No introduction is enough for Abhijit Banerjee. It will be stupid of me to waste words and effort in that. This is about a golden opportunity which came our way courtesy AKLF and Oxford University Press. Mr. Banerjee ( he prefers to be called Abhijit da though like a true blue Bengali) . The invitation was for the curtain-raiser of the 16th edition of the Apeejay Kolkata Literary Festival. The event featured an exclusive launch of ‘Chhaunk On Food, Economics and Society’ by Nobel laureate Abhijit Banerjee, with illustrations by Cheyenne Olivier. We had the privilege of having a one-on-one interview with the author and the illustrator, and it gave us an intriguing insight into the world of Chhaunk.

Chhaunk isn’t a recipe book. This book contains essays on food, memories, and economics. It’s not a heavy read, but it’s almost like having a conversation with the author. It also resonates quite strongly for individuals such as ourselves, who have experienced the 70s and 80s. And yes, there are many delicious recipes too.

Why an Economist and a Nobel laureate writing a cook book or a food book?

Why shouldn’t you have this question for a person as  illustrious as him. In his true style he writes – “I am greedy ; I love eating. When I eat something particularly memorable or read about a dish that sounds specially intriguing , I often try to make it”   This is an easy read and keeps you intrigued at various levels . There are chapters like Economics and Psychology, Economics and culture and Economics and Social Policy. Each Chapter has sub chapters and anecdotes over the issues with food as protogonist. 

Banerjee writes – “We had an image of a reader on a slow morning, drinking water, milky tea and biting into a kachori redolent with hing or a still warm idli enrobed in gun powder, and that made us aim for a particular voice, slow and gentle but also rich and nuanced , enlivened by the vivid colours and shapes of Cheyenne’s illustrations.

The Launch of Chhaunk by Abhijit Banerjee at Oxford Book Store as a part of the AKLF

The book was launched in the esteemed presence of Chief Guest Dr. Anuradha Lohia, scientist & former vice-chancellor of Presidency University; Anjum Katyal and Maina Bhagat, directors of AKLF; Neeta Sreedharan, programming head of AKLF; and Swagat Sengupta, CEO, Oxford Bookstore.
This book is perfect for a leisurely, beautiful read on a Sunday afternoon or before bedtime. You don’t have to read it chapter-wise. But by the end of every chapter, you are left with thinking more and wanting more.

Here are some of the images of the converstaion –

Cheyenne Olivier for Chhaunk by Abhijit Banerjee

Abhijit Banerjee for Chhaunk by Abhijit Banerjee

Madhushree for Chhaunk by Abhijit Banerjee

Madhushree, Abhijit Banerjee and Cheyenne Olivier for Chhaunk by Abhijit Banerjee - 3

And he obliges us with an autograph on the book

 

At the official book launch

You can check out the latest happenings of AKLF here 

Discover new ways to celebrate the word with our widest range of titles, stimulating events, literary festivals and much more at Oxford Bookstore 

Chhaunk is released by Juggernaut

In case you are curious about Bengali cooking then you can check out our Youtube . Here is a recipe of Moshla Muri or Jhal Muri the evergreen bengali Jol Khabar –

Here are some parts of the conversation –