Between the Lines: Real and Imagined- Cities Born from Ink and Memory by Namrata

Published every Friday, Between the Lines is a weekly column by Namrata, where she delves into the cultural, emotional, and thematic intricacies of both classic and contemporary books. In today’s column, she explores the magic of imagined cities and their impact.

In literature, cities often become more than just a setting. They take on a life of their own. And sometimes, the most vivid cities are the ones that don’t exist on any map. They pulse with memory, ache with loss, or shimmer with longing. Their buildings are made of language and their roads are paved with imagination.

In South Asian writing, real cities like Bombay and Delhi appear alongside imagined spaces, each capturing emotions, tensions, and identities that go far beyond geography. These cities are more than just where a story happens Rather they are often why it happens.