A bohemian and an iconoclast, the figure of Saadat Hasan Manto looms large over the literature of the Indian subcontinent. We know of his stories on the horrors of Partition and the struggles of prostitutes. But neither Partition nor prostitution gave birth to the genius of Manto. They only furnished him with an occasion to reveal the truth of the human condition. My Name Is Radha is a path-breaking edition of stories which delves deep into Manto s creative world, and refreshingly brings into focus Manto the writer rather than Manto the commentator. Muhammad Umar Memon s inspired selection of Manto s best-known stories along with those less talked about, and his precise and elegant translation showcase an astonishing writer being true to his calling. The undisputed master of the modern Indian short story Salman Rushdie An errant genius The Hindu