~ ~ Biographies Of Indian Writers ~

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India has produced several great writers who have influenced a whole generation and continue to inspire the coming generations by their writings. Their works vividly portray the picture of Indian society and subtly bring out the ills it. Indian writers have played a progressive part in the reform of Indian society. Here is a brief profile of Famous Indian writers.


Bankim Chandra Chatterjee Biography

Born: June 27, 1838
Died: April 8, 1894
Achievements: Author of Vande Mataram, the national song of India

Bankim Chandra Chatterjee also known as Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay was one of the greatest novelists and poets of India. He is famous as author of Vande Mataram, the national song of India.

Bankim Chandra Chatterjee was born on June 27, 1838 in the village Kantalpara of the 24 Paraganas District of Bengal. He belonged to a family of Brahmins. The word 'Bankim Chandra' in Bengali means 'the moon on the second day of the bright fortnight'. Bankim Chandra's father Yadav Chandra Chattopadhyaya was in government service. After his birth he was posted to Midnapur as Deputy Collector.

Bankim Chandra Chatterjee had his early education in Midnapur. He was a brilliant student. After his early education in Midnapur Bankim Chandra Chatterji joined the Mohsin College at Hoogly and studied there for six years. Apart from his textbooks, Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay, used to read other books in his leisure time. He was very much interested in the study of Sanskrit. His study of Sanskrit stood him in good stead. Later, when he wrote books in Bengali his knowledge of Sanskrit helped him immensely.

In 1856, Bankim Chandra Chatterjee joined the Presidency College in Calcutta. In 1857, there was a strong revolt against the rule of East India Company but Bankim Chandra Chatterjee continued his studies and passed his B.A. Examination in 1859. The Lieutenant Governor of Calcutta appointed Bankim Chandra Chatterjee as Deputy Collector in the same year. Bankim Chandra Chatterjee was in Government service for thirty-two years and retired in 1891. He was a very conscientious worker.

Bankim Chandra Chatterjee was married when he was only eleven . At that time his wife was only five years old. Bankim Chandra Chatterjee was only twenty two when his wife died. After some time he married again. His second wife was Rajlakshmi Devi. They had three daughters but no son.

Bankim Chandra Chatterjee began his literary career as a writer of verse. He then turned to fiction. Durgeshnandini, his first Bengali romance, was published in 1865. His famous novels include Kapalkundala (1866), Mrinalini (1869), Vishbriksha (1873), Chandrasekhar (1877), Rajani (1877), Rajsimha (1881), and Devi Chaudhurani (1884). Bankim Chandra Chatterjee most famous novel was Anand Math (1882). Anand Math contained the song "Bande Mataram", which was later adopted as National Song.

Bankim Chandra Chatterjee wanted to bring about a cultural revival of Bengal by stimulating the intellect of the Bengali speaking people through literary campaign. With this end in view he brought out monthly magazine called Bangadarshan in 1872.

Bankim Chatterjee was superb story-teller, and a master of romance. No Bengali writer before or since has enjoyed such spontaneous and universal popularity as Chatterjee. His novels have been translated in almost all the major languages of India. He passed away on April 8, 1894.

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Premchand Biography

Born: July 31, 1880
Died: October 8, 1936.
Achievements: Premchand brought realism to Hindi literature. Premchand wrote on the realistic issues of the day-communalism, corruption, zamindari, debt, poverty, colonialism etc. He avoided the use of highly Sanskritized Hindi and instead used the dialect of the common people.

Premchand popularly known as Munshi Premchand was one of the greatest literary figures of modern Hindi literature. His stories vividly portrayed the social scenario of those times.

Premchand's real name was Dhanpat Rai Srivastava. He was born on July 31, 1880 in Lamahi near Varanasi where his father Munshi Azaayab Lal was a clerk in the post office. Premchand lost his mother when he was just seven years old. His father married again. Premchand was very close to his elder sister. His early education was in a madarasa under a Maulavi, where he learnt Urdu. When he was studying in the ninth class he was married, much against his wishes. He was only fifteen years old at that time.

Premchand lost his father when he was sixteen years old. Premchand was left responsible for his stepmother and stepsiblings. He earned five rupees a month tutoring a lawyer's child. Premchand passed his matriculation exam with great effort and took up a teaching position, with a monthly salary of eighteen rupees. While working, he studied privately and passed his Intermediate and B. A. examinations. Later, Premchand worked as the deputy sub-inspector of schools in what was then the United Provinces.

In 1910, he was hauled up by the District Magistrate in Jamirpur for his anthology of short stories Soz-e-Watan (Dirge of the Nation), which was labelled seditious. His book Soz-e-Watan was banned by the then British government, which burnt all of the copies. Initially Premchand wrote in Urdu under the name of Nawabrai. However, when his novel Soz-e-Watan was confiscated by the British, he started writing under the pseudonym Premchand.

Before Premchand, Hindi literature consisted mainly of fantasy or religious works. Premchand brought realism to Hindi literature. He wrote over 300 stories, a dozen novels and two plays. The stories have been compiled and published as Maansarovar. His famous creations are: Panch Parameshvar, Idgah, Shatranj Ke Khiladi, Poos Ki Raat, Bade Ghar Ki Beti, Kafan, Udhar Ki Ghadi, Namak Ka Daroga, Gaban, Godaan, and Nirmala.

Premchand was a great social reformer; he married a child widow named Shivarani Devi. She wrote a book on him, Premchand Gharmein after his death. In 1921 he answered Gandhiji's call and resigned from his job. He worked to generate patriotism and nationalistic sentiments in the general populace. When the editor of the journal _Maryaada_ was jailed in the freedom movement, Premchand worked for a time as the editor of that journal. Afterward, he worked as the principal in a school in the Kashi Vidyapeeth.

The main characteristic of Premchand's writings is his interesting storytelling and use of simple language. His novels describe the problems of rural and urban India. He avoided the use of highly Sanskritized Hindi and instead used the dialect of the common people. Premchand wrote on the realistic issues of the day -communalism, corruption, zamindari, debt, poverty, colonialism etc.

Premchand's writings have been translated not only into all Indian languages, but also Russian, Chinese, and many other foreign languages. He died on October 8, 1936.

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Rabindranath Tagore Biography

Born: May 7, 1861
Died: August 7, 1941
Achievements: Rabindranath Tagore became the first Asian to became Nobel laureate when he won Nobel Prize for his collection of poems, Gitanjali, in 1913; awarded knighthood by the British King George V; established Viswabharati University; two songs from his Rabindrasangit canon are now the national anthems of India and Bangladesh

Rabindranath Tagore was an icon of Indian culture. He was a poet, philosopher, musician, writer, and educationist. Rabindranath Tagore became the first Asian to became Nobel laureate when he won Nobel Prize for his collection of poems, Gitanjali, in 1913. He was popularly called as Gurudev and his songs were popularly known as Rabindrasangeet. Two songs from his Rabindrasangit canon are now the national anthems of India and Bangladesh: the Jana Gana Mana and the Amar Shonar Bangla.

Rabindranath Tagore was born on May 7, 1861 in a wealthy Brahmin family in Calcutta. He was the ninth son of Debendranath and Sarada Devi. His grandfather Dwarkanath Tagore was a rich landlord and social reformer. Rabindra Nath Tagore had his initial education in Oriental Seminary School. But he did not like the conventional education and started studying at home under several teachers. After undergoing his upanayan (coming-of-age) rite at the age of eleven, Tagore and his father left Calcutta in 1873 to tour India for several months, visiting his father's Santiniketan estate and Amritsar before reaching the Himalayan hill station of Dalhousie. There, Tagore read biographies, studied history, astronomy, modern science, and Sanskrit, and examined the classical poetry of Kalidasa.

In 1874, Tagore's poem Abhilaash (Desire) was published anonymously in a magazine called Tattobodhini. Tagore's mother Sarada Devi expired in 1875. Rabindranath's first book of poems, Kabi Kahini ( tale of a poet ) was published in 1878. In the same year Tagore sailed to England with his elder brother Satyandranath to study law. But he returned to India in 1880 and started his career as poet and writer. In 1883, Rabindranath Tagore married Mrinalini Devi Raichaudhuri, with whom he had two sons and three daughters.

In 1884, Tagore wrote a collection of poems Kori-o-Kamal (Sharp and Flats). He also wrote dramas - Raja-o-Rani ( King and Queen) and Visarjan (Sacrifice). In 1890, Rabindranath Tagore moved to Shilaidaha (now in Bangladesh) to look after the family estate. Between 1893 and 1900 Tagore wrote seven volumes of poetry, which included Sonar Tari (The Golden Boat) and Khanika. In 1901, Rabindranath Tagore became the editor of the magazine Bangadarshan. He Established Bolpur Bramhacharyaashram at Shantiniketan, a school based on the pattern of old Indian Ashrama. In 1902, his wife Mrinalini died. Tagore composed Smaran ( In Memoriam ), a collection of poems, dedicated to his wife.

In 1905, Lord Curzon decided to divide Bengal into two parts. Rabindranath Tagore strongly protested against this decision. Tagore wrote a number of national songs and attended protest meetings. He introduced the Rakhibandhan ceremony , symbolizing the underlying unity of undivided Bengal.

In 1909, Rabindranath Tagore started writing Gitanjali. In 1912, Tagore went to Europe for the second time. On the journey to London he translated some of his poems/songs from Gitanjali to English. He met William Rothenstein, a noted British painter, in London. Rothenstien was impressed by the poems, made copies and gave to Yeats and other English poets. Yeats was enthralled. He later wrote the introduction to Gitanjali when it was published in September 1912 in a limited edition by the India Society in London. Rabindranath Tagore was awarded Nobel Prize for Literature in 1913 for Gitanjali. In 1915 he was knighted by the British King George V.

In 1919, following the Jallianwala Bagh massacre, Tagore renounced his knighthood. He was a supporter of Gandhiji but he stayed out of politics. He was opposed to nationalism and militarism as a matter of principle, and instead promoted spiritual values and the creation of a new world culture founded in multi-culturalism, diversity and tolerance. Unable to gain ideological support to his views, he retired into relative solitude. Between the years 1916 and 1934 he traveled widely.

1n 1921, Rabindranath Tagore established Viswabharati University. He gave all his money from Nobel Prize and royalty money from his books to this University. Tagore was not only a creative genius, he was quite knowledgeable of Western culture, especially Western poetry and science too. Tagore had a good grasp of modern - post-Newtonian - physics, and was well able to hold his own in a debate with Einstein in 1930 on the newly emerging principles of quantum mechanics and chaos. His meetings and tape recorded conversations with his contemporaries such Albert Einstein and H.G. Wells, epitomize his brilliance.

In 1940 Oxford University arranged a special ceremony in Santiniketan and awarded Rabindranath Tagore with Doctorate Of Literature. Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore passed away on August 7, 1941 in his ancestral home in Calcutta.

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Anita Desai Biography

Born: June 24, 1937
Achievement: Won the Winifred Holtby Memorial Prize for her novel "Fire on the Mountain" and her children's book "The Village by the Sea" (1982), won the Guardian Children's Fiction Award.

Anita Desai is an Indian novelist and short story writer. She is known for her sensitive portrayal of the inner feelings of her female characters. Many of Anita Desai's novels explore tensions between family members and the alienation of middle-class women. In her later novels, Anita Desai wrote on varied themes such as German anti-Semitism, the demise of traditions, and Western stereotypical views of India.

Anita Desai was born as Anita Mazumdar on June 24, 1937 in Mussoorie. Her mother was German and her father was Bengali. Anita Desai completed her schooling from Queen Mary's Higher Secondary School in Delhi and graduated in English literature from the University of Delhi (Miranda House).

Anita Desai made her debut as novelist in 1963 with "The Peacock". It was followed by "Voices of the City" (1965)- a story about three siblings and their different ways of life in Calcutta. Her novel "Fire on the Mountain" (1977) won the Winifred Holtby Memorial Prize. Anita Desai's other works include "Clear Light of Day" (1980), "In Custody" (1984) and "Fasting, Feasting" (1999), each of which was shortlisted for the Booker Prize. "In Custody" was made into a film by Merchant Ivory productions. Her children's book "The Village by the Sea" (1982), won the Guardian Children's Fiction Award. Anita Desai's most recent novel is "The Zig Zag Way" (2004), set in 20th century Mexico.

Anita Desai is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature, the American Academy of Arts and Letters, Girton College, Cambridge and Clare Hall, Cambridge. Presently, Anita lives in the United States, where she is the John E. Burchard Professor of Writing at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA.

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Arundhati Roy Biography

Born: November 24, 1961
Achievement: Won the Booker Prize in 1997 for her first novel "The God of Small Things"; Awarded Sydney Peace Prize in 2004.

Arundhati Roy is a famous Indian novelist and social activist. Arundhati Roy came into limelight in 1997 when she won the Booker Prize for her first novel "The God of Small Things". She was awarded Sydney Peace Prize in 2004.

Arundhati Roy was born November 24, 1961 in Assam. Her mother was a Keralite Christian and her father was a Bengali Hindu. Their marriage was not successful and Arundhati Roy spent her childhood years in Aymanam, Kerala with her mother. Arundhati's mother, who was a prominent social activist, founded an independent school and taught her daughter informally.

At age of sixteen Arundhati left home, and eventually enrolled at the Delhi School of Architecture. There she met her first husband, Gerard Da Cunha, a fellow architecture student. Their marriage lasted four years. Both of them did not have great love for architecture, so they quit their profession and went off to Goa. They used to make cake and sell it on the beach to make living. This continued for seven months after which Arundhati returned back to Delhi.

She took a job at the National Institute of Urban Affairs, rented a barsati near the dargah at Nizamuddin and hired a bicycle. One day film director Pradeep Krishen saw her cycling down a street and offered her a small role of tribal girl in the film "Massey Saab". Arundhati Roy accepted the role after initial reservations. She later on married Pradeep Krishen. Meanwhile, Arundhati got a scholarship to go to Italy for eight months to study the restoration of monuments.

After returning from Italy Arundhati Roy linked with her husband to planned a 26 episode television serial for Doordarshan called the Banyan Tree. The serial was later scrapped. She wrote screenplays for a couple of TV films - "In Which Annie Gives It Those Ones" and "Electric Moon". Arundhati Roy also wrote screenplay for Shekhar Kapur's controversial film 'Bandit Queen'. The controversy escalated into a court case, after which Arundhati Roy retired to private life to concentrate on her writing, which eventually resulted in "The God of Small Things".

After winning the Booker Prize for "The God of Small Things", Arundhati Roy has concentrated her writings on political issues. She has written on varied topics such as Narmada Dam project, India's nuclear weapons and American power giant Enron's activities in India. Arundhati Roy strongly associated with anti-globalization movement and is a staunch critic of neo-imperialism.

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Jhumpa Lahiri Biography

Born: July 1967
Achievement: First Asian to win Pulitzer Prize. She won the 2000 Pulitzer Prize for fiction for her book "Interpreter Of Maladies"

Jhumpa Lahiri is a famous Indian American author of Bengali origin. Her first novel, "The Namesake" was a major national bestseller and was named the New York Magazine Book of the Year. Jhumpa Lahiri became the first Asian to win the Pulitzer Prize when she won the 2000 Pulitzer Prize for fiction for her book "Interpreter Of Maladies".

Jhumpa Lahiri was born in July 1967 in London and was raised in Rhode Island. Jhumpa is an alumnus of Barnard College, where she received a B.A. in English literature, and of Boston University, where she received an M.A. in English, M.A. in Creative Writing and M.A. in Comparative Studies in Literature and the Arts, and a Ph.D. in Renaissance Studies. She took up a fellowship at Provincetown's Fine Arts Work Center for two years. Jhumpa Lahiri also taught creative writing at Boston University and Rhode Island School of Design.

Much of Jhumpa Lahiri's fiction deals with the lives of Indian-Americans, particularly Bengalis. Her debut collection "Interpreter of Maladies" won the 2000 Pulitzer Prize for fiction. It was a collection of nine distinct short stories addressing the sensitive dilemmas in the lives of Indians or Indian immigrants. "The Namesake", her second book and first novel, came out in 2003. It was named the New York Magazine Book of the Year. Mira Nair is making an eponymous film based on the novel.

Jhumpa Lahiri has won a number of awards. These include: TransAtlantic Award from the Henfield Foundation (1993), O. Henry Award for short story "Interpreter of Maladies" (1999), PEN/Hemingway Award (Best Fiction Debut of the Year) for "Interpreter of Maladies" (1999), Addison Metcalf Award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters (2000), The New Yorker's Best Debut of the Year for "Interpreter of Maladies" (2000), M.F.K. Fisher Distinguished Writing Award from the James Beard Foundation (2000), and Guggenheim Fellowship (2002).

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Mulk Raj Anand Biography

Born: December 12, 1905
Died: September 28, 2004
Achievement: Mulk Raj Anand was among the first writers to incorporate Punjabi and Hindustani idioms into English.

Mulk Raj Anand was an Indian novelist, short-story writer. He was among the first writers to incorporate Punjabi and Hindustani idioms into English. Mulk Raj Anand's stories depicted a realistic and sympathetic portrait of the poor in India.

Mulk Raj Anand was born on December 12, 1905 in Peshawar. He graduated with honors from Khalsa College, Amritsar in 1924. Mulk Raj Anand went to England and studied at University College London and Cambridge University. He completed his PhD in 1929. Mulk Raj Anand also studied - and later lectured - at League of Nations School of Intellectual Cooperation in Geneva. Between 1932 and 1945 he lectured intermittently at Workes Educational Association in London.

Mulk Raj Anand was initiated into the literary career by a family tragedy, instigated by the rigidity of the caste system. Anand's first prose essay was a response to the suicide of an aunt, who had been excommunicated by his family for sharing a meal with a Muslim. Mulk Raj Anand's first novel, "Untouchable", (1935), was a stark reflection of the day-to-day life of a member of India's untouchable caste. The book was widely acclaimed and Mulk Raj Anand was hailed as India's Charles Dickens. His second novel "Coolie" depicts the plight of India's poor through the story of a 15-year-old boy, trapped in servitude as a child labourer, who eventually dies of tuberculosis.

In the 1930s and 1940s Mulk Raj Anand divided his time between London and India. He joined the struggle for independence, but also fought with the Republicans in the Spanish Civil War. After the war Anand returned permanently to India and settled in Bombay. In 1946 he founded the fine-arts magazine Marg. He also became a director of Kutub Publishers. From 1948 to 1966 Anand taught at Indian universities. Mulk Raj Anand was fine art chairman at Lalit Kala Akademi (National Academy of Arts from 1965 to 1970. In 1970, he became president of Lokayata Trust, for creating a community and cultural center in the village of Hauz Khas, New Delhi.

Mulk Raj Anand died on September 28, 2004.

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R.K. Narayan Biography

Born: October 10, 1906
Died: May 13, 2001
Achievement: Felicitated with Sahitya Akademi Award and Padma Bhushan.

R.K. Narayan is one of the most famous and widely read Indian novelists. His stories were grounded in a compassionate humanism and celebrated the humour and energy of ordinary life.

R.K. Narayan was born on October 10, 1906 in Madras. His father was a provincial head master. R.K. Narayan spent his early childhood with his maternal grandmother, Parvathi in Madras and used to spend only a few weeks each summer visiting his parents and siblings. R.K. Narayan studied for eight years at Lutheran Mission School close to his grandmother's house in Madras, also for a short time at the CRC High School. When his father was appointed headmaster of the Maharaja's High School in Mysore, R.K. Narayan moved back in with his parents. He obtained his bachelor's degree from the University of Mysore.

R.K. Narayan began his writing career with Swami and Friends in 1935. Most of his work including Swami and friends is set in the fictional town of Malgudi which captures everything Indian while having a unique identity of its own. R.K. Narayan's writing style was marked by simplicity and subtle humour. He told stories of ordinary people trying to live their simple lives in a changing world.

R.K. Narayan's famous works include The Bachelor of Arts (1937), The Dark Room (1938), The English Teacher (1945), The Financial Expert (1952), The Guide (1958), The Man-Eater of Malgudi (1961), The Vendor of Sweets (1967), Malgudi Days (1982), and The Grandmother's Tale (1993).

R.K. Narayan won numerous awards and honors for his works. These include: Sahitya Akademi Award for The Guide in 1958; Padma Bhushan in 1964; and AC Benson Medal by the Royal Society of Literature in 1980; R.K. Narayan was elected an honorary member of the American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters in 1982. He was nominated to the Rajya Sabha in 1989. Besides, he was also conferred honorary doctorates by the University of Mysore, Delhi University and the University of Leeds.

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Salman Rushdie Biography

Born: June 19, 1947
Achievement: Awarded the 'Booker of Bookers' prize in 1993 for his novel "Midnight's Children"

Salman Rushdie is one of the most famous Indian origin authors. He is best known for the violent backlash his book The Satanic Verses (1988) provoked in the Muslim community. Iranian spiritual leader Ayatollah Khomenei issued a fatwa against Salman Rushdie, calling for his assassination, forcing Rushdie to go underground.

Salman Rushdie was born in Mumbai on June 19, 1947. When Rushdie was 17 his family migrated to Pakistan. Rushdie did his schooling from Cathedral and John Connon School in Mumbai, and Rugby School in Warwickshire. Salman Rushdie did his graduation in History from King's College, Cambridge. Following an advertising career with Ayer Barker, Salman Rushdie became a full-time writer.

Salman Rushdie began his writing career began with Grimus, which was published in 1975. He gained literary fame with his second novel "Midnight's Children." The book was awarded the 'Booker of Bookers' prize in 1993 after being selected as the best novel to be awarded the Booker Prize in its first 25 years. The novel narrates key events in the history of India through fiction. His third novel "Shame", depicted the political turmoil in Pakistan with characters based on Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and General Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq. Salman Rushdie's latest novel was Shalimar The Clown. The novel was shortlisted for the 2005 Whitbread Novel Award.

Salman Rushdie has won many awards and honors. These include: Booker Prize for Fiction, James Tait Black Memorial Prize (Fiction), Arts Council Writers' Award, "Booker of Bookers" or the best novel among the Booker Prize winners for Fiction, and Writers' Guild Award.

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Vikram Seth Biography

Born: June 20, 1952
Achievement: Won the WH Smith Literary Award and the Commonwealth Writers Prize for his novel, A Suitable Boy. His travelogue "From Heaven Lake: Travels Through Sinkiang and Tibet" won the Thomas Cook Travel Book Award.

Vikram Seth is a famous Indian poet, novelist, travel writer, librettist, children's writer, biographer and memoirist.

Vikram Seth was born on June 20, 1952 at Kolkata. His father, Prem, was an employee of the Bata India Limited shoe company who migrated to post-Partition India from West Punjab in Pakistan. Vikram Seth's childhood was spent in the town of Batanagar near Calcutta, Patna, and London. His mother Leila Seth was the first woman judge of the Delhi High Court as well as the first woman to become Chief Justice of a state High Court. She was the Chief Justice of Shimla High Court.

Vikram Seth did his schooling from The Doon School in Dehradun. He took his undergraduate degree in philosophy, politics and economics from Oxford University. He was enrolled in postgraduate economics courses at Stanford University and was also attached to Nanjing University for his intended doctoral dissertation on Chinese population planning.

Vikram Seth's first novel, "The Golden Gate" (1986), describes the experiences of a group of friends living in California. His other novel, "A Suitable Boy" (1993) is an acclaimed epic of Indian life. The novel won the WH Smith Literary Award and the Commonwealth Writers Prize (Overall Winner, Best Book). Set in India in the early 1950s, it is the story of a young girl, Lata, and her search for a husband. "An Equal Music" (1999), is the story of a violinist haunted by the memory of a former lover.

Vikram Seth has also written a travelogue "From Heaven Lake: Travels Through Sinkiang and Tibet" (1983). The book is an account of a journey through Tibet, China and Nepal that won the Thomas Cook Travel Book Award. He also wrote a libretto, Arion and the Dolphin (1994), which was performed at the English National Opera in June 1994, with music by Alec Roth. Vikram Seth is also an accomplished poet. His works in poetry include Mappings (1980), The Humble Administrator's Garden (1985), which was a winner of the Commonwealth Poetry Prize (Asia), and All You Who Sleep Tonight (1990). Vikram Seth has written a story book for children Beastly Tales from Here and There (1992), which consists of ten stories about animals told in verse.

Vikram Seth's latest work is Two Lives (2005). The book is a memoir of the marriage of his great uncle and aunt.

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V.S. Naipaul Biography

Born: August 17, 1932
Achievement: Won Nobel Prize in Literature in 2001; Won the Booker Prize in 1971 and became the first person of Indian origin do so.

V.S. Naipaul is a noble laureate who won Nobel Prize in Literature in 2001. Though of Indian origin, V.S. Naipaul was born in Trinidad and is currently a British citizen.

V.S. Naipaul (Sir Vidiadhar Surajprasad Naipaul) was born on August 17, 1932, at Chaguanas, Trinidad and Tobago. His forefathers came as indentured labourers from India. Naipaul's upbringing familiarised him with every sort of deprivation, material and cultural. He got a scholarship to Oxford University and thus came to England. It was at Oxford that V.S. Naipaul discovered the writer in him.

V.S. Naipaul traveled extensively in India and Africa. At that time decolonisation was taking place and Sir V.S. Naipaul observed from close quarters the resulting turmoil of emotions. These observations were reflected in his writings. V.S. Naipaul has written about slavery, revolution, guerrillas, corrupt politicians, the poor and the oppressed, interpreting the rages so deeply rooted in our societies.

V.S. Naipaul's fiction and especially his travel writing have been criticised for their allegedly unsympathetic portrayal of the Third World. But his supporters argue that he is actually an advocate for a more realistic development of the Third World. V.S. Naipaul's contempt for many aspects of liberal orthodoxy is uncompromising, but at the same time he has exhibited an open-mindedness toward some Third World leaders and cultures that isn't found in western writers.

V.S. Naipaul has discussed Islam in several of his books and he has been criticised for harping on negative aspects of Islam. V.S. Naipaul's support for Hindutva has also been controversial. He has been quoted describing the destruction of the Babri Mosque as a "creative passion", and the invasion of Babur in the 16th century as a "mortal wound."

V.S. Naipaul has won several awards and honors for his writings. In 1971, Naipaul won the Booker Prize for his book "In a Free State" and became the first person of Indian origin do so. He won the Jerusalem Prize in 1983 and Nobel Prize for Literature in 2001.

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Kiran Desai Biography

Daughter of a well known Indian author, she is the winner of the 2006 Booker prize. Well, we are talking about the eminent Indian novelist Kiran Desai. She was born on the 3rd of September in the year 1971 in Chandigarh. She spent the early years of her life in Pune and Mumbai. She studied in the Cathedral and John Connon School.

Life History
When she was around nine years old, her family shifted to Delhi. By the time, she turned fourteen, the family moved to England. A year later, they shifted to the United States. Kiran completed her schooling in Massachusetts. She did her graduation from Hollins University and Columbia University. Thereafter, she took a break of two years to write her first book "Hullabaloo in the Guava Orchard".

Career
Her maiden novel "Hullabaloo in the Guava Orchard" was published in the year 1998. It was an amazing piece of work, for which Kiran received many accolades. Her second book "The Inheritance of Loss" was also well acclaimed. She also received the 2006 Man Booker Prize and 2006 National Book Critics Circle Fiction Award for it.

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Mahadevi Varma Biography

She is a well known Hindi poet of the Chhayavaad generation, the times when every poet used to incorporate romanticism in their poetry. She is more often called the modern Meera. Well, we are talking about the famous Mahadevi Varma, who achieved the Jnanpith award in the year 1982.

Life History
Mahadevi was born in the family of lawyers in 1907 in Farrukhabad, Uttar Pradesh. She completed her education in Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh. At a young age of nine in the year 1914, she was married to Dr Swarup Narain Varma. She lived with her parents till the time her husband completed his studies in Lucknow. It is during this period that, Mahadevi pursued further education at the Allahabad University. She did her masters in Sanskrit from there.

She met her husband for sometime in the princely state of Tamkoi somewhere around 1920. Thereafter, she moved to Allahabad to further her interest in poetry. Unfortunately, she and her husband mostly lived separately and were busy pursuing their individual interests. They used to meet occasionally. Her husband died in the year 1966. Then, she decided to permanently shift to Allahabad.

She was highly influenced by the values preached by the Buddhist culture. She was so much inclined towards Buddhism that, she even attempted to become a Buddhist bhikshuni. With the establishment of Allahabad (Prayag) Mahila Vidyapeeth, which was primarily set up to impart cultural values to girls, she became the first headmistress of the institute. This famous personality died in 1987.

Writings
Mahadevi Varma is one amongst the other major poets of the Chhayavaadi school of the Hindi literature. She is the epitome of child prodigy. Not only she wrote fabulous poetry, but also made sketches for her poetic works such as Deepshikha and Yatra. Deepshikha is one of the best works of Mahadevi Varma. She is also famous for her book of memoirs.

Notable Works of Mahadevi Varma

Prose
Ateet Ke chalchitra
Kshanda'
Mera Parivaar
Path ke Saathi
Sahityakaar ki Asatha
Sambhashan
Sankalpita
Shrinkhla ki kadiya
Smriti Ki Rekhayen

Poetry
Deepshikha
Himalaya
Neerja
Nihar
Rashmi
Saandhya geet
Saptaparna

Collection
Geetparva
Mahadevi sahitya
Parikrama
Sandhini
Smarika
Smritichitra
Yama

Honors
Her writings were well acclaimed and earned her an important position in the world of Hindi literature. She is believed to be one of the supporting pillars of the Chaayavad movement. Her amazing poetry collection Yama brought her the Gyanpeeth award (1940), the highest Indian literary award. In the year 1956, the Government of India honored her by conferring the title of Padma Bhushan upon her. She was the first Indian woman to become a Fellow of the Sahitya Akademi in the year 1979.

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Shashi Deshpande Biography

Shashi Deshpande is a well known name in the field of Indian literature. She was born in Dharwad in Karnataka as the daughter of the renowned Kannada dramatist as well as a great Sanskrit scholar Sriranga. She pursued her education in Dharwad, Bombay and Bangalore. Well, in this article, we will present you with the biography of Shashi Deshpande.

Life History
Shashi Deshpande had a very sharp mind. She received degrees in Economics and Law. Infact, she was a gold medalist. After getting married, she shifted to Bombay (now Mumbai). During her stay in Mumbai, she decided to pursue a course in Journalism. So, she got herself enrolled in the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan. Thereafter, she took up a job as a journalist in the magazine "Onlooker". She worked there for a couple of months. Read on to know the complete life history of Shashi Deshpande.

While working in the magazine, she began writing and the first short story that she wrote got published in 1970. Her short stories headed their way in popular magazines like Femina, Eve's Weekly etc. Her maiden collection of short stories was published under the title "Legacy" in the year 1978. Her first novel, "The Dark Holds No Terrors" was published in 1980.

She had written a novel titled "That Long Silence", which brought her lot of praise and appreciation. Infact, for her fabulous work in this novel, she received the Sahitaya Akademi Award and Nanjangud Thirumalamba award. She has been actively involved in writing books for children.

Notable Works of Shashi Deshpande
The Binding Vine
Matter of Time
That Long Silence
Dark Holds No Terrors

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Shobha De Biography

Shobha De is an eminent Indian novelist, who is often known as India's Jackie Collins. She was born as Shobha Rajadhyaksha to the Saraswat Brahmin family of Maharashtra on the January 7, 1947. She completed her graduation from St. Xavier's College, Mumbai and obtained degree in Psychology. In this article, we will present you with the biography of Shobha De, a well known Indian writer.

In the beginning of her career, she worked as a model and made a name for herself. Thereafter, she thought of changing her profession. Then, she pursued her career in Journalism. She brought out three magazines namely Stardust, Society, and Celebrity. Presently, she is working as a freelance writer for a couple of newspapers and magazines. To know the complete life history of Shobha Dey, read on.

These days, she is staying with her second husband Dilip De along with their children in one of the posh colonies of Mumbai. Most of her writings focus on different aspects of urban India. The erotic matter that she has written in the past has become the subject of controversy. She has also been actively involved in writing scripts for various TV soaps like Swabhimaan.

At present, she is working as a columnist and writes for a fortnight magazine "The Week". In this periodical, she writes on varied issues concerning the society. She speaks her mind in her writings. She often expresses her dissatisfaction with respect to the behavior exhibited by the present day generation. Many a times, she has been held responsible for accelerating the pace and bringing about a sexual revolution through her writings in the column "The Sexes" of the magazine "The Week". She has also written a couple of erotic novels.

Notable Works of Shobha De
Starry Nights
Socialite Evenings
Sultry Days
Sisters
Small betrayals
Second Thoughts
Surviving Men
Spouse
Snapshots
Selective Memory