Anita Desai

Anita Desai was born in 1935 in Delhi to a German mother and a Bengali father. She grew up speaking German at home and Bengali, rdu, !indi and "nglish at s#hool and in the #it$ streets. She has said that she grew up surrounded b$ %estern literature and musi#, not reali&ing until she was older that this was an anomal$ in her world where she also learned the "astern #ulture and #ustoms. She married a businessman at twent$'one and raised se(eral #hildren before be#oming known for her writing. !er first book, Cry,the Peacock was published in "ngland in 19)3, and her better known no(els in#lude In Custody *19+,- and Baumgartner's Bombay*19++-. She on#e wrote. /0 see 0ndia through m$ mother1s e$es, as an outsider, but m$ feelings for 0ndia are m$ father1s, of someone born here/ *Griffiths-. She ne(er #onsidered tr$ing to first publish in 0ndia be#ause there was no publisher in 0ndia who would be interested in fi#tion b$ an 0ndian writer *2ussawalla- and it was first in "ngland that her work be#ame noti#ed. .S. readers were slower to dis#o(er her, due, she belie(es to "ngland1s natural interest in 0ndia and the .S.1s la#k of #omprehension regarding the foreignness of her sub3e#t. But Desai onl$ writes in "nglish. 4his, she has repeatedl$ said,was a natural and un#ons#ious #hoi#e for her. /0 #an state definitel$ that 0 did not #hoose "nglish in a deliberate and #ons#ious a#t and 01d sa$ perhaps it was the language that #hose me and 0 started writing stories in "nglish at the age of se(en, and ha(e been doing so for thirt$ $ears now without stopping to think wh$ /*Desai-. She is #onsidered the writer who introdu#ed the ps$#hologi#al no(el in the tradition of 5irginia %oolf to 0ndia. 0n#luded in this, is her pioneer status of writing of feminist issues. %hile man$ people toda$ would not #lassif$ her work as feminist, she belie(es this is due to #hanging times. /4he feminist mo(ement in 0ndia is (er$ new and a $ounger generation of readers in 0ndia tends to be rather impatient of m$ books and to think of them as books about #ompletel$ helpless women, hopeless women. 4he$ find it somewhat unreal that the women don1t fight ba#k, but the$ don1t seem to reali&e how (er$ new this mo(ement is/ *2ussawalla-. Also, she sa$s, her writing is realisti#. /%omen think 0 am doing a disser(i#e to the feminist mo(ement b$ writing about women who ha(e no #ontrol o(er their li(es. But 0 was tr$ing, as e(er$ writer tries to do, e(en in fi#tion, to get at the truth, write the truth. 0t would ha(e been reall$ fan#iful if 0 had made 6for e7ample, in Clear Light of Day8 Bim and 4ara modern'da$ feminists /*in Griffiths-. Desai #onsiders Clear Light of Day, her most autobiographi#al book, be#ause she was writing about her neighborhood in Delhi, although the #hara#ters are not based on her brothers and sisters. %hat she was e7ploring in this no(el, she has said, was the importan#e of #hildhood and memories as the sour#e of a life. She had wanted to start the book at the end and mo(e ba#kwards, into the #hara#ters1 #hildhood and further,

into the #hildhood of their parents et#., but in the end. /%hen 0 had gone as far ba#k as their infan#$ the book 3ust ground to a halt9 it lost its momentum. 0t told me that this was done, that 0 #ouldn1t #arr$ it further. But 0 still ha(e a sense of disappointment about that book, be#ause the intention had been different/ *2ussawalla-. 4he #hara#ter of :a3a is identified with her in the sense that he is so immersed in all different t$pes of literature and #ulture, and is so #on#erned with prote#ting the multi#ultural heritage of 0ndia. !is worries about the ;uslim neighbor famil$ is not 3ust about them parti#ularl$, but rather worr$ about the loss of all that the ;uslim #ulture and literature #ontributes to 0ndia. %hile Desai has taught for $ears at ;ount !ol$oke and ;04, and spends most of the $ear outside of 0ndia, she does not #onsider herself part of the 0ndian Diaspora. Although she does not fit in the 0ndian bo7 an$more *Griffiths- as she said, she #onsiders herself lu#k$ for ha(ing not left 0ndia until late in her life, be#ause she feels that she has been drifting awa$ from it e(er sin#e. /0 #an1t reall$ write of it with the same intensit$ and familiarit$ that 0 on#e had./ <et she #annot feel at home in an$ other pla#e or so#iet$ *Griffiths-.

Awards

1978 Winifred Holtby Memorial Prize- Fire on the Mountain 1978 Sahitya Akademi Award ( ational A!ademy of "etter# Award$- Fire on the Mountain

198% Shortli#ted& 'ooker Prize for (i!tion Clear Light of Day 198) *+ardian ,hildren-# (i!tion Prize The Village by the Sea: an Indian family story

.*+ardian !hildren-# fi!tion /rize rela+n!hed0 1ntry detail# and li#t of /a#t winner#.2 guardian.co.uk 13 Mar!h 3%%12 4etrie5ed 3%13-%8-%6278ref9

198: Shortli#ted& 'ooker Prize for (i!tion In Custody 199) eil *+nn Prize 1999 Shortli#ted& 'ooker Prize for (i!tion0 Fasting Feasting 3%%% Alberto Mora5ia Prize for "iterat+re (;taly$ 3%%) 'en#on Medal of 4oyal So!iety of "iterat+re <8=

Vikram Seth
5ikram Seth is an 0ndian poet, no(elist, tra(el writer, librettist, #hildren1s writer, biographer and memoirist. Born and Early Life 5ikram Seth was born to =eila and >rem Seth in ?al#utta *now @olkata-. !is famil$ li(ed in man$ #ities in#luding the Bata Shoe ?ompan$ town of Batanagar, Danapur near >atna, and in =ondon. !is $ounger brother, Shantum, leads Buddhist meditational tours. !is $ounger sister, Aradhana, is a film'maker married to an Austrian diplomat, and has worked on Deepa ;ehta1s mo(ies "arth and Aire. *?ompare the #hara#ters !aresh, =ata, Sa(ita and two of the ?hatter3i siblings in A Suitable Bo$. Seth has been #andid in a#knowledging that man$ of his fi#tional #hara#ters are drawn from life9 he has said that onl$ the dog ?uddles in A Suitable Bo$ has his real name B /Be#ause he #an1t sue/. 2usti#e =eila Seth has said in her memoir Cn Balan#e that other #hara#ters in A Suitable Bo$ are #omposites but !aresh is a portrait of her husband >rem.Seth spent part of his $outh in =ondon but returned to his homeland in 195D. After re#ei(ing primar$ and #ommen#ing se#ondar$ edu#ation at the Doon S#hool in Dehradun in 0ndia, Seth returned to "ngland to 4onbridge S#hool. Arom there, Seth studied philosoph$, politi#s, and e#onomi#s at ?orpus ?hristi ?ollege, C7ford, where he de(eloped an interest in poetr$ and learned ?hinese. After lea(ing C7ford, Seth mo(ed to ?alifornia to work on a graduate degree in e#onomi#s at Stanford ni(ersit$. !a(ing li(ed in =ondon for man$ $ears, Seth now maintains residen#es near Salisbur$, "ngland, where he is a parti#ipant in lo#al literar$ and #ultural e(ents, ha(ing bought and reno(ated the house of the Angli#an poet George !erbert in 199), and in Delhi, where he li(es with his parents and keeps his e7tensi(e librar$ and papers. Seth self'identifies as bise7ual. 0n EFF), he be#ame a leader of the #ampaign against 0ndia1s Se#tion 3DD, a law against homose7ualit$. Work Themes A pol$glot, Seth detailed in an inter(iew *in the $ear EFF5- in the Australian maga&ine Good %eekend that he has studied se(eral languages, in#luding %elsh, German and, later, Aren#h in addition to ;andarin, "nglish *whi#h he des#ribes as /m$ instrument/ in answer to 0ndians who Guer$ his not writing in his nati(e !indi-, rdu *whi#h he reads and writes in HastaIliG s#ript-, and !indi, whi#h he reads and writes in the De(anagari s#ript. !e pla$s the 0ndian flute and the #ello and sings German lieder, espe#iall$ S#hubert. Business Acumen

Seth1s former literar$ agent Giles Gordon re#alled being inter(iewed b$ Seth for the position. /5ikram sat at one end of a long table and he began to grill us. 0t was absolutel$ in#redible. !e wanted to know our literar$ tastes, our (iews on poetr$, our (iews on pla$s, whi#h no(elists we liked./ Seth later e7plained to Gordon that he had passed the inter(iew not be#ause of #ommer#ial #onsiderations, but be#ause unlike the others he was the onl$ agent who seemed as interested in his poetr$ as in his other writing. Seth followed what he has des#ribed as /the ludi#rous ad(an#e for that book/ *JE5F,FFF for A Suitable Bo$- with J5FF,FFF for An "Gual ;usi# and J1., million for 4wo =i(es. !e prepared an a#rosti# poem for his address at Gordon1s EFF5 memorial ser(i#e. /Gone though $ou ha(e, 0 heard $our (oi#e toda$. 0 tried to make out what the words might mean, =ike something seen half'#learl$ on a s#reen. "a#h sa(oured referen#e, ea#h laughing bark, Sage #omment, bad pun, indis#reet remark. Gone sin#e $ou ha(e, grief too in time will go, Cr share spa#e with old 3o$9 it must be so. :est then in pea#e, but spare us some elation. Death #annot put down e(er$ #on(ersation. C(er and out, as $ou on#e used to sa$K Hot on $our life. <ou1re on this line to sta$./ Writing Travel writing: rom !eaven Lake: Travels Through Sinkiang and Ti"et !is tra(el book Arom !ea(en =ake. 4ra(els 4hrough Sinkiang and 4ibet *19+3- was his first popular su##ess and won the 4homas ?ook 4ra(el Book Award. 0t offers insight to Seth as a person, who is #andid about the realit$ and effe#t of li(ing abroad B though not in parti#ular of being in diaspora B a theme whi#h arises in his poetr$ but nowhere in his fi#tion. /0n#reasingl$ of late, and parti#ularl$ when 0 drink, 0 find m$ thoughts drawn into the past rather than impelled into the future. 0 re#all drinking sherr$ in ?alifornia and dreaming of m$ earlier student da$s in "ngland, where 0 ate dalmoth and dreamed of Delhi. %hat is the purpose, 0 wonder, of all this restlessnessK 0 sometimes seem to m$self to wander around the world merel$ a##umulating material for future nostalgias./ *p.35#oetry Seth has published fi(e (olumes of poetr$. !is first, ;appings *19+F-, was originall$ pri(atel$ published9 it attra#ted little attention and indeed >hilip =arkin, to whom he sent it for #omment, referred to it s#ornfull$ among his intimates, though he offered Seth en#ouragement. 0n EFF9 Seth #ontributed four poems to C7fam whi#h are used as introdu#tions to ea#h of the four #olle#tions of @ stories whi#h form C7fam1s 1C7'4ales1 book pro3e#t. $ovels in #rose

The %novel in verse%: The &olden &ate '!y"rid( 4he first of his no(els, /4he Golden Gate/ *19+)- is a no(el in (erse about the li(es of a number of $oung professionals in San Aran#is#o. 4he no(el is written entirel$ in Cnegin stan&as after the st$le Aleksandr >ushkin1s "ugene Cnegin. Seth had en#ountered ?harles 2ohnston1s 19DD translation of it in a Stanford se#ond'hand bookstore and it #hanged the dire#tion of his #areer, shifting his fo#us from a#ademi# to literar$ work. 4he likelihood of #ommer#ial su##ess seemed highl$ doubtful B and the s#epti#ism of friends as to the no(el1s (iabilit$ is fa#etiousl$ Guoted within the no(el9 but the (erse no(el re#ei(ed wide a##laim *Gore 5idal dubbed it /4he Great ?alifornia Ho(el/- and a#hie(ed health$ sales. 4he no(el #ontains a strong element of affe#tionate satire, as with his subseGuent no(el, A Suitable Bo$. /4he Golden Gate, an opera in two a#ts with musi# b$ ?onrad ?ummings and libretto from the no(el'in'(erse b$ 5ikram Seth adapted b$ the #omposer/ is #urrentl$ *EF1F- in de(elopment b$ =i(el$%orks and Ameri#an Cpera >ro3e#ts and re#ei(es a staged workshop produ#tion at the :ose Studio at =in#oln ?enter in Hew <ork ?it$ in 2anuar$ EF1F. Vikram Seth)s Works: $ovels 4he Golden Gate *19+)A Suitable Bo$ *1993An "Gual ;usi# *1999A Suitable Girl *EF13#oetry ;appings *19+F4he !umble Administrator1s Garden *19+5All <ou %ho Sleep 4onight *199FBeastl$ 4ales *19914hree ?hinese >oets *199E4he Arog and the Hightingale *199,*hildren)s "ook Beastl$ 4ales *1991=ibretto Arion and the Dolphin *199,- for the "nglish Hational Cpera 4he 4ra(eller 6EFF+8 with #omposer Ale# :oth. >remiere, =i#hfield Aesti(al 2ul$ EFF+. $on+fiction Arom !ea(en =ake *19+34wo =i(es *EFF5Awards

19+3 L 4homas ?ook 4ra(el Book Award for From Heaven Lake !ravels !hrough "inkiang and !ibet 19+5 L ?ommonwealth >oetr$ >ri&e *Asia- !he Humble #dministrator's $arden 1993 L 0rish 4imes 0nternational Ai#tion >ri&e *shortlist- # "uitable Boy 199, L ?ommonwealth %riters >ri&e *C(erall %inner, Best Book- # "uitable Boy 199, L %! Smith =iterar$ Award # "uitable Boy 1999 L ?rossword Book Award #n %&ual 'usic EFF1 L ";;A *B4 "thni# and ;ulti#ultural ;edia Award- for Best BookMHo(el #n %&ual 'usic EFF5 L >ra(asi Bharati$a Samman EFFD L >adma Shri in =iterature N "du#ation

Nissim Ezekiel
i##im 1zekiel who i# !on#idered the foremo#t amon> the modern ;ndian /oet# writin> in 1n>li#h i#& like 4aman+?an and Partha#arathy& an a!ademi! /oet in more than one #en#e0 He wa# a Profe##or of 1n>li#h in 'ombay @ni5er#ity and more im/ortantly& he i# a# m+!h an intelle!t+al and a /hilo#o/her a# a /oet2 Hi# birth and ba!k>ro+nd were #+!h that while hi# root# were in a non-;ndian& Aewi#h Par#i reli>ion and !+lt+re& he >rew to be an ;ndian both in hi# belief# and world-5iew and de5elo/ed into a /er#onality that wa# too !om/leB for ea#y analy#i#2 1zekiel wa# born in 'ombay in 193:2 After hi# early #!hoolin> he ?oined Wil#on ,olle>e& 'ombay and later went to 'irkbe!k ,olle>e "ondon2 Cho+>h he went to 1n>land to #t+dy /hilo#o/hy +nder ,212M2 Aoad he #howed no le## an intere#t in the theatre and the 5i#+al art# a# al#o in /oetry and hi# !areer a# a !lerk in the Hi>h ,ommi##ionerD# offi!e in "ondon had not in any way made him #la!ken hi# intere#t either in hi# intelle!t+al /+r#+it# or in hi# !reati5e effort#2 Che /oet in him >rew and de5elo/ed a# m+!h o+t of hi# intelle!t+al mental make-+/ a# o+t of an emotional make-+/ and one find# in hi# /oetry a !lo#e and meanin>f+l intera!tion between the /hilo#o/her and the /oet2 Che dominant /a##ion of hi# life ha#& howe5er& been /oetry and /oetry to him #eem# to ha5e been a 5o!ation to whi!h he ha# taken #erio+#ly with a dee/ #en#e of !ommitment2 1zekiel ha# held many im/ortant /o#ition# be#ide# that of a /rofe##or at 'ombay2 He wa# the 1ditor of E+e#t& ;m/rint and the /oetry /a>e of Che ;ll+#trated Weekly of ;ndia and he ha# been a 5i#itin> /rofe##or at #e5eral +ni5er#itie# both in ;ndia and in the @2S2 and A+#tralia2 He wa# a #o Fire!tor of a theatre @nit in 'ombay2 1zekielD# fir#t 5ol+me of /oem# a//eared +nder the title A Cime to ,han>e (1963$ and the other 5ol+me# whi!h followed were SiBty Poem# (196)$& Che Chird (1969$& Che @nfini#hed Man (19G%$& Che 1Ba!t Man (19G6$ and Hymn# in Farkne## (197G$2 While the /oem# in the#e 5ol+me# fo!+# on a 5ariety of theme# #+!h a# lo5e& #eB& death& loneline## and /rayer& they bear te#timony to the fa!t that 1zekiel #howed a !on#i#tent /reo!!+/ation with the

banality a# well a# the !om/leBity of /re#ent day !i5ilization a# he /er!ei5ed it in the ;ndian #!ene2 Chey al#o affirm hi# belief in the reli>ion of the #elf and the effi!a!y of /rayer and #how a !on#tant attem/t to !ome to term# with him#elf2 A# Partha#arathy ha# /+t it in hi# introd+!tory note on the /oet in hi# Cen Cwentieth ,ent+ry ;ndian Poet#& H1zekielD# /oetry i# both the in#tr+ment and the o+t!ome of hi# attem/t a# a man to !ome to term# with him#elf2 Ine find# in hi# /oem# the im/rint of a keen& analyti!al mind tryin> to eB/lore and !omm+ni!ate on a /er#onal le5el& feelin># of lo## and de/ri5ationJ2 ;t i# thi# !on#tant attem/t on hi# /art to make a H?o+rney into the heart of eBi#ten!e& into the root# of oneD# #elf& Hthi# endle## K+e#t for identity& intertwined with the #ear!h for L /oeti!#J whi!h >i5e# 1zekiel a #en#e of !reati5e !ontin+ity in hi# own life and e#tabli#he# a !lo#e relation#hi/ between the man and the arti#t2 (Mide the *eneral ;ntrod+!tion to thi# antholo>y for a more detailed note on 1zekielD# /oetry$2

Keki Daruwalla
@eki Hasserwan3i Daruwalla *@eki H. Daruwalla or @eki Daruwalla- is a ma3or 0ndian poet and short stor$ writer in "nglish language. !e has written o(er 1E books and published his first no(el /Aor >epper and ?hrist/ in EFF9. !e is also a former 0>S offi#er, who retired as Additional Dire#tor in the :esear#h and Anal$sis %ing *:A%-. !e was awarded the Sahit$a Akademi Award, in 19+, for his poetr$ #olle#tion, /4he @eeper of the Dead/, b$ the Sahit$a Akademi, 0ndia1s Hational A#adem$ of =etters. Early Life and Education @eki Hasserwan3i Daruwalla was born in 193D, in =oni, Burhanpur *now in loni, burhanpur-, in 193D. !is father H.?. Daruwalla, was an eminent professor, who taught in =oni 0nstitute of =iterature *=0=-. After the >artition, his famil$ left >un3ab while his elder brother sta$ed ba#k, and mo(ed to 2unagadh in Gu3arat, then to :ampur. As a result he grew up stud$ing in (arious s#hools and mediums and started writing short stories in s#hool. !e obtained his master1s degree in "nglish =iterature from Go(ernment ?ollege, =udhiana, ni(ersit$ of >un3ab. *areer !e 3oined the 0ndian >oli#e Ser(i#e *0>S- in 195+, and e(entuall$ be#oming a Spe#ial Assistant to the >rime ;inister on 0nternational Affairs. !e subseGuentl$ was in the ?abinet Se#retariat until his retirement. Literary Life With the ,u"lication of his very first "ook- .nder /rion in 0123- Daruwalla esta"lished himself as a name to reckon with in 4ndian ,oetry5 Senior 4ndian ,oet and critic $issim E6ekiel a,,lauded his work as 7im,ressive evidence not only of mature ,oetic talent "ut of literary stamina- intellectual strength and social awareness85 /ver nine "ooks and more than three decades- Daruwalla9s ,oetry has :ourneyed a long way "oth formally and thematically5 !owever- it retains certain strong distinguishing characteristics: an ironic stance- an evocation of the multi+layered contradictory realities of 4ndian life- a ,reoccu,ation with diverse cultural- historic and mythic landsca,es- a tersevigorous and tensile style- su,,le imagism- sustained narrative drive- an a"ility to segue "etween metrical ,atterns and free verse- and a ca,acity to com"ine an e,ic canvas with a miniaturist9s eye for detail5

The characteristic features of his ,oetry can also "e descri"ed as vigor and immediacy of language- knife+edge tone- an a"iding and infatuated concern with love- death and domination- a ske,tic and indignant cynicism a"out the ,light of human society and a rare intensity in ,ortraying living individuals5 Daruwalla readily admits to critics) charges of "eing too much of a landsca,e ,oet who takes into his aesthetic stride the sights and sounds of England- ;ugoslavia- !elsinki- Stockholm- Volgograd- and <oscow which he has visited for ,oetry readings5 !is thematic canvas transcends the "oundaries of 4ndia and stretches itself into the rest of the world5 *ritics maintain his concern for "road landsca,e imagery rather than ,olitical and social issues is a result of his long career as a &overnment of 4ndia official5 A remarka"le feature of Daruwalla9s ,oetry is its a"ility to vividly materialise its a"stractions- to strike a creative tension "etween image and statement5 !is ,oetry has the narrative energy and swee, to ,aint- for instance- a vast ,ortrait of ,ost+4nde,endence 4ndia as 7a landsca,e of meaninglessness8: 7Then why should 4 tread the =afka "eat> or the Waste Land-> when <other- you are near at hand> one vast- s,rawling defeat?8 But it can also offer a fine+tuned vision of the ,articular- evident in his evocation of the rum"ling innards of a misera"le multitude listening to the s,eech of a cor,ulent ,olitical leader: 7Within the em,ty "elly> the en6ymes turn multi+lingual> their s,eech vociferous> simmering on stomach wall85 !is landsca,es e@tend from the ancient kingdom of =alinga under the reign of the great 4ndian em,eror Ashoka to the seething contradictions of the modern metro,olis of Bom"ay '7 rom the le,ers- the acid+scarred- the am,utees> 4 turn my face5 The road- 4 feel> should "e stratified so that> 4 ru" shoulders only with my kind8( as well as rural and small+town 4ndia 'Benaras is unforgetta"ly evoked as the ,lace where 7cor,se+fires and cooking+fires> "urn side "y side8- even while the sacred river &anga flows on- 7dark as gangrene8(5 !is most recent "ook- <a,+maker 'A33A(- offers a com,elling series of dramatic monologues "y figures as diverse as a disci,le of the Buddha and an old ma,+maker from <a:orca- suggesting that the ,assionate interest in other cultural and historical milieu@ is alive and well5 But there is also a more marked fascination with inner worlds- with ,hiloso,hical notions of time and s,ace5 4n <igrations- for e@am,le- the meta,hysical is integrally linked to the concrete and the singular- as the ,oem e@,lores the theme of migrations across s,ace and time- from the violent "iogra,hy of nations to a searing moment of ,ersonal "iogra,hy: 7$ow my dreams ask me> if 4 remem"er my mother> and 49m not sure how 49ll handle that5> <igrating across years is also difficult58 Awards A reci,ient of Sahitya Akademi Award and *ommonwealth #oetry Award- =eki $5 Daruwalla has so far ,u"lished a"out 0A "ooks- consisting of mostly ,oems and a cou,le of fictional works5 Some of his im,ortant works are .nder /rion- The kee,er of the deadLandsca,es- A summer of tigers and The minister for ,ermanent unrest B other stories5 !e also edited Two decades of 4ndian ,oetry5 The Li"rary of *ongress has all his "ooks5

=eki Daruwalla)s Works: Books .nder /rion5 Writers Worksho,- 4ndia5 0123 A,,arition in A,ril5 Writers Worksho,- 01205 Sword B a"yss: a collection of short stories5 Vikas #u"5- 01215 Winter ,oems5 Allied #u"lishers- 01C35 The =ee,er of the Dead5 /@ford .niversity #ress- 01CA5 *rossing of rivers5 /@ford .niv5 #ress- 01CD5 Landsca,es5 /@ford .niversity #ress- 01C25 A summer of tigers: ,oems5 4ndus- 011D5 The <inister for #ermanent unrest B other stories5 /rient Blackswan- 011E5 $ight river: ,oems5 Fu,a B *o5- A3335 The <a,+maker: #oems5 /rient Blackswan- A33A5 The Scarecrow and the &host5 Fu,a B *o5- A33G5 A !ouse in Fanikhet5 Fu,a B *o- A33H5 *ollected #oems ' 0123+A33D(5 '#oetry in English(5 #enguin Books 4ndia5- A33E5

Fuskin Bond Fuskin Bond was born in @asauli, !ima#hal >radesh , on 19th ;a$, 193,, and grew up in Shimla, 2amnagar, Dehradun and ;ussoorie. As a $oung man, he spent four $ears in the ?hannel 0sland and =ondon. !e now li(es in =andour, ;ussoorie, with his adopted famil$. 0n the #ourse of a writing #areer spanning thirt$ fi(e $ears, he has written o(er a hundred short stories, essa$s, no(els and more than thirt$ books for #hildren. 4hree #olle#tions of short stories, 4he Hight 4rain at Deoli, 4ime Stops at Shamli and Cur 4rees Still Grow in Dehra ha(e been published b$ >enguin 0ndia. !e has also edited two anthologies, 4he >enguin Book of 0ndian Ghost Stories and 4he >enguin Book of 0ndian :ailwa$ Stories. Bonds writing is greatl$ influen#ed b$ the hills, and the (alle$ of Dehra Dun, where he spent his #hildhood. Fuskin Bond?s first no(el, !he (oom on the (oof, written when he was se(enteen, won the 2ohn =lewell$n :h$s ;emorial >ri&e in 195D. 5agrants in the 5alle$ was also written in his teens and pi#ks up from where 4he :oom lea(es off. 4hese two no(ellas were published in one (olume in 1993. !is non'fi#tion writing, :ain in the ;ountains was also mu#h a##laimed. Sin#e then he has written se(eral no(ellas *in#luding 5agrants in the 5alle$, A Alight of >igeons and Delhi 0s Hot Aar-, essa$s, poems and #hildrenKs books. Fuskin Bond has also written o(er 5FF short stories and arti#les that ha(e appeared in a number of maga&ines and anthologies. !is no(el, 4he Alight of >igeons was adapted into a mo(ie, 2unoon. Awards !e re#ei(ed the Sahit$a Akademi Award in 199E for )ur !rees "till $ro* in Dehra and the >adma Shri in 1999 for #hildrenKs literature.

Collections

!arland of Memories !host Stories from the "a# Funny Side $% "ain in the Mountains&'otes from the (imalayas )ur trees still gro* in Dehra

Dust on the Mountain + Season of !hosts Tigers Fore,er + To*n Called Dehra +n Island of Trees The 'ight Train at Deoli + Face in the Dark and )ther (auntings -ot%ourri The +d,entures of "usty The Lost "uby Cra.y times *ith $ncle /en The Death )f Trees Tales and Legends from India Time sto%s at Shamli !rand%a tickles a tiger Four Feathers School Days The Tiger In The tunnel The -arrot 0ho 0ouldn1t Talk . Che Fo!tor . (i% (o% 'ature 2oy and )ther -oems<)=<:=

Novels

The "oom on the "oof Vagrants in the Valley Scenes from a 0riter1s Life + Flight of -igeons Landour Days 3 + *riters 4ournal

The Sensualist by "uskin 2ond The "oad To The 2a.aar The -anther1s Moon )nce $%on + Monsoon Time The India I lo,e The /ashmiri Storyteller The 2lue $mbrella The Tiger In The Tunnel Delhi is 'ot Far +nimal Stories Funny side u% "uskin 2ond5s children omnibus Maharani 62ook7 +ngry "i,er "oads To Mussoorie +ll "oads Lead To !anga

F5 =5 $arayan
:. @. Hara$an *C#tober 1F, 19F) ' ;a$ 13, EFF1-, born :asipuram @rishnaswami A$$ar Hara$anaswami, is among the best known and most widel$ read 0ndian authors who wrote in "nglish. Hara$an1s no(els are #hara#teri&ed b$ ?hekho(ian simpli#it$ and gentle humor. !e told stories of simple folks tr$ing to li(e their simple li(es in a #hanging world. 4he #hara#ters in his no(els were (er$ ordinar$, down'to'earth 0ndians tr$ing to blend tradition with moderni&ation, often resulting in tragi'#omi# situations. !is writing st$le was simple, unpretentious and witt$, with a uniGue fla(or as if he were writing in the nati(e tongue. ;an$ of Hara$an1s works are rooted in e(er$da$ life, though he was not sh$

of in(oking !indu tales or traditional 0ndian folklore to emphasi&e a point. !is eas$'going outlook on life has sometimes been #riti#i&ed, though in general he is (iewed as an a##omplished, sensiti(e and reasonabl$ prolifi# writer. !is stories are in#redibl$ eas$ to read be#ause of their simpli#it$. !e almost alwa$s wrote about 0ndia in some wa$, and usuall$ put #ultural influen#es about 0ndian life in his works. 4hough Hara$an1s writing ha(e been e7tremel$ popular amongst the masses, the upper, literar$ #lasses ne(er reall$ warmed up to him. 0t has been said that his writing was pedestrian, with his simple language and stories of (illage life. :.@. Hara$an was short listed for the Hobel >ri&e for =iterature se(eral times but ne(er won. =iterar$ #ir#les often 3oke that the Hobel ?ommittee ignored his works, mistaking them instead for self'help books due to their #urious titles *!he %nglish !eacher, !he Painter of "igns, et#.-. Works

Edit The Painter of Signs The Guide Edit

*ollections

The World of Malgudi 'A333( Salt and Sawdust: Stories and Table-Talk Edit

Short story collections

An asterisk indicates a collection ,u"lished only in 4ndia5

Dodu and Other Stories '01GH(I Cyclone and Other Stories '01GD(I n strologer!s Day and Other Short Stories '01G2( "awley #oad and Other Stories '01DE(I $orse and Two Goats '0123( Malgudi Days '01CA( %nder the &anyan Tree and Other Stories '01CD( The Grand'other!s Tale and Selected Stories '011H( The Watch'an (ruition at (orty

)ndian Thought! *+,-+. The Missing Mail Edit

$on+fiction

/e0t Sunday '01E3( My Dateless Diary '01EG( My Days '012G( The 1'erald #oute '01C3( Writer!s /ight'are '01CC( "ike The Sun Edit

<ythology

Gods2 De'ons and Others '01ED( The #a'ayana '012A( The Mahabharata '012A(

Mulk Raj Anand

Mulk Raj Anand (13 Fe!ember 19%6 38 Se/tember 3%%:$ wa# an ;ndian writer in 1n>li#h& notable for hi# de/i!tion of the li5e# of the /oorer !a#te#in traditional ;ndian #o!iety2 Ine of the /ioneer# of ;ndo-An>lian fi!tion& he& to>ether with 42 N2 arayan& Ahmad Ali and 4a?a 4ao& wa# one of the fir#t ;ndia-ba#ed writer# in 1n>li#h to >ain an international reader#hi/2<1=<3= 'orn in Pe#hawar& he #t+died at Nhal#a ,olle>e& Amrit#ar& before mo5in> to 1n>land where he attended @ni5er#ity ,olle>e "ondon a# an +nder>rad+ate and later ,ambrid>e @ni5er#ity& >rad+atin> with a PhF in 19392 F+rin> thi# time he for>ed friend#hi/# with member# of

the 'loom#b+ry *ro+/2 He #/ent #ome time in *ene5a& le!t+rin> at the "ea>+e of ation#S!hool of ;ntelle!t+al ,oo/eration2
Anand-# literary !areer wa# la+n!hed by family tra>edy& in#ti>ated by the ri>idity of the !a#te #y#tem2 Hi# fir#t /ro#e e##ay wa# a re#/on#e to the #+i!ide of an a+nt& who had been eB!omm+ni!ated by her family for #harin> a meal with a M+#lim Woman2<)=<:= Hi# fir#t main no5el& $ntouchable& /+bli#hed in 19)6& wa# a !hillin> eB/o#O of the day-to-day life of a member of ;ndia-# +nto+!hable !a#te2 ;t i# the #tory of a #in>le day in the life of 'akha& a toilet-!leaner& who a!!identally b+m/# into a member of a hi>her !a#te2 'akha #ear!he# for a #al5e to the tra>edy of the de#tiny into whi!h he wa# born& talkin> with a ,hri#tian mi##ionary& li#tenin> to a #/ee!h abo+t +nto+!hability by Mahatma *andhi and a #+b#eK+ent !on5er#ation by two ed+!ated ;ndian#& b+t by the end of the book Anand #+>>e#t# that it i# te!hnolo>y& in the form of the newly introd+!ed fl+#h toilet that may be hi# #a5io+r by eliminatin> the need for a !a#te of toilet !leaner#2 Chi# #im/le book& whi!h !a/t+red the /+i##an!e of the P+n?abi and Hindi idiom in 1n>li#h wa# widely a!!laimed and Anand won the re/+tation of bein> ;ndia-# ,harle# Fi!ken#2 Che introd+!tion wa# written by hi# friend& 12 M2 (or#ter& whom he met while workin> on C2 S2 1liot-# ma>azineCriterion2 ;n it (or#ter write#0 .A5oidin> rhetori! and !ir!+mlo!+tion& it ha# >one #trai>ht to the heart of it# #+b?e!t and /+rified it. ;ne5itably& Anand& who #/ent half hi# time in "ondon and half in ;ndia& wa# drawn to the ;ndian inde/enden!e mo5ement2 F+rin> hi# time in "ondon& he wrote /ro/a>anda on behalf of the ;ndian !a+#e alon>#ide ;ndia-# f+t+re Fefen!e Mini#ter M2N2 Nri#hna Menon& while tryin> to make a li5in> a# a no5eli#t and ?o+rnali#t2<6= At the #ame time& he al#o #+//orted freedom el#ewhere aro+nd the >lobe and e5en tra5elled to S/ain to 5ol+nteer in the S/ani#h ,i5il War& e5en tho+>h hi# role in the !onfli!t wa# more ?o+rnali#ti! than military2 He #/ent World War ;; workin> a# a #!ri/twriter for the '', in "ondon& where he be!ame a friend of *eor>e Irwell2 Irwell /enned a fa5o+rable re5iew of Anand-# no5el Che Sword and the Si!kle and remarked that .altho+>h Mr2 Anand-# no5el wo+ld #till be intere#tin> on it# own merit# if it had been written by an 1n>li#hman& it i# im/o##ible to read it witho+t rememberin> e5ery few /a>e# that i# al#o a !+lt+ral !+rio#ity&. addin> that the >rowth .of an 1n>li#h-lan>+a>e ;ndian literat+re i# a #tran>e /henomenon.2<G= He wa# al#o a friend of Pi!a##o and had Pi!a##o /aintin># in hi# !olle!tion2 Anand ret+rned to ;ndia in 19:G& and !ontin+ed with hi# /rodi>io+# literary o+t/+t there2 Hi# work in!l+de# /oetry and e##ay# on a wide ran>e of #+b?e!t#& a# well a# a+tobio>ra/hie# and no5el#2 Prominent amon> hi# no5el# are The Village (19)9$& +cross the 2lack 0aters (19)9$& The S*ord and the Sickle (19:3$& all written in 1n>land& and Coolie (19)G$& The -ri,ate Life of an Indian -rince (196)$& /erha/# the mo#t im/ortant of hi# work# written in ;ndia2 He al#o fo+nded a literary ma>azine& Marg& and ta+>ht in 5ario+# +ni5er#itie#2 F+rin> the 197%#& he worked with the;nternational Pro>re## Ir>anization (;2P2I2$ on the i##+e of !+lt+ral #elf-!om/rehen#ion of nation#2 Hi# !ontrib+tion to the !onferen!e of the ;2P2I2 in ;nn#br+!k (A+#tria$ in 197: had a #/e!ial infl+en!e on debate# that later be!ame known +nder the /hra#e of -Fialo>+e Amon> ,i5ilization#-2 Anand al#o deli5ered a #erie# of le!t+re# on emninent ;ndian# #+!h a# Mahatma *andhi&Aawaharlal ehr+ and 4abindranath Ca>ore& !ommemoratin> their a!hie5ement# and #i>nifi!an!e and /ayin> #/e!ial attention to their di#tin!t brand# of h+mani#m2 -ri,ate Life of an Indian -rince& were more a+tobio>ra/hi!al in nat+re& and in 196% Anand embarked on a /ro?e!t to write a #e5en-/art a+tobio>ra/hy& be>innin> with Se,en Summers2 Ine /art&Morning Face (19G8$ won him the Sahitya Akademi Award2<7= "ike m+!h of hi# later work& it !ontain# element# of hi# #/irit+al ?o+rney a# he #tr+>>le# to attain a hi>her #en#e of #elf-awarene##2 He died in P+ne on 38 Se/tember 3%%: at the a>e of 982

$ovels

$ntouchable (19)6$ Coolie (19)G$ The Village (19)9$ +cross the black *aters (19)9$ The S*ord and the Sickle (19:3$

=hushwant Singh
@hushwant Singh, one of the best 'known 0ndian writers of all times, was born in 1915 in !adali *now in >akistan-. !e was edu#ated at the Go(ernment ?ollege, =ahore and at @ing1s ?ollege, ?ambridge ni(ersit$, and the 0nner 4emple in =ondon. !e pra#ti#ed law at the =ahore !igh ?ourt for se(eral $ears before 3oining the 0ndian ;inistr$ of "7ternal Affairs in 19,D. !e began a distinguished #areer as a 3ournalist with the All 0ndia :adio in 1951. Sin#e then he has been

founder'editor of <o3ana *1951'1953-, editor of the 0llustrated weekl$ of 0ndia *19D9'19+F-, #hief editor of Hew Delhi *19D9'19+F-, and editor of the !industan times *19+F'19+3-. !is Saturda$ #olumn /%ith ;ali#e 4owards Cne and All/ in the !industan times is b$ far one of the most popular #olumns of the da$.

@hushwant Singh1s name is bound to go down in 0ndian literar$ histor$ as one of the finest historians and no(elists, a forthright politi#al #ommentator, and an outstanding obser(er and so#ial #riti#. 0n 2ul$ EFFF, he was #onferred the /!onest ;an of the <ear Award/ b$ the Sulabh 0nternational So#ial Ser(i#e Crgani&ation for his #ourage and honest$ in his /brilliant in#isi(e writing./ At the award #eremon$, the #hief minister of Andhra >radesh des#ribed him as a /humourous writer and in#orrigible belie(er in human goodness with a de(il'ma$'#are attitude and a #ourageous mind./ 4he 0ndian e7ternal affairs minister said that the se#ret of @hushwant Singh1s su##ess la$ in his learning and dis#ipline behind the /(eneer of superfi#ialit$./

Among the se(eral works he published are a #lassi# two'(olume histor$ of the Sikhs, se(eral no(els *the best known of whi#h are Delhi, 4rain to >akistan, and 4he #ompan$ of women-, and a number of translations and non'fi#tion books on Delhi, nature and #urrent affairs. 4he =ibrar$ of ?ongress has ninet$'nine works on and b$ @hushwant Singh.

@hushwant Singh was a member of the :a3$a Sabha *upper house of the 0ndian >arliament- from 19+F to 19+). Among other honors, he was awarded the >adma Bhushan in 19D, b$ the >resident of 0ndia *he returned the de#oration in 19+, in protest against the nion Go(ernment1s siege of the Golden 4emple in Amritsar-.

Books

The Mark of Vishnu and )ther Stories& 196% The (istory of Sikhs& 196) Train to -akistan& 196G The Voice of !od and )ther Stories& 1967 I Shall 'ot (ear the 'ightingale& 1969 The Sikhs Today& 1969 The Fall of the /ingdom of the -un#ab& 19G3 + (istory of the Sikhs& 19G)<1%= "an#it Singh: The Mahara#ah of the -un#ab& 19G)

!hadar 898:: India1s first armed re,olution& 19GG + (istory of the Sikhs& 19GG (3nd edition$<11= + 2ride for the Sahib and )ther Stories& 19G7 2lack 4asmine& 1971 Tragedy of -un#ab& 198: Delhi: + 'o,el& 199% Se; Scotch and Scholarshi%: Selected 0ritings& 1993 'ot a 'ice Man to /no*: The 2est of /hush*ant Singh& 199) 0e Indians& 199) 0omen and Men in My Life& 1996 $ncertain Liaisons< Se; Strife and Togetherness in $rban India& 1996 Declaring Lo,e in Four Languages by Nh+#hwant Sin>h and Sharda Na+#hik& 1997 The Com%any of 0omen& 1999 Truth Lo,e and a Little Malice (an a+tobio>ra/hy$& 3%%3 0ith Malice to*ards )ne and +ll The =nd of India& 3%%) 2urial at the Sea& 3%%: -aradise and )ther Stories& 3%%: + (istory of the Sikhs: 8>?9&8@A@& 3%%:<13= Death at My Doorste%& 3%%6 + (istory of the Sikhs: 8@A9&BCC>& 3%%6<1)= The Illustrated (istory of the Sikhs& 3%%G 0hy I Su%%orted the =mergency: =ssays and -rofiles& 3%%9 The Sunset Club& 3%1% +gnostic /hush*ant Singh There is no !)D& 3%13

Short story collections

The Mark of Vishnu and )ther Stories. "ondon& Sat+rn Pre##& 196%2

The Voice of !od and )ther Stories. 'ombay& Aai!o& 19672 + 2ride for the Sahib and )ther Stories. 2lack 4asmine. 'ombay& Aai!o& 1971 The Collected Stories. 2/2& 4a5i Fayal& 19892 ew Felhi& Hind& 19G72

The -ortrait of a Lady11th ,'S1 in Horn 'ill The Strain Success Mantra + Lo,e +ffair In London