A Conversation with National Jewish Book Award Winner Jai Chakrabarti

National Jewish Book Award winner Jai Chakrabarti (A Play for the End of the World) had his life changed when he discovered Bernard Malamud’s The Magic Barrel at a used bookstore in a suburb of India. This year is the 65th anniversary of the book’s publication, as well as the 65th anniversary of Bernard Malamud receiving the National Jewish Book Award for another work of his, The Assistant.

Becca Kantor, editorial director of the Jewish Book Council (which administers the National Jewish Book Award), talks to Jai about his newest book and the impact and legacy of Malamud’s work.