An evening of conversation exploring family, memory, place, and the Gothic imagination.

KNMA presents Penguin Dialogues: In the Moonlit Kingdom, featuring award-winning author Aishwarya Jha in conversation with Ambreen Khan. Centred on the launch of Jha’s second novel, the discussion explores a Gothic world shaped by an ancient manor house, the family that inhabits it, and the secrets and spectres that linger between generations.

The conversation delves into the novel’s themes of complex family dynamics, female rage, memory, and belonging, while examining how Gothic fiction can illuminate the tensions that both bind and fracture relationships. It also explores the process of world-building, focusing on the fictional Himalayan town at the heart of the novel and the lost Shangrilas that fiction can bring back to life.

The evening concludes with an audience Q&A and book signing, offering readers an opportunity to engage directly with the author and continue the conversation beyond the stage.

About the Speakers

Aishwarya Jha is an award-winning author, playwright, and actress. Her debut novel, The Scent of Fallen Stars, won the 2024 Ram Nath Goenka Sahithya Samman for Fiction. Her writing has appeared in publications including Bombay Literary Magazine, Scroll, and The New Indian Express, and she is the co-founder of Indophile, an initiative dedicated to promoting Indian culture and heritage.

Ambreen Khan is Head of Corporate Communications at The Indian Express and an Adjunct Professor of Media Studies at O.P. Jindal Global University and Jamia Millia Islamia. Her work spans journalism, education, cultural advocacy, and strategic communications, with a particular interest in storytelling and the intersection of culture and public engagement.

While you're here, explore KNMA's two ongoing exhibitions, Inheritors of Earth and In-Rhythm.

Experience Weekends at KNMA through talks, performances, screenings, book launches, and cultural programmes that bring together art, ideas, and contemporary culture in Delhi. The programme expands the experience of a museum through opportunities to encounter diverse voices, practices, and perspectives.