This course introduces the modern literature of South Asia (India, Pakistan, Bangladesh) from the fifteenth century to the present. We will read a selection of short stories, novels, and poetry drawn from the diverse literary traditions of the region. Major readings include The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri, Umrao Jan Ada, a novel about a 19th-century courtesan, by Mirza Ruswa, short stories by Sadat Hasan Manto and Premchand, and bhakti and ghazal poetry. No prior knowledge is assumed, and all works will be read in English translation.