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The Guardian lists The Incarcerations as one of ‘five of the best books about Indian politics’. Rahul Bhatia (15/8/24)

Kitaab Umer Beigh interviews Alpa Shah on her latest book The Incarcerations (13/8/24)

Frontline reviews Alpa Shah’s The Incarcerations: ‘The books delves into the lives of each of the 16 activists arrested in the Bhima Koregaon case and offers a detailed account of who they are and what motivated them to give their all for what they see as the greater good.’ Ajay Gudavarthy (9/8/24)

The Caravan reviews Alpa Shah’s ’s The Incarceration. Kaashif Hajee (31/7/24)

Foreign Policy reviews Alpa Shah’s The Incarcerations: ‘Shah writes a harrowing account of the BK-16 case. She finds that surveillance technology, draconian laws to circumvent due process, and other efforts to stoke fear—techniques that Modi developed in Gujarat—are now implemented nationally. ’ Salil Tripathi (28/7/24)

Scroll reviews Alpa Shah’s The Incarcerations: ‘A work of resistance… deeply researched and covers immense ground’. Prerna Vij (28/7/24)

The Telegraph lists Alpa Shah’s The Incarcerations as one of its ‘75 hottest books fo 2024 so far’ (13/6/24)

Frontline Jyoti Punwani interviews Alpa Shah on her latest book The Incarcerations (4/7/24)

Midwest Book Review reviews Alpa Shah’s The Incarcerations: ‘ In this book Alpa Shah decodes the political discourses, meta narratives and the hegemony of a particular religion in contemporary Indian history and tries to establish humanitarian principles and practices in the context of the incarceration of Bima Koregaon.’ Satinderpal Singh Bawa (7/24)

Forward Press reviews Alpa Shah’s The Incarcerations (2/7/24)

Indian Parliament Prof. Manoj Kumar Jha uses Alpa Shah’s The Incarcerations in his parliamentary speech (1/7/24)

The Telegraph reviews Alpa Shah’s The Incarcerations: ‘Alpa Shah provides a survey of these men and women that allows us to understand what truly connects them.’ Lalit Panda (28/6/24)

How the Light Gets In Festival Alpa Shah shares a passage by Indian human rights activist and journalist Gautam Navlakha (27/6/24)

The Orwell Prizes ask finalists to respond to Orwell’s essay ‘Why I Write’: Alpa Shah on why our writing can be our weapon (25/6/24)

Lundi Matin interviews Alpa Shah (24/6/24)

The Orwell Prizes ask finalists to respond to Orwell’s essay ‘Why I Write’: Alpa Shah on why our writing can be our weapon (25/6/24)

The Orwell Prizes Alpa Shah highlights the work of The BK-16 – the jailed intellectuals at the centre of her book – alongside work by Zora Neale Hurston, Rohinton Mistry and Arundhati Roy in her reading list to accompany her Orwell Prize listed The Incarcerations (24/6/24)

The Hindu reviews Alpa Shah’s The Incarcerations: ‘It’s a must-read book for the times.’ Ziya Us Salam (23/6/24)

France 24 discusses the latest foreign journalist forced to leave, as well as the prosecution of author Arundhati Roy, with author and professor Alpa Shah. (21/6/24)

Biblio reviews reviews Alpa Shah’s The Incarcerations: ‘Alpa Shah tells a remarkable story.’ Manisha Sethi (6/24)

The Christopher G. Moore Foundation names The Incarcerations in its long list for the 2024 Moore Prize for Human Rights Writing. (18/6/24)

The New Statesmen carries an Op-ed by Alpa Shah ‘Will Arundhati Roy be arrested? By targeting the celebrated author, Narendra Modi is determined to show that none of those who defy his regime are safe.’ (17/6/24)

Südasien reviews Alpa Shah’s The Incarcerations Michael Gottlob (16/6/24)

Ravish Kumar interviews Alpa Shah on defending Arundhati Roy (15/6/24)

LSE Review of Books reviews Alpa Shah’s The Incarcerations: ‘This account offers a poignant and powerful portrayal of the ongoing struggle for justice within the world’s largest electoral democracy.’ Pallavi Sanil (14/6/24)

Indian Express Podcasts. Alpa Shah on The Sandeep Roy Show (10/6/24)

The Federal Nawaid Anjum interviews Alpa Shah on her latest book The Incarcerations (8/6/24)

The Guardian/The Observer reviews Alpa Shah’s The Incarcerations: ‘Shah draws on reporting that has been done over the years by the few independent news outlets that still survive in India, as well as conversations with some of the prisoners and their families (seven of the BK 16 are now out on bail)… The high point of Shah’s book comes halfway through when she talks to a couple of internet security researchers who say that the email accounts of Wilson and Swamy were also hacked into and, what’s more, that the recovery address and phone number added to these hacked accounts belonged to a police officer investigating the Bhima Koregaon case. She suggests that the hackers – and, arguably, the Indian police – didn’t even bother to cover their tracks.’ Abhrajyoti Chakraborty (2/6/24)

Oxford Public Philosophy reviews Alpa Shah’s The Incarcerations: ‘Alpa Shah mines the interviews and archives starting from the life histories to legal court documents and news coverage to trace the agony of those standing up for the rights of the marginalised people…The Incarcerations tries to contextualise not just through evidence unearthed during fieldwork, but also while trying to connect the dots between the events ranging from ‘judicial’ murders to constitutional breaches by the State. In doing so The Incarcerations reiterates its raison d’etre which is to search for democracy.’ Prakriti Sharan (2/6/24)

Literary Review carries Alpa Shah’s review of Gujarat Under Modi: Laboratory of Today’s India By Christophe Jaffrelot and Another India: The Making of the World’s Largest Muslim Minority, 1947–77 By Pratinav Anil. (6/24)

Times Literary Supplement reviews Alpa Shah’s The Incarcerations: ‘Shah’s brisk narrative presents vividly etched portraits of the BK-16. Concurrently the book pieces together the murky story of how the Indian “deep state” ensnared recalcitrant citizens…Alpa Shah concludes that the Modi government is “an Indian form of fascism”. Christophe Jaffrelot prefers to use the term “national populism”. Either way, both of these books powerfully illustrate the perils for a democracy when authoritarian state power is yoked to a brute majoritarianism intent on bullying into submission minorities and dissenters. As India confronts the prospect of another five years of BJP rule, with the final election results to be declared on June 4, these works are urgent tracts for our times.’ Prashant Kidambi (31/5/24)

The Tribune reviews Alpa Shah’s The Incarcerations: ‘Alpa’s book is a must-read for all students of contemporary Indian politics.’ Julio Ribeiro (31/5/24)

Novara Media Live Aaron Bastani interviews Alpa Shah on whether democracy in india is over? (26/5/24)

The Orwell Foundation names The Incarcerations as a finalist for the 2024 Political writing book prize (25/5/24)

Live Mint reviews Alpa Shah’s The Incarcerations: ‘at once scary and inspiring’ Manoj Mitta (17/5/24)

The Financial Times reviews Alpa Shah’s The Incarcerations: ‘[A] compulsively readable story…The Incarcerations is an unsettling indictment of Modi’s India, and alleges grave miscarriages of justice…Shah has a gift for non-fiction narrative, and the book, enlivened by photos and maps of the Indian states where the action unfolds, is almost cinematic. The fact that the author (who previously wrote a study of the Naxalite insurgency, 2018’s Nightmarch), knows many of the dramatis personae no doubt helps.’ John Reed (1/5/24)

Crash Course with Michael Walker: Michael Walker interviews Alpa Shah on whether we can really call India a democracy and her new book The Incarcerations (29/4/24)

The Deccan Herald releases a full page excerpt on The Incarcerations: ‘The story of an urban naxal’ (26/4/24)

The Business Standard, Delhi reviews The Incarcerations: ‘My all-time favourite is an academic who can write movingly without losing the rigour. Scholar-storyteller Alpa Shah has that rare quality.’ Vipul Mudgal (24/4/24)

The Wire: Karan Thapar Interviews Alpa Shah about the rise of fascism in India on the day the largest elections the world has seen begin (19/4/24)

Novara Media Live: Michael Walker interviews Alpa Shah on the Indian elections as they begin (19/4/24)

Article 14 releases an excerpt from Alpa Shah’s The Incarcerations (19/4/24)

Oxford University, School of Archaeology and Museum Ethnography announces Alpa Shah as Statutory Professor and Fellow of All Souls College from October 2024. It said in its announcement that, ‘Alpa Shah will be the eighth person to hold the post, the first woman and the first person of the global majority’ (18/4/24)

BBC Radio 4 ‘Start The Week’ discusses democracy with Alpa Shah, Erica Bener, Bob Duffy and Tom Sutcliffe (15/4/24)

Anuradhsays recommends The Incarcerations (with an interview with Alpa Shah), ‘An essential read for everyone interested in the future of Indian democracy’ Anuradha Sengupta (14/4/24)

The Times UK reviews The Incarcerations:  ‘Shah, a professor of anthropology at LSE, tells with literary aplomb the Kafkaesque story of these 16 intellectuals and activists falsely accused of conspiring to kill Modi… a gripping and uplifting book’. Pratinav Anil (13/4/24)

The Hindu reviews The Incarcerations (11/4/24)

Ravish Kumar devotes an episode of his show to The Incarcerations which receives more that 2 million viewers in 24 hours (6/4/24)

Nature selects The Incarcerations as one of five best science picks: ‘deeply researched and frequently shocking’ (5/4/24)

The New Statesman reviews The Incarcerations: ‘Told in propulsive prose, The Incarcerations is sweeping in scope and meticulous in its detail.. an account that shocks, illustrating the brazen lengths the state will go to to quell dissent. But it’s also galvanising in its depiction of the group’s defiance.’ Megan Gibson (4/4/24)

CQFD, a Marseille-based newspaper, publishes an interview with Alpa Shah on The Incarcerations (4/24)

The Quint reviews The Incarcerations: ‘the publication of this book is of paramount consequence not merely for those still incarcerated in this case, but also in a bid to save democracy everywhere’ Mekhala Saran (31/4/24)

The Scroll.in extract from The Incarcerations (27/3/24)

Deccan Chronicle features The Incarcerations (27/3/24)

The Asian Age lists The Incarcerations on its ‘Top Ten Non-fiction Best-seller List’ (26/3/24)

The Deccan Herald lists The Incarcerations as its ‘Read of the Week’ (24/3/24)

Lok Satta, Marathi Newspaper, on The Incarcerations and interview with Alpa Shah (23/3/24)

The New Statesman on The Incarcerations and interview with Alpa Shah. ‘It is the best book I’ve read about the full scale assault on democracy in India, and with the general elections scheduled to conclude in June, it’s essential reading for understanding what’s happening to the country right now.’ Gavin Jacobson (23/3/24)

Times of India extract from The Incarcerations (20/3/24)

Barkha Dutt in conversation with Alpa Shah on The Mojo Story about The Incarcerations (19/3/24)

The Wire extract from The Incarcerations (15/3/24)

The Hindu with an exclusive news story on the day The Incarcerations is published (14/3/24).

Literary Review on The Incarcerations: ‘In public relations terms… India has a great national narrative. And, once embedded, narratives are very hard to shift. So, while the sending of assassins abroad fits with our preconceptions of Saudi Arabia and Russia, it contradicts our understanding of India and so has been discounted or even ignored. The Incarcerations shows how outdated the established narrative about India has become…The most interesting passages in The Incarcerations document in detail how the Indian government uses digital technology to not only monitor but also frame its opponents…Shah convincingly argues that key material in the prosecution cases against the sixteen activists…were fabrications planted by the Indian police on the computers of some of the accused.’ Owen Bennett-Jones (3/2024)

The Telegraph reviews The Incarcerations at 4/5 stars: ‘…The Incarcerations is convincing on the degradation of civil society and of secular values in India…Shah presents striking evidence, drawing on expert forensic analysis, of the alleged planting of incriminating documents on the laptops of those detailed; cyber trails apparently point both to police officers and to Indian hackers-for-hire happy to do this sophisticated dirty work’ Andrew Whitehead (14/3/2024)

The Incarcerations was published on 14 March 2024 in the UK and in India where it became an instant bestseller, at one point reaching No 2 of ALL BOOKS on amazon India and sustaining no 1 in many categories including government, civil rights, political freedom and security for weeks.

The Financial Times lists Alpa Shah’s forthcoming book The Incarcerations in its ‘What to Read in 2024’ list.

Revue française de science politique publishes Professor Christophe Jaffrelot’s review of the French translation of Alpa Shah’s Nightmarch… ‘Participant observation applied to Maoist guerrilla warfare in India: a model of its kind’ (6/23)

La vie des idees publishes Dr Jean-Thomas Martelli’s review of the French translation of Alpa Shah’s Nightmarch… ‘in the shadow of utopia it is the spectre of dystopia that lurks’ (6/23)

Axelle magazine, Belgium reviews the French translation of Alpa Shah’s Nightmarch (5/23)

Le Monde Bruno Philip carries insights from Alpa Shah’s Nightmarch (4/23)

New Yorker Manvir Singh carries insights from Alpa Shah’s In the Shadows of the State (2/23)

Current Anthropology 63 (5) carries Alpa Shah’s essay ‘Why I Write: In a climate against intellectual dissidence’ and a discussion forum around the essay.

Hackney Citizen publishes ‘“I used to call it my heart job”: Meet the lollipop lady who transformed a Hackney Neighbourhood’ an article by Alpa Shah (8/22)

2022 ERC Public Engagement with Research Prize awarded to Alpa Shah at a ceremony in Leiden, Netherlands

Fetkann Literary Prize. Maryse Conde 2022. Selects Le livre de la jungle insurgée (French translation of Nightmarch) amidst this list of books to be considered for the prize.

Alternatives International publishes a review of Le Livre De La Jungle Insurgée, the French translation of Alpa Shah’s Nightmarch, by Gustav Massiah (7/22)

Reporterre Quotidien de L’ecologie selects Le Livre De La Jungle Insurgée, the French translation of Alpa Shah’s Nightmarch, as a ‘Summer Read’ (7/22)

Lundi.am publishes a review of Le Livre De La Jungle Insurgée, the French translation of Alpa Shah’s Nightmarch, by Serge Quadrupanni (6/22)

Les Forums France Inde discuss Le Mouvement Maoiste on Inde on the occasion of the publication of Le Livre De La Jungle Insurgée, the French translation of Alpa Shah’s Nightmarch (7/22)

Society, interviews Alpa Shah on the ocassion of of the publication of Le Livre De La Jungle Insurgée, the French translation of Alpa Shah’s Nightmarch (6/22)

La Feuille de Quilombo reviews Le Livre De La Jungle Insurgée, the French translation of Alpa Shah’s Nightmarch (5/22)

Le Livre De La Jungle Insurgée, French translation of Alpa Shah’s Nightmarch published by La Derniere Lettre. Translator Celia Izoard (4/22)

Catharsis interviews Alpa Shah and Jens Lerche (4/22)

Novara Media publishes a piece by Alpa Shah on David Graeber and the political value of anthropology on the anniversary of David Graeber’s death (9/21).

The New Statesman World Review podcast. Emily Tamkin and Cormack McCarthy speak to Alpa Shah about what Father Stan Swamy’s ‘custodial murder’ means for human rights in India (7/21).

The World Rupa Shenoy speaks to Alpa about Stan’ Swamy’s death drawing attention to human rights in India (7/21).

The New Statesman carries an Op-ed by Alpa Shah ‘How Father Stan Swamy’s “custodial murder” is sparking new demands for justice in India.’ (7/21).

Times of India carries a piece by Alpa Shah ‘We have a lot to learn about nature, gender and joy from indigenous communities’. (2/21).

A Novara Media FM podcast. James Butler talks to Alpa Shah about the inner world of the Naxalites guerrillas, the repression of intellectuals, journalists and students in India and what can be done. (11/20).

TrueAnon, a US podcast. Brace Belden speaks to Alpa Shah about Nightmarch (10/20)

Post-university hosts a presentation and discussion of the new preface to Nightmarch, ‘Unlock the Nation’ by Alpa Shah (10/20)

Jacobin publish the new preface to the paperback edition of Alpa Shah’s Nightmarch, ‘Unlock the Nation’ launched by HarperCollins India (10/20)

Storie in Movimento publish an Italian translation of some of Alpa Shah’s writings, Tribù, valori egualitari, autonomia e stato (10/20)

Novara Media features a celebration of David Graeber and his anthropology by Alpa Shah (10/20)

New York Review of Books carries a tribute by Alpa Shah for David Graeber as Vampire Slayer, Trickster and Pirate (9/20)

Roar Magazine carries a tribute by Alpa Shah for David, ‘Releasing the Genius Within Us’ (9/20)

Hindustan Times carries an Opinion piece by Alpa Shah and Jens Lerche on ‘The Five Truths About the Migrant Worker Crisis’. A longer version is on the Royal Geographical Society Geography Directions blog (7/20)

Audible launches an audiobook of Nightmarch (5/20)

A Podcast about Nightmarch

Alpa Shah in conversation with award-winning writer and journalist Sonia Faleiro for AfterWords, launched by Hurst Publishers to celebrate six groundbreaking books published during its 50-year history (3/20)You can watch an excerpt from the interview.

Counter Punch on Nightmarch:

‘Insightful and interesting journalism about a place and people few in the West know much about.’ (Ron Jacobs 3/20)

Mathrubhumi, the Keralan Malayalam daily, review’s Alpa Shah’s Nightmarch and carries an interview with her (K A Johny, 2/20).

The Political Quarterly interviews Alpa Shah about the writing of Nightmarch

‘A gripping first-hand account…although the contradictions of the Naxalites leads to their decline, Shah still has great respect for the way of life she experienced while living amongst the insurgents. “You could say that kindness was a revolutionary act”, she agrees.’ (Anya Pearson 1/20)

Hindustan Times carries an Opinion piece by Alpa Shah on the future of real democracy by sortition - the use of random selection to chose those who govern us - as practiced in the forests of Jharkhand, India. (12/19)

Review of Agrarian Studies on Nightmarch:

‘An epitaph…to a flawed revolutionary dream…lucid and compelling … a compassionate but honest assessment of the Naxalite or Maoist movement, and of the relationships between the revolutionaries and the Adivasis.’ (John Harriss 12/19)

The Patriot interviews Alpa Shah on writing narrative non-fiction as an academic.

‘…lucid prose sensitively straddles the world of Naxals to tell stories of conflict, hierarchies, inequality and inherent contradictions in the movement with compelling takeaways for everyone.’ (11/19)

First Post on the Kamladevi Chattopadhyay New India Foundation Book Prize shortlisting Alpa Shah’s Nightmarch

The six-book shortlist features works demonstrating the power of free speech in the country.

The New Left Review reviews Alpa Shah’s Nightmarch

‘She offers neither condemnation nor romanticization, but a considered analysis of the ‘experiences, visions and actions’ of the people she encounters, presenting not only what they say, but what they do. The result is a powerful synthesis, warm but never uncritical, a distillation of her own scholarship and the experiences of her subjects, that immerses the reader in a lifeworld.’ Kheya Bag. (08/2019)

New Books Network interviews Alpa Shah about Ground Down by Growth

‘Analytical rigor paired with lucid prose makes this co-researched and co-authored book indispensable for scholars and citizens concerned with the Global South, inequality, capitalism, economic growth, and social difference.’ (08/2019)

The Wire reviews Alpa Shah’s Nightmarch

‘A riveting and complex view of Naxalism…it is a privilege to have Shah as the investigator.’ (08/2019)

The Indian Express interviews Alpa Shah in the aftermath of Nightmarch being shortlisted for the Orwell Prize.

‘An astonishing journey. A rare, granular portrait.’ (07/2019)

Asian Age reviews Alpa Shah’s Nightmarch

‘Can an academic study also double up as a riveting thriller? … Alpa Shah has managed this seemingly impossible amalgam.’ (07/2019)

La Stampa reviews Alpa Shah’s Marcia Notturna

‘A thoughtful and balanced account.’ (07/2019)

Alphabeta2 reviews Alpa Shah’s Marcia Notturna

‘With great empathy and superb narrative ability, …[Shah] analyses, documents, reflects.’ (07/2019)

Q Code and Altreconomia reviews Alpa Shah’s Nightmarch (Italian translation)

‘A unique document, a story from below of the Naxalite movement and the adivasi culture, which the author gives voice to in an intimate and brilliant text.’ (07/2019)

Business Standard reviews Alpa Shah’s Nightmarch

As [Alpa Shah] describes how she walked, sometimes sleepwalked, with the Naxalites, we, the readers march along with her, alert and in awe as we turn each page.’ (06/2019)

The News Laundry reviews Alpa Shah’s Nightmarch

‘Nightmarch: an intimate journey into India’s Naxal heartlands’ (06/2019)

Firstpost interviews Alpa Shah about Nightmarch

‘Alpa Shah on Nightmarch, her Orwell Prize-longlisted account of journeying into India’s Naxal heartland.’(05/2019)

She The People presents an excerpt from Alpa Shah’s Nightmarch

‘The camp tailor stitched a uniform for me on the day of departure. Olive-green shirt and trousers, too large for my waist, were held by a belt. Would Bimalji approve of this attire that drowned my femininity?’ (05/2019)

Readers Digest India presents an excerpt from Alpa Shah’s Nightmarch

‘How My Interaction With A Naxal Leader Changed The Way I Looked At Naxalites’ (04/2019)

H-net reviews Ground Down by Growth coauthored by Alpa Shah

‘The authors have drawn on several years of fieldwork for their chapters, evident in the rich and nuanced ethnographical analysis.’ (02/2019)

Meltemi Publishers - Preface to the Italian translation of Alpa Shah’s Nightmarch

‘A Note on Nightmarch as the Italian Translation goes to press’ (02/2019)

The Voice of Fashion reviews Alpa Shah’s Nightmarch

‘In a rebellion, you don’t just wear camouflage’ (01/2019)

News18 interviews Alpa Shah about Nightmarch

‘Meet the Woman Who Marched with a Naxal Platoon In the Tribal Belt of Central India’ (01/2019)

Scroll.in presents an excerpt from Alpa Shah’s Nightmarch

‘How an anthropologist disguised herself as a man to trek 240 km with a Maoist platoon’ (12/2018)

The Hindustan Times presents an excerpt from Alpa Shah’s Nightmarch

‘In 2010, Alpa Shah, dressed as a man in military fatigues set out on a seven-night march with a naxal platoon. While her book looks at dispossession and the conflict at the heart of India, this excerpt also reveals how upper caste leaders police the relationships of tribal foot soldiers.’ (12/2018)

Sri Lanka Guardian interviews Alpa Shah about Nightmarch

‘I went to live among the Adivasis by chance. But later I realized how lucky I had been because as single woman I had the freedom to move and do research that I could not have done in most other parts of India.’ (12/2018)

Australian SBS Radio Raymond Selvaraj interviews Alpa Shah on Nightmarch

‘Are India’s Naxalites fighting for a doomed cause?’ (12/2018)