The Tree Within

The Mexican Nobel Laureate writer Octavio Paz’s Years in India.

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The Tree Within is the enchanting story of Octavio Paz’s passionate love-affair with India where he served as Mexico’s ambassador in the 1960s. Immersing himself in the country’s rich cultural life and contemplative traditions, Paz travelled widely, forged deep friendships with some of India’s finest minds, and produced several of his most inspired poetry and essays. It was here that he met the love of his life and experienced what he called his ‘second birth’. In this richly textured and erudite work, Chakravarty reconstructs the inner journey of the poet by delving into multilingual archives, declassified diplomatic files, personal letters, and intimate interviews. Blending biography, cultural history, and literary criticism, The Tree Within is a luminous testament to the enduring alchemy between India and the world through one of the greatest writers of the 20^th century.

‘The Tree Within is absolutely delightful. A work of deep scholarship, engagingly written, the book brings to life Paz’s extraordinary relationship with India in all its dimensions: philosophical, spiritual, aesthetic and erotic. India was a muse for Paz, and in telling that story, Chakravarty also brings alive vanished artistic and literary milieus that had a profound influence on the twentieth century’—Pratap Bhanu Mehta, Laurence S. Rockefeller Professor for Distinguished Teaching, Centre for Human Values, Princeton University

‘How fascinating! This diligently researched and engaging account uncovers many little-known historical facts’—Damodar Mauzo, Jnanpith Award winner, 2022

‘The writing and style avoid all the shortcomings that dull other accounts. Whatever I have read is lively, sharp and revealing’— Aurelio Major, Spanish poet, editorial director of Vuelta and co-founder and editor of the Spanish Granta

‘This eminently readable biography is accessible and entertaining. It is the fullest account yet of the long and intense relationship between Paz and India. We witness how Paz not only appreciated the philosophical, religious, literary and artistic traditions of India but also established lasting friendships with writers, thinkers, musicians and painters’—Anthony Stanton, former president, Octavio Paz Foundation

‘A rigorously researched book, yet highly readable and informative. A landmark for the study of Paz not only in India, but anywhere. Chakravarty has done it again: casting a critical glance to the often-forgotten relation between India and the Hispanic world’—Oscar Pujol, Spanish Indologist and director of the Cervantes Institute, 2007–24

‘Written with elegance and erudition, love and passion, the book is a compulsive read. It is a major contribution to the understanding of India’s cultural dialogue with Latin America through the figure of Octavio Paz’—Shyama Prasad Ganguly, former chairperson, Spanish and Latin American Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University

‘A compelling book. It situates Paz’s years in India at the crossroads of poetry, politics, and cultural encounter. An invaluable resource not only for those interested in Paz but also for readers drawn to the broader dialogue between East and West’—Eduardo Montes-Bradley, author