadra Anand did her graduation from Indraprastha College and post-graduation in History from the University of Delhi. She joined the R.D. National College in Bandra as a lecturer and went on to become thePrincipal. Post retirement she was the CEO of Save the Children India, an NGO working for the betterment of women and children from the underprivileged strata of society.
Dr. Anand has done her Ph.D. on the National Integration of Sindhis, and has presented the Sindhi cause on many national and international platforms.
Please join us in listening to what the author has to say about the trials and tribulations of those affected by partition.
We look forward to your participation in this discussion.
Tea will be served at 4.30 p.m.

- Meenal Kshirsagar, Vice President of the Society & Chairperson - ASM Lit Club.
- Prof. Mangala Sirdeshpande, Hon. Secretary Asiatic Society of Mumbai.