Acclaimed art historian and author Stephen P. Huyler will present his new memoir, Transformed by India: A Life, on Wednesday, Aug. 27, 2025, at 7 p.m., at the Rockport Opera House. Sponsored by the Camden Conference, this free event features an author talk followed by a reception with Indian-themed desserts by Namaste’s Dee Patel. Book sales will be provided by Barnswallow Books of Rockport.  

Huyler's memoir chronicles over five decades of immersion in Indian culture, beginning with his arrival on his twentieth birthday when he pedaled a bicycle rickshaw across the Indian border in 1971.

"Few foreigners have traveled as extensively throughout India, documenting the country's rich traditions, sacred arts, and diverse communities from maharajahs to village artisans," said Camden Conference, in a news release.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama wrote the foreword and Dr. Shashi Tharoor, former UN diplomat and member of the Indian Parliament, contributed the preface.  

Stephen P. Huyler is an art historian, cultural anthropologist, and photographer who has conducted over 124 months of field research in India during the past 53 years. He holds a Ph.D. in Art and Archaeology of South Asia from the University of London and has served as consultant and guest curator for more than 25 major museum exhibitions of Indian art at institutions including the Smithsonian, American Museum of Natural History, and Asian Art Museum in San Francisco. He also taught photographic masterclasses for many years at the Maine Media Workshops. Huyler and his wife, Helene, have been residents of Camden for 42 years. 

Huyler's extensive body of work includes eight previous books on Indian culture and art, including "Meeting God: Elements of Hindu Devotion" (Yale University Press) and "Painted Prayers: Women's Art in Village India" (Rizzoli International). His photograph archives have resulted in solo exhibitions at prestigious institutions worldwide. 

"The memoir combines humor with pathos, sacred with secular, and tranquility with suspense in a narrative that flows seamlessly through a life transformed by one of the world's most enigmatic civilizations," said Camden Conference. "Huyler's innate adaptability enabled him to be accepted by a remarkable range of individuals across India's social spectrum, from Brahmans to Dalits, politicians to potters."

Transformed by India: A Life is both a personal journey and a tribute to the innate strength and creative capacity for improvement expressed throughout the Indian subcontinent.

For more information about Stephen Huyler and his work, visit www.stephenhuyler.com.

Register for this event at www.camdenconference.org.