Born in Calcutta and raised in India, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka, Amitav Ghosh is a writer whose work has been translated into more than thirty languages and recognized by awards such as the Padma Shri, the Dan David Prize, and the Grand Prix of the Blue Metropolis festival in Montreal. In 2018, Ghosh was the first English-language author to win the Jnanpith Award, India’s highest literary honor.

The Nutmeg’s Curse, is a sprawling tale of capitalism and climate change told with excellent historical and cultural context. Following the nutmeg's voyage from its native Banda Islands to around the world, Ghosh sheds light on the prevalent colonial attitude of exploitation of human life and the environment that persists today. 

Lucia Pietroiusti is the founder of the General Ecology Project at Serpentine, London,  a strategic, cross-organizational effort dedicated to the implementation of ecological principles throughout the Galleries’ public-facing programs, internal infrastructure, and networks. Pietroiusti will bring her expertise in natural systems and ecology to moderate the conversation with Ghosh.