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When Dreams Travel is a popular work of fiction written by the Indian author Githa Hariharan. The book narrates the story of Shahrzad and Dunyazad, the former being the famed storyteller of One Thousand And One Nights. The stories revolve around the theme of dreams, and the quest for power and love. There are four protagonists who take the story forward in this book, including two men and two women. The first main character is a sultan who beds a virgin every night. His brother wishes to banish the darkness, as it is his enemy. Shahrzad and Dunyazad, the wives of these two brothers, are sisters and have been portrayed as highly ambitious. The stories within the main story span across different timelines and have been narrated in a poetic and witty manner. Published in 2008, the novel is an acclaimed retelling of an age-old tale. Githa Hariharan is an award-winning Indian author and editor. She has written short stories, essays, novels, and even newspaper columns. Born in 1954 in Coimbatore, she graduated in English from Bombay University and completed a Master of Arts degree in Communications from Fairfield University. Her first novel The Thousand Faces of Night got her the Commonwealth Writers' prize. Her fictional works have been quite popular and have been translated into various foreign languages. Other famous works written by her include In Times of Siege, The Winning Team, The Art of Dying, Fugitive Histories, and A Southern Harvest.