Five books on the HIV/AIDS crisis

And the Band Played On

Author: Randy Shilts 

One of the essential books on the subject, it changed how the world perceived and discussed HIV/AIDS. Here, investigative journalist Randy Shilts argues that the HIV infection spread unchecked in the initial years because of political inaction, especially in the US, where it was dubbed a gay disease. Randy was gay himself. The book starts from the first confirmed case, that of doctor Grethe Rask posted in Africa, in 1977 and ends in 1985, when actor Rock Hudson announced he was dying of AIDS.

AIDS Sutra

Editor: Negar Akhavi

Around 23 lakh people in India live with AIDS. In this 2008 anthology, 16 writers visit a cross-section of people fighting the disease and discrimination associated with it – truck drivers, homosexuals, eunuchs and more. Kiran Desai meets sex workers in Andhra Pradesh. Salman Rushdie interacts with transgender persons in Mumbai. William Dalrymple reveals the hardships faced by devadasis in Karnataka. 

Love is the Cure

Author: Elton John

‘This is a disease that must be cured not by a miraculous vaccine, but by changing hearts and minds, and through a collective effort to break down social barriers and to build bridges of compassion’ - this excerpt carries the essence of the 2012 book. British singer and pianist Elton John was inspired to pen this book after seeing his dear friend Ryan White die from the HIV infection, which he had contracted from a blood transfusion. 

The Great Believers

Author: Rebecca Makkai 

A Pulitzer Prize finalist, this fiction novel demonstrates how the disease that broke out several decades ago continues to ravage people’s lives to this day. The story is set in two periods – one follows the career of gay protagonist Yale Tishman, director of an art gallery, in 1920s Chicago, and the other sees Fiona tracking down her estranged daughter in Paris in the 2000s. The book is an emotional ride. 

Remaking a Life

Author: Celeste Watkins-Hayes

Can life-threatening news change one’s outlook on life? This 2019 book features inspiring stories of women who decided they would ‘live their’ life with HIV/AIDS and thrive rather than let the news negatively impact the time they had left on earth. The interviewees were mostly women of colour from Chicago.