How Cities in Fiction help readers locate real world places
The 'Cities in Fiction' project has launched a public database that maps real-world locations mentioned in Indian literature. The archive currently lists nearly 700 books, helping readers and researchers explore the intersection of geography and storytelling.
Why it matters
This project serves as a valuable digital humanities resource, preserving literary heritage and providing a new way for readers to engage with Indian geography through fiction.
On September 13, a quiet crowd of readers and researchers gathered to attend the first ever public launch of Cities in Fiction at Champaca Bookstore. This online archival project, currently focused on India, helps readers find fictional works through locating them on the world map.
Cities in Fiction , founded by Apoorva Saini and Divya Ravindranath, is an online literary archive to find, recognise and pinpoint real world places mentioned in Indian literature. Categorising them through State, city or geography, it ultimately links users to the title of the book and the author’s name.
Operating online for the past three years, they opened on a public stage this week. The launch event, titled ‘Cities in Fiction: A Database of Literary Landscapes’ saw co-founder Apoorva Saini and educator Vijeta Kumar discuss the archive. Fellow co-founder Divya Ravindranath was present in the audience.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in