In four remarkable novels, six plays, and a collection of stories, Anosh Irani’s bold and courageous choice of subjects challenges us to witness and confront uncomfortable truths. Irani chooses to inhabit characters for whom hope is an unaffordable luxury. As he skillfully reveals and illuminates the circumstances of the choiceless and voiceless, he keeps our gaze on the depredations of power.  

Whether he is writing stories about caste conflict, street children, or transgender individuals, Irani’s compassion, imagination, and keen eye for the absurd shine through. His immense talent is complemented by his dedication to the craft. His window-pane prose is admirable, as is the artful balance he maintains between expressiveness and reticence.  

Irani’s work has left an indelible mark on the literary landscape, and we hope he will continue to touch our hearts and broaden our understanding of the human experience.  

“Set amid the raucous swirl of Bombay’s Kamathipura Red Light District, The Parcel is a searing indictment of the sex trafficking industry and a compassionate portrait of a troubled but resilient community. In Madhu, the transgender, retired prostitute at the heart of the novel, Anosh Irani has created a powerful yet flawed character to steward the reader through difficult, often disturbing material. Her struggles — with her past, with the legacy she might leave behind — are rendered with honesty and grace. Harrowing, enraging, unexpectedly humorous, and also profoundly sad, The Parcel is a haunting work of fiction that illuminates the ways in which history, both political and personal, pervades the present day.” — 2016 Rogers Writers’ Trust Fiction Prize Jury (Lauren B. Davis, Trevor Ferguson, and Pasha Malla)