Westland Books will host the launch of Wild Wild East, a new book by Mumbai-based journalist and film critic Tanul Thakur, on Tuesday, 12 May 2026, at the India International Centre in New Delhi.
The launch will take place at Seminar Hall 1 and 2, Kamala Devi Complex, IIC, at 6.30 p.m., with refreshments scheduled from 6.00 p.m. Thakur will be in conversation with author and historian Narayani Basu, according to the event announcement shared by Westland Books.
Wild Wild East examines the exploitation and systemic abuse linked to the H-1B visa programme. The subtitle, “Exiled Americans, Enslaved Indians and the System Abuse of the H-1B Visa Programme,” suggests a critical investigation into labour, migration, technology, and the human cost of a visa system often associated with skilled Indian workers in the United States.
Thakur is an independent journalist and film critic based in Mumbai. His work has appeared in publications including Caravan, Open, Fountain Ink, GQ, Man’s World, The Sunday Guardian, Yahoo! India, The Wire, Firstpost, The Big Indian Picture, DailyO and OZY. In 2015, he received the National Film Award for Best Film Critic and the Mumbai Press Club Award for Best Lifestyle and Entertainment Story.
The launch is expected to draw readers interested in contemporary non-fiction, migration politics, labour rights, and the Indian technology workforce’s global footprint. With Basu leading the conversation, the event is likely to explore both the investigative substance of the book and the wider social implications of the H-1B system.
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