NL Interview: Amitava Kumar on fiction writing, fake news, and politics today

Amitava Kumar is an Indian author, journalist and professor of English at Vassar College. His latest novel, A Time Outside This Time, tackles issues of fake news and politics in a post-truth era.

In this interview with Manisha Pande, Amitava talks about the role of fiction in the current political climate, the phenomenon of fake news, and why everyone needs to keep a record of what’s happening today.

“Journalism doesn't necessarily put the pressure on people to be inventive,” he explains. “It puts pressure on them to be scrupulous.”

Watch.