Amitav Ghosh, arguably the foremost Indo-Anglian author of our generation, has penned his latest non-fiction, The Great Derangement: Climate Change and the Unthinkable, recently. After the elaborate Ibis trilogy, the Hungry Tide author, in his latest book, argues about our ‘imaginative failure in the face of global warming’. In a brief conversation with CT on Wednesday at Tollygunge Club, the author spoke about his concerns over the wrath of climate change, his love for authoring non-fiction and his next literary project.I worked on a fiction project for 11 years, the Ibis trilogy. That was a much extended feat of concentration. And during that period, I denied myself all other indulgences. But I like to write non-fiction. I like writing essays etc. The form attracts me. In the case of The Great Derangement, it is quite different.That is certainly one thing. But even the other fiction I wrote is based on reportage. Marichjhapi or Cambodia — these are based on bodies of materials I have collected.See, I do not describe myself as an environmentalist. Environmentalists are activists. I am not like that. I have reported on various environmental issues, and I have been interested in these issues. However, I will totally misrepresent myself if I call myself an activist.Secondly, I think there is a difference between environment in general and climate change. Environment talks about specific issues and specific impacts on a specific landscape. Climate change is something much bigger. It talks about a vast set of consequences that may be unleashed upon us.I think it is just the opposite. Poor countries cannot afford to neglect climate change impacts. They are already upon us. Let me give you an example. Cities like Chennai or Mumbai are built up in certain ways. Now we see that flooding events or extraordinary rainfall events can create huge catastrophes in those places. How can we afford to neglect these impacts?Mumbai was profoundly affected by the 2005 disaster. Not only did it take a toll on human lives, it took a significant toll on the city’s economic prospects. After the catastrophe, many industries bypassed Mumbai and shifted to other cities because they saw the danger. The same happens with Chennai. In the wake of this, people who built manufacturing plants there are now rethinking their options.Think of the massive drought in central India this year. Hundreds of thousands of people were compelled to leave Bundelkhand and move to cities like Delhi and Mumbai. It also took a huge toll on those big cities because they were already overcrowded.Secondly, it’s a catastrophe in the long run. The places that were deserted due to drought, are also hugely affected. Who will do the farming there? Who will do the agriculture?You know, there is some sort of misplaced belief among Indians that middle-class people, or well-off people, will be spared such problems. This is a completely misplaced idea. What happened in Mumbai or Chennai affected middle-class, rich and powerful people. Look at what happened to Bangalore, Delhi or Gurgaon.Yes, it is completely ignored, especially in India. Very few books have been written about the Mumbai disaster, very few films have been made. Not even enough documentaries.No, they are not. The problem is largely their making and they are doing nothing to address it. The issue of environmental justice has been completely sidelined, which is very unfortunate. These issues were raised in Paris, and I hope our government is dealing with them properly.I am working on a short non-fiction. It is based on my research on the India-China relationship. I am focusing on the nineteenth century, mainly on historical aspects.