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Journeys In The Night: Untold stories From India’s Best-Known Writers is an anthology of stories based on HIV and AIDS and its impact on Indian society. These sixteen stories try to understand the reasons for the outbreak of the AIDS epidemic, its widespread effects, and the people whose lives are altered forever. With their chosen protagonists, the writers journey into the minds and thought processes of those affected and try to find out the basis of this epidemic. From the men who lead a troubled double life in Mukul Kesavan’s story, to the trucker on NH31 with his unceasing nightly grind in Aman Sethi’s story, to the sex workers Kiran Desai visits in Andhra Pradesh, to William Dalrymple’s account of the devdasis in Belgaon, all the stories try to uncover the truth behind the veil of denials and stigmas surrounding AIDS and HIV. Shobhaa De writes on the death of a family driver, Sonia Faleiro on the nexus that exists between the police and the sex workers, Siddharth Dhanwant Sanghvi reminisces about a young filmmaker’s last days, CS Lakshmi tries to unravel the secrets that women have, while Siddharth Deb meets with the disgruntled youth from Manipur who have resorted to drugs as an escape route and Jaspreet Singh explores a Delhi orphanage. Salman Rushdie meets the hijras in Mumbai, Sunil Gangopadhyay revisits his past in Sonagachi, and Vikram Seth’s writes about the story that inspired one of his poems. There are also stories about people who have tried to make a difference like Nikita Lalwani, who writes about the man who challenged the Supreme Court, while Amit Chaudhuri’s story is about unknown and unsung heroes. The book lays bare the extent to which AIDS and HIV have affected the different strata of society and the pain and humiliation that people affected by it have to undergo. Salman Rushdie’s book Midnight’s Children won the Booker Prize in 1981 and his novel, The Satanic Verses (1988), was denounced by Muslim fundamentalists. His latest book is Joseph Anton: A Memoir. William Dalrymple is a well known author and historian. His books include City of Djinns and White Mughals. Shobhaa De is a columnist and author, and her famous books include Starry Nights and Surviving Men. Siddharth Dhanvant Shanghvi is a novelist and photographer. His debut novel, The Last Song Of Dusk, won the Betty Trask award in 2004. Vikram Seth is a well known poet and author and his bestsellers include A Suitable Boy and The Golden Gate (a novel in verse).