For Pepper and Christ: A Novel

The story moves across the Red Sea, Cairo and the Malabar Coast as Portuguese explorers pursue the lucrative spice trade and the legendary Prester John. Its diverse cast includes Brother Figueiro, a passionate missionary; Taufiq, an adventurous voyager; and Ehtesham, an artist caught amid political and religious turmoil.

The novel combines historical fact with fiction to create a vivid portrait of the Indian Ocean world at a crucial moment in history.

Keki N. Daruwalla is an acclaimed Indian poet, novelist and short-story writer. A former Indian Police Service officer, he received the Sahitya Akademi Award in 1984 and the Commonwealth Poetry Prize for Asia in 1987. For Pepper and Christ was his first novel.

Set during the voyages of Vasco da Gama, the novel follows explorers, missionaries, artists and travellers moving between Africa, the Red Sea, Cairo and Calicut. Their journeys are driven by the search for spices, wealth and the mythical Christian kingdom of Prester John.

As their paths cross, religious tensions between Islam and Christianity intensify, while political ambition, greed, love, betrayal and sacrifice shape the lives of the characters. Through this interconnected story, Daruwalla recreates a world of maritime exploration and cultural encounter, blending historical events with imaginative storytelling.