Chital Mehta Book Launch and Author Talk with Moderator Dr. Shailen Mishra

Celebrating Chital Mehta's novel Have You Seen Romit. Plus discussion with moderator Dr Shailen Mishra, book signing, refreshments provided!
About this Event

Free Event. Registration Required.

The James Alan McPherson Prize for the Novel, AWP Award Series Winner

When twenty-five-year-old Romit, Usha’s adopted son, doesn’t respond to her calls, she has a sinking feeling in her stomach. Her husband, Om, who has never accepted their adopted son, tries to convince her to move on. With time, though, it’s clear Usha is right: Romit has gone missing. When the police fail to help, Usha takes matters into her own hands and discovers that Romit went on a trek into the dangerous forests of Sholai in the state of Andhra Pradesh. Although her husband warns Usha to stay put, she leaves for Bengaluru to find Romit.

On her journey she meets Vijaya, a young, fearless, and opinionated trekker fighting her own demons. Together they embark on a dangerous journey into the dense forests of southern India, coming up against unexpected complications. In Have You Seen Romit? the two women of different generations discover they have more in common than they originally thought, and Usha begins to realize that while she may very well discover what happened to Romit, it will come at a cost. Usha, who has always strived to adhere to the societal norms of Indian society, must question everything she once believed in.

Chital Mehta was born and raised in India. Her short stories have appeared in the Pinch, Oyez Review, SLAB magazine, and elsewhere. Her story “Damaged Gifts” won the SLAB fiction contest in 2022. She lives in Delaware with her husband and children. Visit her website at chitalmehtajey.com.

Moderator Bio:

Shailen Mishra is a Visiting Assistant Professor at Swarthmore College. His research interests include writing studies, creative writing aesthetics, and narrative empathy. He has co-edited a special issue for the Journal of World Literature and his co-edited book on narrative empathy is forthcoming with De Gruyter Brill in 2027. His short stories have appeared in DIAGRAM, The Baltimore Review, The Bookends Review, and elsewhere. He is currently at work on a novel.