Drunken Boat / Fortunate Traveller Press has released Bhutan, a collaboration between poet-photographer Sudeep Sen and writer Ravi Shankar that presents a layered exploration of the Himalayan kingdom. The book, part travelogue, lyric meditation, and photographic essay, delves into Bhutan's celebrated Gross National Happiness philosophy while uncovering the complexities beneath its surface.
Shankar, a Pushcart Prize winner and author of 18 books, approaches Bhutan's self-image with wit and analytical rigor. His prose examines the country's modernizing monarchy and Buddhist heritage, offering a critical yet wonder-filled perspective. Sen, an internationally acclaimed poet and photographer, complements this with spare, musical couplets and evocative images of prayer flags, monasteries, and mountain light. Together, they create a two-voiced portrait of a nation at the crossroads of tradition and transformation.
The book has garnered praise from notable figures. Actress Shabana Azmi called it "a unique and personal multi-genre book," while Dasho Kinley Dorji, a former Bhutanese minister, described it as "an elegant treasure trove." Poet Diane Mehta noted the "deceptively pretty book" has a "two-way narrative that tracks the forward motion of experience on the road to transcendence."
Sen, author of over 25 books and the first Asian to deliver the Derek Walcott Lecture, brings his lyric precision to both verse and photography. Shankar, who teaches at Tufts University and founded Drunken Boat, blends memoir and travel writing in his prose. Their collaboration aims to present Bhutan not as a conventional travel guide but as a literary reckoning with place and national identity.
The 200-page trade paperback, priced at $29.95, is available on Amazon. The book challenges readers to look beyond Bhutan's glossy image, offering a more complicated and alive depiction of the country often called the world's last Shangri-La.
