Anita Desai is an Indian author and novelist who has spent most of her life writing fiction. Some of his most famous works include ‘Cry, the Peacock’ (1963), ‘Clear Light of Day,’ (1980), Fasting, Feasting (1999). Desai was praised for her writing style, in which she delves deeply into the lives of her protagonists.
Contents
Wiki/Biography
Anita Desai was born as ‘Anita Majumdar’ on Thursday, 24 June 1937 (age 86 years; as of 2023) in a mixed-race family in Mussoorie, British India (now in India). Their zodiac sign is Cancer. She went to Queen Mary Higher Secondary School for her primary education and later studied Bachelor of Arts in English Literature from Miranda House (University of Delhi). Anita Desai learned to speak and write English in her school, which later became her literary language. He started writing novels at the age of 8 and the rest is history. Anita Desai lives in the United States.
Family
parents and siblings
Anita’s mother, Toni Nim, was a German immigrant and her father, DN Majumdar, was a Bengali businessman. Her father had gone to Berlin to study engineering, where Georg Kolbe, a German sculptor, introduced Anita’s parents to each other. Anita’s parents married each other at a time when it was considered wrong to marry a person from a different culture. Soon after the marriage, Anita’s parents moved to Delhi. Anita has two elder sisters and one brother.
husband and children
Soon after her graduation from Miranda House, Anita married Ashwin Desai, who was the director of a computer software company and also the author of ‘Between Eternities: Ideas on Life and the Cosmos’, about the conclusions of various ideas. There is a book in. Ashwin Desai passed away in 2020 after a long battle with cancer. Ashwin and Anita had 4 children and one of them is the famous award-winning writer Kiran Desai. Kiran, best known for her novel ‘The Inheritance of Loss’, has won the prestigious Man Booker Prize, making her the youngest woman to receive the award. Kiran Desai was also listed among the ‘Top 20 Most Influential Global Indian Women’.
Anita Desai’s daughter, Kiran Desai
livelihood
professor
Anita Desai began her teaching career in 1993 as Professor of Creative Writing at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge. He has taught at various colleges such as Mount Holyoke College, Smith College, and Baruch College. Anita Desai is also a Fellow of The Royal Society of Literature, Cambridge University, Girton College and The American Academy of Arts and Letters.
novelist
Anita Desai published her first novel, ‘Cry, the Peacock’ (1963), a novel about a little girl and her predictions of disasters. The novel focuses on existing depression, psychological dissatisfaction and grief. The main takeaway of the book is how important it is to express one’s thoughts and be vocal about one’s feelings to live a worry-free life. The heavy theme of the novel was loved worldwide due to its relevant nature.
Anita Desai’s first novel, ‘Cry, the Peacock’
In 1980, Anita Desai published her ‘autobiographical’ novel, ‘Clear Light of Day’, a novel that revolved around the complex relationships between family members. Anita based the novel on the same locality of Old Delhi where she grew up. This novel was the only depiction of India that received much praise from the Indian audience. The main theme of the novel was the partition of India and Pakistan, and how the characters struggled at the time of independence. Anita was greatly appreciated for her use of symbols in ‘Clear Light of Day’.
Anita Desai’s autobiographical novel ‘Clear Light of Day’
In 1984, Anita Desai published another of her masterpieces, ‘In Custody’, a novel about the downfall of an Urdu poet. This book inspires readers to find purpose in life. The themes of this novel reflect how certain social evils such as corruption and the gap between the poor and the rich have existed for a long time. The focus given to languages in the book keeps the reader connected to his mother tongues. This book was selected for the prestigious Booker Prize.
Anita Desai’s novel ‘In Custody’
The turning point of Anita Desai’s career in terms of popularity was her book ‘Fasting, Feasting’ published in 1999. The complexity of the plot in the novel was appreciated by literary critics. It emphasizes on gender roles, freedom, traditions, solidarity etc. in the society. The level of complexity in Anita’s novels is clearly shown in this novel of hers, which is full of different themes and plots. For more information on comparison, this prose is full of subtle details.
Anita Desai’s book ‘Fasting, Feasting’
From her latest collection, Anita Desai published another novel, ‘The Zigzag Way’ (2004). The lesson revolves around the change and globalization of society as a whole. Anita Desai’s theme of searching for purpose and meaning in life has been a commonality in many of her literary works. Same is the case with Zigzag Way. The characters want a goal in life. Even though the book received mixed reviews, the prose is known for being a bit chaotic and dealing with family turmoil and the travails of middle-class women.
Anita Desai’s book ‘The Zigzag Way’
Anita Desai’s latest work is her novel, ‘The Artist of Disappearance’ (2011), which is a compilation of 3 novellas. This series is full of creativity and regional themes. This detailed description shows a clear picture of urbanization in India. It is a perfect blend of satire, empathy and relatability that impacts every reader in some way or the other. This novel shows what a culturally diverse and contemporary writer Anita Desai is.
Anita Desai’s novel ‘The Artist of Disappearance’
Awards and Nominations
- Anita Desai was nominated for the Booker Prize thrice for her fantasy novels in the years 1980- ‘Clear Light of Day’, 1984- ‘In Custody’, and 1999- ‘Fasting, Feasting’.
- In 2014, Anita Desai received the prestigious Padma Bhushan.
- In 1978, Anita Desai received the Sahitya Akademi Award for her book ‘Fire on the Mountain’.
- In 2003, Anita Desai received the Benson Medal of the Royal Society of Literature.
- In 1978, Anita Desai received The Winifred Holtby Memorial Award for her book ‘Fire on the Mountain’.
- In 1983, Anita Desai received the Guardian Children’s Fiction Prize for her book ‘The Village by the Sea’.
- In 1993, Anita Desai received the Neil Gunn Award for her services to literature.
- In 2000, Anita Desai received the Alberto Moravia Award for Literature.
- In 2017, Anita Desai won the Blue Metropolis Literary Grand Prix held in Montreal, Canada.
Facts/General Knowledge
- Anita Desai’s novel ‘In Custody’ was adapted by the film company Merchant Ivory Productions and made into a film of the same name, starring Shashi Kapoor, Shabana Azmi and Om Puri. The film was later awarded the President of India Gold Medal for Best Film in 1994.
Poster of the film ‘In Custody’, an adaptation of Anita Desai’s novel of the same title
- Anita Desai wrote for the New York Review of Books.
- Anita Desai published her first short story at the age of 9.
- Anita Desai is proficient in German, Hindi, English and Urdu.
- Anita Desai donated her family library to Gargi College, Delhi.
- Virginia Woolf’s work had a great influence on Anita Desai’s writing.
- Anita Desai always felt ‘lonely’ because she felt that her family was not like others.
- In 1958, in joint collaboration with P. Lal (Indian poet), Anita Desai founded the famous publishing firm Writers’ Workshop.
- She was only ten years old when India got independence. Therefore, her early novels pointed out the oppression of women. Overall, acclaimed for her poetic symbolism, Anita Desai has been one of India’s finest writers.
Categories: Biography
Source: vcmp.edu.vn