Season 10, Episode 4 - Deepa Anappara

Written By Colin Mustful

In this episode of History Through Fiction: The Podcast, host Colin Mustful interviews Deepa Anappara, author of The Last of Earth. Anappara discusses her historical novel set in 19th-century Tibet, exploring themes of colonialism, cartography, and identity through the perspectives of Balram, an Indian schoolteacher turned explorer, and Catherine, a determined female adventurer. The conversation delves into the novel’s historical context, the challenges of writing overlooked voices, and the enduring impact of imperialism on personal and national identity.

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About the Author

Deepa Anappara’s debut novel Djinn Patrol on the Purple Line was named as one of the best books of the year by The New York Times, The Washington Post, Time and NPR. It won the Edgar Award for Best Novel and was longlisted for the Women’s Prize for Fiction 2020. Time included it in its list of ‘The 100 Best Mystery and Thriller Books of All Time’. It has been translated into over twenty languages. Her second novel, The Last of Earth, will be published in 2026.

Anappara was born in Kerala, southern India, and worked as a journalist in India for eleven years. Her reports on the impact of poverty and religious violence on the education of children won the Developing Asia Journalism Awards, the Every Human has Rights Media Awards, and the Sanskriti-Prabha Dutt Fellowship in Journalism. 

From the award-winning author of Djinn Patrol on the Purple Line…

In 1869, with Tibet closed to Europeans, Britain trains Indians to secretly survey the region. Balram, a schoolteacher-turned-spy, is sent on a dangerous mission to rescue his missing friend Gyan, guiding a disguised English captain eager to chart a forbidden river. Their journey intersects with Katherine, a determined explorer seeking to reach Lhasa. Together, they face storms, bandits, and inner turmoil, battling both the harsh landscape and their own ambitions, grief, and doubts in pursuit of survival and discovery.

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Colin Mustful

Colin Mustful is the founder and editor of History Through Fiction, an independent press dedicated to publishing historical narratives rooted in factual events and compelling characters. A celebrated author and historian whose novel “Reclaiming Mni Sota” recently won the Midwest Book Award for Literary/Contemporary/Historical Fiction, Mustful has penned five historical novels that delve into the complex eras of settler-colonialism and Native American displacement. Combining his interests in history and writing, Mustful holds a Master of Arts in history and a Master of Fine Arts in creative writing. Residing in Minneapolis, Minnesota, he enjoys running, playing soccer, and believes deeply in the power of understanding history to shape a just and sustainable future.

Next

Season 10, Episode 3 - Lynn Cullen