It is the book launch of Best in Show: The Peacock Book of Indo–Anglian Fiction and John Nair, managing editor, Peacock India, is throwing the grandest party of his life. The whole of literary India is in attendance. All the literary stars are here: the Seths, the Roys, the Chaudharis, among many, many others. And into this haloed gathering walks Nair’s old friend, Ritwik Ray, the slightly off-kilter bard of Patna, with a new novel in hand: Godse Chowk. Mayhem ensues.

Set in the goldfish bowl of the New Delhi publishing world, The Time of the Peacock provides an accurate yet compassionate reading of the Indian literary scene—both bhasha and metropolitan.