Nemat Khana
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Nemat Khana (Urdu: نعمت خانہ, Hindi: नेमत ख़ाना, English: The Paradise of Food) is an Urdu-Language novel written by Khalid Jawed. It was first published in June 2014 by Arshia publication, Delhi. It has been translated in Hindi and English. The English translated work of Nemat Khana is titled as The Paradise of Food, which won the JCB prize for literature 2022.[1]
Plot & Themes
[edit]The novel is set against the 50-year lifespan of an orphan child named Zaheeruddin Babr alias Guddu Miyan. He lives in a middle-class joint family in the northern region. The storyline is running from his narration and provides the story in the form of a memoir.[2] The story reveals unique habits of his family members with the changes in the societal framework. The kitchen and its tools are used as a metaphor for exploring the human attitude.[1][3]
The novel explored themes like Disgust & Desire, Kitchen as a battleground, Lust and Taboo. The narrative style of this Novel has explored the darkness of the human existence.[4][5]
Translation and publication history
[edit]The Urdu novel was first published in June 2014 by Arshia Publication, Delhi.[6] Later, it was translated into English by Prof Baran Farooqi and published by Juggernaut Publications in 2022.[1] The Hindi translation was done by Zaman Tarif and published by Surya Prakashan Mandir in 2022 only.[7] Once it received the critical acclaim in among the critics and readers, Rekhta Foundation also brought the Hindi translation of this Novel in 2024.
Critical reception
[edit]Shuma Raha of Deccan Chronicle wrote "The Paradise of Food is a complex work that will fill you with disquiet, but if you read it, it will likely leave an indelible impression on you.",[8] Chintan Girish Modi of Moneycontrol wrote "Pick up this book if you do not mind reading about worms in intestines, people spitting phlegm, lizards falling into boiling milk, and bloodstains that look like korma gravy."[9] and Saloni Sharma of Scroll.in wrote "Despite its eschewal of realism, this novel is a text cognisant of the political climate it has been written in.".[10]
The book has been also reviewed by Ekram Khawar of The Indian Wire,[5] Syed Saad Ahmed of Hindustan Times,[11] Bindu Menon of The Tribune India[12] and The Times of India.[13]
Award
[edit]The English translation of this book titled as The Paradise of Food was awarded JCB Prize for Literature 2022.[5][14]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c "The Paradise of Food wins JCB Prize for Literature". The Hindu. 2022-11-19. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 2025-07-15.
- ^ "'The Paradise of Food' Is a Sordid Saga of Onions and Garlic, Liver and Lungs, and Lust". The Wire. Retrieved 2025-07-15.
- ^ "Memory, Violence, and Disgust: Khalid Jawed's Tale of Life and Loss". Outlook India. 2024-04-21. Retrieved 2025-07-15.
- ^ Wahab, Zainab (2023-07-12). "Book Review: Kitchen As A Battleground In Khalid Jawed's 'The Paradise Of Food'". Feminism in India. Retrieved 2025-07-15.
- ^ a b c Khawar, Ekram. "'The Paradise of Food' Is a Sordid Saga of Onions and Garlic, Liver and Lungs, and Lust". The Indian Wire. Retrieved 2023-02-23.
- ^ "nemat khana". Rekhta. Retrieved 2025-07-15.
- ^ Editor, Vimarsh (2025-06-18). "नेमतखाना खालिद जावेद द्वारा लिखा गया एक गहरा प्रतीकात्मक, दार्शनिक और विचलित करने वाला उपन्यास है।". Vimarsh. Retrieved 2025-07-15.
{{cite web}}:|last=has generic name (help) - ^ Raha, Shuma (2023-01-22). "Book Review | Crime and punishment lurk as accidents in the kitchen corner". Deccan Chronicle. Retrieved 2023-02-23.
- ^ Modi, Chintan Girish (9 October 2022). "Book Review: In 2022 JCB shortlisted translation of Khalid Jawed's Urdu classic 'The Paradise of Food', disgust follows delight". Moneycontrol. Retrieved 2023-02-23.
- ^ Sharma, Saloni (4 June 2022). "'The Paradise of Food': Horror lurks in kitchen corners in Khalid Jawed's fiction of hostility". Scroll.in. Retrieved 2023-02-23.
- ^ Ahmed, Syed Saad (2022-07-06). "Review: The Paradise of Food by Khalid Jawed". Hindustan Times. Retrieved 2023-02-23.
- ^ Menon, Bindu. "'The Paradise of Food' by Khalid Jawed, a kitchen cabinet of memories". The Tribune India.
- ^ "Micro review: 'The Paradise of Food' by Khalid Jawed". The Times of India. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 2023-02-23.
- ^ Seth, Uddhav (2022-11-19). "Khalid Jawed's The Paradise of Food, translated into English from Urdu by Baran Farooqi, wins the 2022 JCB Prize for Literature". The Indian Express. Retrieved 2023-02-23.
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