Hicky's Bengal Gazette

<p><b>'An enthralling tale that ties together themes that are urgently relevant today: freedom of the press, the role of journalism, and the price of speaking truth to power' Sunny Singh</b><br><i><br>Hicky's Bengal Gazette</i> is the story of India's first newspaper and its pivotal role in exposing the corruption of the British imperialist project.<br><br>The story opens in late-eighteenth century Calcutta. The British are well-ensconced in Bengal but the Raj has yet to emerge. Irishman, James August Hicky, arrives in Calcutta as a surgeon's mate, seeking his fame and fortune. He soon finds himself in debtors' prison, however, and it's while in jail that he first acquires the printing press that sets him on a collision course with the British East India Company.<br><br>Sensing a business opportunity, Hicky established the first newspaper in South Asia but quickly became committed to the freedom of the press at great personal cost. His <i>Gazette </i>exposed corruption in the East India Company and embezzlement in the Christian Church, making himself two powerful enemies in the process: Johann Zacharias Kiernander, an influential missionary and Warren Hastings, the Governor General. Staunchly anti-war and anti-colonialist, <i>Hicky's Bengal Gazette</i> was known for its provocative content that included accusing aristocrats and politicians not only of tyranny but also erectile dysfunction.<br><br>Trials, prison time and assassination attempts follow before Hicky dies mysteriously on a boat to China. His legacy in India endures to this day through the vibrant, modern media landscape.</p>