In his latest work of nonfiction, The Nutmeg’s Curse, Amitav Ghosh explores the devastating history of a single spice and also the mechanistic worldview underlying capitalism and imperialism, which turns the natural world and human life into resources to be exploited. Showing how human and environmental histories are interwoven from the early days of European colonialism to the present, he calls for respect for nature as an agentive force of its own. He challenges the way we think about climate change to encourage us to act with new and necessary urgency.

An engaging storyteller and incisive essayist, Amitav Ghosh has authored over fifteen books, taking on critical challenges through finely-drawn, memorable characters and deeply researched stories. With strong roots in South Asia, his pathbreaking work has continuously demonstrated the connections that shape our shared histories. He was named one of the most important thinkers of the decade by Foreign Policy magazine in 2019.

Ghosh is a keynote speaker at the Center for South Asian Studies spring symposium on climate change and South Asia.