A fascinating portrait of the life and ideas of the great Indian writer and public intellectual, U.R. Ananthamurthy. Between 2012 and 2013, Ananthamurthy shared his personal experiences in a series of lively conversations with academic and writer Chandan Gowda, and reflected on issues that would preoccupy him until the end. Besides the vivid accounts of his childhood, friendships, the evolution of his intellectual life, and public involvements, his passionate ideas on tradition, on India's political culture, and on language and writing make the conversations an engaging and valuable document. A Life in the World -- perhaps the first exercise of its kind done with an Indian writer -- will enthral both general readers as well as admirers of Ananthamurthy's works.