Lucknow: The archaeology and history stalls at the Gomti Book Festival in Lucknow University are buzzing with students and researchers who see the fair as more than just a marketplace, it is a gateway to understanding civilizations.While novels and biographies have their own audience, this year’s surprise attraction is the section on history and archaeology. On world history, Jared Diamond’s Guns, Germs and Steel, Yuval Noah Harari’s Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind, Howard Zinn’s A People’s History of the United States, and EH Carr’s seminal What Is History are being bought in large numbers. “Books like Sapiens help us connect global patterns with local histories, it makes the past less abstract,” said Ritika Sahu, a postgraduate student in history. Indian history titles remain perennial favorites. Ramachandra Guha’s India After Gandhi, AL Basham’s The Wonder That Was India, and Upinder Singh’s A History of Ancient and Early Medieval India are in high demand among civil service aspirants and university students. Pankaj Mishra’s From the Ruins of Empire has also sparked conversations about India’s role in global intellectual history. The history of cities is a standout this year. Gyan Prakash’s Mumbai Fables, William Dalrymple’s City of Djinns, Rosie Llewellyn-Jones’s The Historic City of Lucknow, Teresa Albuquerque’s A History of Goa, and Narayani Gupta’s Hyderabad: The Social History of an Indian City are resonating with readers who want to see how politics, architecture, and culture shaped urban life. “Students are asking specifically for these titles, it shows they are hungry to connect history,” said Sushil Verma, owner of the bookstall.
