The Kipling File

• Narrated by Kay Robinson, the editor who encouraged the young Kipling’s writing, the novel brings to life the Anglo-Indian society of nineteenth-century Lahore. It explores Robinson’s friendship with Kipling, his affection for Kipling’s sister Trix, and the political tensions of a Punjab beginning to experience anti-colonial sentiment.

Sudhir Kakar was a distinguished Indian psychoanalyst and writer. He authored numerous works of fiction and non-fiction exploring Indian culture, psychology, relationships and society. His literary works have been translated into several languages and received international recognition.

The novel follows young Rudyard Kipling as he begins his career at the Civil and Military Gazette in Lahore. Through Kay Robinson’s eyes, readers see Kipling’s growing confidence as a writer, his complicated relationships and the personal and political experiences surrounding him. The book presents Kipling as a talented but troubled young man whose immense literary potential was developing amid the complexities of colonial India.