India, Sept. 21 -- The Kathika Cultural Centre played host to an evening steeped in literary charm as author Satyartha Mishra unveiled his latest work, The Hapless Voyager. The event drew an eclectic gathering of writers, thinkers and admirers of storytelling, with celebrated filmmaker Imtiaz Ali gracing the occasion as chief guest.

Much like its title, is an odyssey in fragments, assembled with wit, candour and an uncommon lightness of spirit. It is neither autobiography nor travelogue, but a curious blending of memory and narrative, where episodes from Patna's bylanes entwine with encounters in Malaysia and moments of reflection in Australia.

Each chapter unfolds as a self-contained vignette, yet together they form a mosaic of one man...