July 28, 2026
nonfiction | pb | 516 pgs.
5.5" x 8.5"
978-1-960385-47-5
What Would You Do to Change the World?
In 1967 the Mother founded Auroville, a planned utopia that would be both self-sustaining and, through the yogic practices of Sri Aurobindo, a community that would herald the next evolution of humanity. She designed a city to resemble the galaxy, and to house 50,000 people from around the world who, through a series of utopic ideals—transforming the desert into self-sustaining farmland, eliminating the need for money, removing religious conflicts, among others—would transform the world into a more just place.
Despite the death of the Mother, contentious infighting, and the Indian government taking control of the city, Auroville has survived, and still attracts thousands of visitors every year. And in 2018, one of those visitors was Katarzyna Boni, a renowned Polish reportage writer, who wanted to try and understand what Auroville really means—as a city, as a community, as a beacon of hope for the future.
Boni merges the official history of Auroville with her experiences with the people she meets while living in this unique city, from Daniel who owns a local bakery, to Auroson, the reincarnation of the first child born in Auroville. A fascinating work that is never judgmental, Auroville: A City of Dreams looks at the successes and failures of this unique attempt at utopia, and the benefits such ambitious dreams can have regardless of outcome.
Translated from the Polish by Mark Ordon
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About the Author:
Katarzyna Boni is an award-winning Polish journalist, writer, and documentarian who specializes in long-form journalism, Polish reportage, and nonfiction, often focusing on themes of community, spirituality, and resilience. Boni has reported from across the globe, with a particular interest in Asia, where she has spent extensive time researching and writing. Her acclaimed debut, Ganbare! Workshops on Dying, delved into post-tsunami Japan and the cultural narratives surrounding grief and recovery. In Auroville, she turns her lens to the utopian experiment in southern India, capturing its complexities with her signature blend of curiosity and insight.
About the Translator:
Mark Ordon is a writer and translator based in Poznań, Poland. His work has appeared in the English edition of Przekrój magazine and The Thornfield Review, as well as academic publications commissioned by the Polish Academy of Sciences. His focus to date has been on short fiction and non-fiction, as well as translations of academic papers and lectures, such as "On the Importance of Sadness," a lecture given by philosopher Tomasz Stawiszyński at A Night of Philosophy and Ideas in Brooklyn, New York in February 2020.
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Praise for Ganbare! Workshops in Dying:
"Boni is writing a different history of Japan. A country that, despite Hiroshima (a great scene in which the author tastes sake with the victims of an atomic bomb), has convinced itself that nuclear energy is the safest in the world, and has now become a victim of its own pride. A nation that made the recipes for natural disasters into the heart of its own culture, and then, in the race for modernity, forgot what helped it survive on constantly trembling islands. But Ganbare! ("we can do it!") is not just a book about Japan. It is also a fascinating journey deep into the experience of death."―Books. Magazine for Reading
"Katarzyna Boni is a master at using form. Thanks to this Ganbare! is a strong and extremely interesting report, in which the content is as important as the form. . . . One of the most interesting books of the year."― PrzechamRecenzuje.pl
