Indian partition was one of the hinge moments of the 20th century. The midnight division of British India into India and Pakistan, on 14-15 August 1947, changed everything. It caused one of the largest mass migrations ever, the death of more than one million people, and political turmoil that remains unresolved. Partition has had huge and ongoing consequences that are still not properly understood or even acknowledged here in Britain. It is also an event that is almost impossible to fathom: millions of lives changed forever, homes lost and lands transformed over night.

Fortunately, many writers have helped explain the partition and its aftermath – and we’re going to look at one of them this month on the reading group.

In the English-speaking world, the most obvious choice is Salman Rushdie’s Midnight’s Children, a wonderful, rich and humane novel that is safe to call a classic. But there are many other fine books to choose from, including near-contemporary and tightly focused blasts of anger such as Khushwant Singh’s Train to Pakistan, great epics like Bhisham Sahni’s Tamas, books about Bengali identity such as Qurratulain Hyder’s Fireflies in the Mist, vital female perspectives like those in Bapsi Sidhwa’s Cracking India, ambitious books about the diaspora like Amitav Ghosh’s Shadow Lines …

As usual, I’m getting carried away with suggestions, when I really want to hear from you. Any ideas about books that can help us understand partition and post-1947 India, Pakistan and Bangladesh are very welcome.

If you’re looking for ideas, there are some fine reflections from writers such as Rushdie and Kamila Shamsie here. There are also some good suggestions with extracts here. And here is an excellent list of books with a female perspective.

To nominate a book, post its title and author in the comments. If you want to briefly explain your choice, so much the better. I’ll put the nominations into a hat in a few days and we’ll read the chosen book in September.