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About The Book The Saga of Muziris is a fascinating tale of the glory and decline of a major port, a hub of maritime trade in Kerala, in South India, which had mysteriously disappeared from the face of earth during the fourteenth century. Historians, archaeologists and academics, from the world over, had been looking for the lost Muziris, ever since. Some interesting leads, at the excavations at Pattanam, prompts Aravindan, the narrator, to pay a visit to his homeland. What follows is a magical journey, enticing Aravindan to sail into the dark annals of history. In an effort to document his findings, Aravindan unravels the evolution of the area over several thousands of years-through political turmoils, social struggles, emigrations and more-unfolding an alluring history through powerfully and indelibly etched characters. The result is a gripping mix of history, myth, legend, fiction and magic reality. It takes the reader on a journey through antiquity, moving back and forth to reflect on the socio-economic ferment of varying periods, also, interestingly, establishing an organic link to the most recent times. About The Author A. Sethumadhavan (Sethu), born in a small village in Kerala, has been writing stories and novels in Malayalam for the past five decades. He belongs to a highly innovative generation of fiction writers in Malayalam, who pioneered a radical transformation of sensibility during that period. Widely travelled abroad and having worked in different parts of India, many of his writings have a global flavour and a pan-Indian canvas. A winner of the Sahitya Akademi and other major awards in Malayalam, he has 18 novels and 20 collection of stories to his credit. Many of his works have been translated into English and other Indian languages. He is known for his magical rendition, weaving in 'a sense of the impossible' in a haunting manner, remarkable for the way it attracts a subtext of profound psychological, anthropological and, at times, mystical significance. A banker by profession, Sethu was also the Chairman of the National Book Trust, Delhi, for three years. The Saga of Muziris is the translation of Sethu's well-known novel, Marupiravi (Rebirth). Prema Jayakumar, born in Kerala, studied in Kochi and Bangalore. A columnist and a translator, she enjoys being the link between two important languages, Malayalam and English. She has translated a number of important novels, published by some of the most eminent publishing houses and also the Sahitya Akademi. She loves telling stories and finds the myths and folklores of Kerala an infinite source of interest. She has retold the Ramayana, the Mahabharata, and other stories from the Puranas for overseas publishers. She also has to her name a work of historical investigation in Malayalam.