Victory city: Salman Rushdie

The epic tale follows Pampa Kampana, a nine-year-old girl in 14th-century southern India who experiences a divine encounter with the goddess Parvati. This blessing grants powers beyond her comprehension and sets her on a path to help shape a great city called Bisnaga, a marvel the world will come to know. Over two centuries, Pampa Kampana’s life becomes inseparably tied to Bisnaga as it grows from seeds of magic to a thriving empire and, ultimately, to its ruin through human hubris. The narrative explores love, adventure, and myth, while foregrounding the quest to grant women equal agency in a patriarchal world. Styled as a translation of an ancient epic, the saga invites readers into a rich tapestry of rulers, battles, loyalties, and turning points that redefine what storytelling can be. This novel, by Salman Rushdie, is presented as a grand, translational epic that foregrounds voice, myth, and history.

• Protagonist: Pampa Kampana, nine at her divine encounter
• Goddess Parvati speaks through her
• City Bisnaga rises, then faces ruin
• Themes of women’s equality in a patriarchal world
• Styled as a translation of an ancient epic
• Epic scope spanning 250 years

• Pages: 400; Edition: 1 armband, Paperback
• Publisher: Jonathan Cape (Penguin Random House)
• Publication date: 2023
• Author: Salman Rushdie
• Setting: 14th-century southern India
• Tale blends myth, love, and adventure