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Amitav Ghosh (born 11 July 1956)Ghosh, Amitav
, ''
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''
is an
Indian Indian or Indians may refer to: Peoples South Asia * Indian people, people of Indian nationality, or people who have an Indian ancestor ** Non-resident Indian, a citizen of India who has temporarily emigrated to another country * South Asia ...
writer A writer is a person who uses written words in different writing styles and techniques to communicate ideas. Writers produce different forms of literary art and creative writing such as novels, short stories, books, poetry, travelogues, ...
. He won the 54th
Jnanpith award The Jnanpith Award is the oldest and the highest Indian literary award presented annually by the Bharatiya Jnanpith to an author for their "outstanding contribution towards literature". Instituted in 1961, the award is bestowed only on Indian w ...
in 2018, India's highest literary honor. Ghosh's ambitious
novel A novel is a relatively long work of narrative fiction, typically written in prose and published as a book. The present English word for a long work of prose fiction derives from the for "new", "news", or "short story of something new", itself ...
s use complex narrative strategies to probe the nature of national and personal identity, particularly of the people of
India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area, the List of countries and dependencies by population, second-most populous ...
and
South Asia South Asia is the southern subregion of Asia, which is defined in both geographical and ethno-cultural terms. The region consists of the countries of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.;;;;; ...
. He has written
historical fiction Historical fiction is a literary genre in which the plot takes place in a setting related to the past events, but is fictional. Although the term is commonly used as a synonym for historical fiction literature, it can also be applied to other t ...
and also written non-fiction works discussing topics such as
colonialism Colonialism is a practice or policy of control by one people or power over other people or areas, often by establishing colonies and generally with the aim of economic dominance. In the process of colonisation, colonisers may impose their reli ...
and
climate change In common usage, climate change describes global warming—the ongoing increase in global average temperature—and its effects on Earth's climate system. Climate change in a broader sense also includes previous long-term changes to ...
. Ghosh studied at
The Doon School The Doon School (informally Doon School or Doon) is a selective all-boys boarding school in Dehradun, Uttarakhand, India, which was established in 1935. It was envisioned by Satish Ranjan Das, a lawyer from Calcutta, who prevised a school mod ...
, Dehradun, and earned a doctorate in
social anthropology Social anthropology is the study of patterns of behaviour in human societies and cultures. It is the dominant constituent of anthropology throughout the United Kingdom and much of Europe, where it is distinguished from cultural anthropology. In ...
at the
University of Oxford , mottoeng = The Lord is my light , established = , endowment = £6.1 billion (including colleges) (2019) , budget = £2.145 billion (2019–20) , chancellor ...
. He worked at the ''Indian Express'' newspaper in New Delhi and several academic institutions. His first novel ''The Circle of Reason'' was published in 1986, which he followed with later fictional works including ''
The Shadow Lines ''The Shadow Lines'' (1988) is a Sahitya Akademi Award-winning novel by Indian writer Amitav Ghosh. It is a book that captures perspective of time and events, of lines that bring people together and hold them apart; lines that are clearly vis ...
'' and ''
The Glass Palace ''The Glass Palace'' is a 2000 historical novel by Indian writer Amitav Ghosh. The novel is set in Burma, Bengal, India, and Malaya, spans a century from the Third Anglo-Burmese War and the consequent fall of the Konbaung Dynasty in Mandalay, th ...
.'' Between 2004 and 2015, he worked on the ''Ibis'' trilogy, which revolves around the build-up and implications of the
First Opium War The First Opium War (), also known as the Opium War or the Anglo-Sino War was a series of military engagements fought between Britain and the Qing dynasty of China between 1839 and 1842. The immediate issue was the Chinese enforcement of the ...
. His non-fiction work includes '' In an Antique Land'' and '' The Great Derangement: Climate Change and the Unthinkable''. Ghosh holds two Lifetime Achievement awards and four honorary doctorates. In 2007 he was awarded the
Padma Shri Padma Shri ( IAST: ''padma śrī''), also spelled Padma Shree, is the fourth-highest civilian award of the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna, the Padma Vibhushan and the Padma Bhushan. Instituted on 2 January 1954, the award is conf ...
, one of India's highest honours, by the President of India. In 2010 he was a joint winner, along with
Margaret Atwood Margaret Eleanor Atwood (born November 18, 1939) is a Canadian poet, novelist, literary critic, essayist, teacher, environmental activist, and inventor. Since 1961, she has published 18 books of poetry, 18 novels, 11 books of non-fiction, ...
of a
Dan David prize The Dan David Prize is a major international award that recognizes and supports outstanding contributions to the study of history and other disciplines that shed light on the human past. It awards nine prizes of $300,000 each year to outstanding ...
, and 2011 he was awarded the Grand Prix of the Blue Metropolis festival in
Montreal Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the second-most populous city in Canada and most populous city in the Canadian province of Quebec. Founded in 1642 as '' Ville-Marie'', or "City of Mary", it is named after Mount Royal, the triple- ...
. He was the first English-language writer to receive the award. In 2019 ''
Foreign Policy A state's foreign policy or external policy (as opposed to internal or domestic policy) is its objectives and activities in relation to its interactions with other states, unions, and other political entities, whether bilaterally or through ...
'' magazine named him one of the most important global thinkers of the preceding decade.


Life

Ghosh was born in
Calcutta Kolkata (, or , ; also known as Calcutta , the official name until 2001) is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal, on the eastern bank of the Hooghly River west of the border with Bangladesh. It is the primary business, commer ...
on 11 July 1956 and was educated at the all-boys boarding school The Doon School in
Dehradun Dehradun () is the capital and the List of cities in Uttarakhand by population, most populous city of the Indian state of Uttarakhand. It is the administrative headquarters of the eponymous Dehradun district, district and is governed by the Dehr ...
. He grew up in
India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area, the List of countries and dependencies by population, second-most populous ...
,
Bangladesh Bangladesh (}, ), officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the eighth-most populous country in the world, with a population exceeding 165 million people in an area of . Bangladesh is among the mo ...
and
Sri Lanka Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්‍රී ලංකා, Śrī Laṅkā, translit-std=ISO (); ta, இலங்கை, Ilaṅkai, translit-std=ISO ()), formerly known as Ceylon and officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an ...
. His contemporaries at Doon included author Vikram Seth and historian Ram Guha. While at school, he regularly contributed
fiction Fiction is any creative work, chiefly any narrative work, portraying individuals, events, or places that are imaginary, or in ways that are imaginary. Fictional portrayals are thus inconsistent with history, fact, or plausibility. In a tradi ...
and
poetry Poetry (derived from the Greek '' poiesis'', "making"), also called verse, is a form of literature that uses aesthetic and often rhythmic qualities of language − such as phonaesthetics, sound symbolism, and metre − to evoke meani ...
to '' The Doon School Weekly'' (then edited by Seth) and founded the magazine ''History Times'' along with Guha. After Doon, he received degrees from St Stephen's College,
Delhi University Delhi University (DU), formally the University of Delhi, is a collegiate central university located in New Delhi, India. It was founded in 1922 by an Act of the Central Legislative Assembly and is recognized as an Institute of Eminence (IoE) ...
, and
Delhi School of Economics Delhi School of Economics (DSE), popularly referred to as "D School", is a Higher Educational Institution within the University of Delhi. The Delhi School of Economics is situated in University of Delhi's North Campus in Maurice Nagar. Establ ...
. He then won the Inlaks Foundation scholarship to complete a D. Phil. in
social anthropology Social anthropology is the study of patterns of behaviour in human societies and cultures. It is the dominant constituent of anthropology throughout the United Kingdom and much of Europe, where it is distinguished from cultural anthropology. In ...
at
St Edmund Hall, Oxford St Edmund Hall (sometimes known as The Hall or informally as Teddy Hall) is a constituent college of the University of Oxford. The college claims to be "the oldest surviving academic society to house and educate undergraduates in any universit ...
, under the supervision of British
social anthropologist Social anthropology is the study of patterns of behaviour in human societies and cultures. It is the dominant constituent of anthropology throughout the United Kingdom and much of Europe, where it is distinguished from cultural anthropology. In t ...
Peter Lienhardt. The thesis, undertaken in the Faculty of Anthropology and Geography, was entitled "Kinship in relation to economic and social organization in an Egyptian village community" and submitted in 1982. In 2009, he was elected a Fellow of the
Royal Society of Literature The Royal Society of Literature (RSL) is a learned society founded in 1820, by King George IV, to "reward literary merit and excite literary talent". A charity that represents the voice of literature in the UK, the RSL has about 600 Fellows, ele ...
. In 2015 Ghosh was named a Ford Foundation Art of Change Fellow. He was awarded the
Padma Shri Padma Shri ( IAST: ''padma śrī''), also spelled Padma Shree, is the fourth-highest civilian award of the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna, the Padma Vibhushan and the Padma Bhushan. Instituted on 2 January 1954, the award is conf ...
by the
Indian government The Government of India (ISO: ; often abbreviated as GoI), known as the Union Government or Central Government but often simply as the Centre, is the national government of the Republic of India, a federal democracy located in South Asia, ...
in 2007. Ghosh returned to India to begin working on the ''Ibis'' trilogy which includes '' Sea of Poppies (2008)'', ''
River of Smoke ''River of Smoke'' (2011) is a novel by Indian novelist Amitav Ghosh. It is the second volume of the Ibis trilogy. Synopsis The promotional text refers to the storyline which can be summarized as follows: After the incidents on Ibis, which was c ...
(2011)'', and '' Flood of Fire'' (''2015''). Ghosh lives in New York with his wife,
Deborah Baker Deborah Baker is an American biographer and essayist. She is the author of ''A Blue Hand: The Beats in India'', a biography of Allen Ginsberg that focuses on his time in India and of ''In Extremis: The Life of Laura Riding'', a finalist for the P ...
, author of the Laura Riding biography ''In Extremis: The Life of Laura Riding'' (1993) and a senior editor at
Little, Brown and Company Little, Brown and Company is an American publishing company founded in 1837 by Charles Coffin Little and James Brown in Boston. For close to two centuries it has published fiction and nonfiction by American authors. Early lists featured Emily ...
. They have two children, Lila and Nayan.


Work


Fiction

Ghosh is the author of '' The Circle of Reason'' (his 1986
debut novel A debut novel is the first novel a novelist publishes. Debut novels are often the author's first opportunity to make an impact on the publishing industry, and thus the success or failure of a debut novel can affect the ability of the author to p ...
), ''
The Shadow Lines ''The Shadow Lines'' (1988) is a Sahitya Akademi Award-winning novel by Indian writer Amitav Ghosh. It is a book that captures perspective of time and events, of lines that bring people together and hold them apart; lines that are clearly vis ...
'' (1988), '' The Calcutta Chromosome'' (1995), ''
The Glass Palace ''The Glass Palace'' is a 2000 historical novel by Indian writer Amitav Ghosh. The novel is set in Burma, Bengal, India, and Malaya, spans a century from the Third Anglo-Burmese War and the consequent fall of the Konbaung Dynasty in Mandalay, th ...
'' (2000) and ''
The Hungry Tide ''The Hungry Tide'' (2004) is the fourth novel by Indian-born author, Amitav Ghosh. Set in the Sundarbans, it follows an unlikely trio who travel up river together to find the rare Irrawaddy dolphin. It won the 2004 Hutch Crossword Book Award ...
'' (2004). Ghosh began working on what became The ''Ibis'' trilogy in 2004. Set in the 1830s, its story follows the build-up of the
First Opium War The First Opium War (), also known as the Opium War or the Anglo-Sino War was a series of military engagements fought between Britain and the Qing dynasty of China between 1839 and 1842. The immediate issue was the Chinese enforcement of the ...
across China and the Indian Ocean region. Its first instalment '' Sea of Poppies'' (2008) was shortlisted for the 2008 Man Booker Prize. This was followed by ''
River of Smoke ''River of Smoke'' (2011) is a novel by Indian novelist Amitav Ghosh. It is the second volume of the Ibis trilogy. Synopsis The promotional text refers to the storyline which can be summarized as follows: After the incidents on Ibis, which was c ...
'' (2011) and the third, '' Flood of Fire'' (2015) completed the trilogy. ''
The Shadow Lines ''The Shadow Lines'' (1988) is a Sahitya Akademi Award-winning novel by Indian writer Amitav Ghosh. It is a book that captures perspective of time and events, of lines that bring people together and hold them apart; lines that are clearly vis ...
'' that won him the Sahitya Akademi Award "throws light on the phenomenon of communal violence and the way its roots have spread deeply and widely in the collective psyche of the Indian subcontinent". Most of his work deals with historical settings, especially in the Indian Ocean periphery. In an interview with Mahmood Kooria, he said: "It was not intentional, but sometimes things are intentional without being intentional. Though it was never part of a planned venture and did not begin as a conscious project, I realise in hindsight that this is really what always interested me most: the
Bay of Bengal The Bay of Bengal is the northeastern part of the Indian Ocean, bounded on the west and northwest by India, on the north by Bangladesh, and on the east by Myanmar and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands of India. Its southern limit is a line bet ...
, the
Arabian Sea The Arabian Sea ( ar, اَلْبَحرْ ٱلْعَرَبِيُّ, Al-Bahr al-ˁArabī) is a region of the northern Indian Ocean bounded on the north by Pakistan, Iran and the Gulf of Oman, on the west by the Gulf of Aden, Guardafui Channe ...
, the
Indian Ocean The Indian Ocean is the third-largest of the world's five oceanic divisions, covering or ~19.8% of the water on Earth's surface. It is bounded by Asia to the north, Africa to the west and Australia to the east. To the south it is bounded by ...
, and the connections and the cross-connections between these regions." Ghosh's ''Gun Island'', published in 2019 and which deals with
climate change In common usage, climate change describes global warming—the ongoing increase in global average temperature—and its effects on Earth's climate system. Climate change in a broader sense also includes previous long-term changes to ...
and
human migration Human migration is the movement of people from one place to another with intentions of settling, permanently or temporarily, at a new location (geographic region). The movement often occurs over long distances and from one country to another (ex ...
, drew praise from critics. ''
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers '' The Observer'' and '' The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the ...
'' however, noted Ghosh's tendency to go on tangents, calling it "a shaggy dog story" that "can take a very roundabout path towards reality, but it will get there in the end." In 2021, Ghosh published his first book in verse, '' Jungle Nama,'' which explores the
Sundarbans Sundarbans (pronounced ) is a mangrove area in the delta formed by the confluence of the Padma, Brahmaputra and Meghna Rivers in the Bay of Bengal. It spans the area from the Baleswar River in Bangladesh's division of Khulna to the Hooghly R ...
legend of Bon Bibi.


Non-fiction

Ghosh's notable
non-fiction Nonfiction, or non-fiction, is any document or media content that attempts, in good faith, to provide information (and sometimes opinions) grounded only in facts and real life, rather than in imagination. Nonfiction is often associated with b ...
writings are '' In an Antique Land'' (1992), '' Dancing in Cambodia and at Large in Burma'' (1998), ''Countdown'' (1999), and '' The Imam and the Indian'' (2002, a collection of essays on themes such as
fundamentalism Fundamentalism is a tendency among certain groups and individuals that is characterized by the application of a strict literal interpretation to scriptures, dogmas, or ideologies, along with a strong belief in the importance of distinguish ...
, the history of the novel,
Egyptian culture The culture of Egypt has thousands of years of recorded history. Ancient Egypt was among the earliest civilizations in the world. For millennia, Egypt developed strikingly unique, complex and stable cultures that influenced other cultures of Eur ...
, and
literature Literature is any collection of Writing, written work, but it is also used more narrowly for writings specifically considered to be an art form, especially prose fiction, drama, and poetry. In recent centuries, the definition has expanded to ...
. His writings appear in newspapers and magazines in India and abroad. In '' The Great Derangement: Climate Change and the Unthinkable'' (2016), Ghosh discussed modern literature and art as failing to adequately address
climate change In common usage, climate change describes global warming—the ongoing increase in global average temperature—and its effects on Earth's climate system. Climate change in a broader sense also includes previous long-term changes to ...
. In 2021, '' The Nutmeg's Curse: Parables for a Planet in Crisis'' was published. In it, Ghosh discussed the journey of
nutmeg Nutmeg is the seed or ground spice of several species of the genus ''Myristica''. ''Myristica fragrans'' (fragrant nutmeg or true nutmeg) is a dark-leaved evergreen tree cultivated for two spices derived from its fruit: nutmeg, from its seed, an ...
from its native
Banda Islands The Banda Islands ( id, Kepulauan Banda) are a volcanic group of ten small volcanic islands in the Banda Sea, about south of Seram Island and about east of Java, and constitute an administrative district (''kecamatan'') within the Central ...
to many other parts of the world, taking this as a lens through which to understand the historical influence of
colonialism Colonialism is a practice or policy of control by one people or power over other people or areas, often by establishing colonies and generally with the aim of economic dominance. In the process of colonisation, colonisers may impose their reli ...
upon attitudes towards
Indigenous cultures Indigenous peoples are culturally distinct ethnic groups whose members are directly descended from the earliest known inhabitants of a particular geographic region and, to some extent, maintain the language and culture of those original people ...
and
environmental change Environmental change is a change or disturbance of the environment most often caused by human influences and natural ecological processes. Environmental changes include various factors, such as natural disasters, human interferences, or animal in ...
.


Awards and recognition

''The Circle of Reason'' won the Prix Médicis étranger, one of France's top literary awards. ''The Shadow Lines'' won the
Sahitya Akademi Award The Sahitya Akademi Award is a literary honour in India, which the Sahitya Akademi, India's National Academy of Letters, annually confers on writers of the most outstanding books of literary merit published in any of the 22 languages of the ...
and the
Ananda Puraskar The Ananda Puraskar () is an award for Bengali literature awarded annually by the ABP Group to writers using Bengali, usually from West Bengal, India. History The award can be traced to a comment by Annada Shankar Ray ruing the absence of lite ...
. ''The Calcutta Chromosome'' won the
Arthur C. Clarke Award The Arthur C. Clarke Award is a British award given for the best science fiction novel first published in the United Kingdom during the previous year. It is named after British author Arthur C. Clarke, who gave a grant to establish the award i ...
for 1997. ''Sea of Poppies'' was shortlisted for the 2008
Man Booker Prize The Booker Prize, formerly known as the Booker Prize for Fiction (1969–2001) and the Man Booker Prize (2002–2019), is a literary prize awarded each year for the best novel written in English and published in the United Kingdom or Ireland. ...
. It was the co-winner of the Vodafone Crossword Book Award in 2009, as well as co-winner of the 2010
Dan David Prize The Dan David Prize is a major international award that recognizes and supports outstanding contributions to the study of history and other disciplines that shed light on the human past. It awards nine prizes of $300,000 each year to outstanding ...
. ''
River of Smoke ''River of Smoke'' (2011) is a novel by Indian novelist Amitav Ghosh. It is the second volume of the Ibis trilogy. Synopsis The promotional text refers to the storyline which can be summarized as follows: After the incidents on Ibis, which was c ...
'' was shortlisted for the
Man Asian Literary Prize The Man Asian Literary Prize was an annual literary award between 2007 and 2012, given to the best novel by an Asian writer, either written in English or translated into English, and published in the previous calendar year. It is awarded to writer ...
2011. The government of India awarded him the civilian honour of
Padma Shri Padma Shri ( IAST: ''padma śrī''), also spelled Padma Shree, is the fourth-highest civilian award of the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna, the Padma Vibhushan and the Padma Bhushan. Instituted on 2 January 1954, the award is conf ...
in 2007. He also received – together with
Margaret Atwood Margaret Eleanor Atwood (born November 18, 1939) is a Canadian poet, novelist, literary critic, essayist, teacher, environmental activist, and inventor. Since 1961, she has published 18 books of poetry, 18 novels, 11 books of non-fiction, ...
– the Israeli
Dan David Prize The Dan David Prize is a major international award that recognizes and supports outstanding contributions to the study of history and other disciplines that shed light on the human past. It awards nine prizes of $300,000 each year to outstanding ...
. Ghosh famously withdrew his novel ''
The Glass Palace ''The Glass Palace'' is a 2000 historical novel by Indian writer Amitav Ghosh. The novel is set in Burma, Bengal, India, and Malaya, spans a century from the Third Anglo-Burmese War and the consequent fall of the Konbaung Dynasty in Mandalay, th ...
'' from consideration for the
Commonwealth Writers' Prize Commonwealth Foundation presented a number of prizes between 1987 and 2011. The main award was called the Commonwealth Writers' Prize and was composed of two prizes: the Best Book Prize (overall and regional) was awarded from 1987 to 2011; the Best ...
, where it was awarded the best novel in the Eurasian section, citing his objections to the term "commonwealth" and the unfairness of the English language requirement specified in the rules. Ghosh received the lifetime achievement award at Tata Literature Live, the Mumbai LitFest on 20 November 2016. He was conferred the 54th
Jnanpith award The Jnanpith Award is the oldest and the highest Indian literary award presented annually by the Bharatiya Jnanpith to an author for their "outstanding contribution towards literature". Instituted in 1961, the award is bestowed only on Indian w ...
in December 2018 and is the first Indian writer in English to have been chosen for this honour.


Bibliography

Novels *'' The Circle of Reason'' (1986) *''
The Shadow Lines ''The Shadow Lines'' (1988) is a Sahitya Akademi Award-winning novel by Indian writer Amitav Ghosh. It is a book that captures perspective of time and events, of lines that bring people together and hold them apart; lines that are clearly vis ...
'' (1988) *'' The Calcutta Chromosome'' (1995) *''
The Glass Palace ''The Glass Palace'' is a 2000 historical novel by Indian writer Amitav Ghosh. The novel is set in Burma, Bengal, India, and Malaya, spans a century from the Third Anglo-Burmese War and the consequent fall of the Konbaung Dynasty in Mandalay, th ...
'' (2000) *''
The Hungry Tide ''The Hungry Tide'' (2004) is the fourth novel by Indian-born author, Amitav Ghosh. Set in the Sundarbans, it follows an unlikely trio who travel up river together to find the rare Irrawaddy dolphin. It won the 2004 Hutch Crossword Book Award ...
'' (2004) *'' Sea of Poppies'' (2008) *''
River of Smoke ''River of Smoke'' (2011) is a novel by Indian novelist Amitav Ghosh. It is the second volume of the Ibis trilogy. Synopsis The promotional text refers to the storyline which can be summarized as follows: After the incidents on Ibis, which was c ...
'' (2011) *'' Flood of Fire'' (2015) *''Gun Island'' (2019) *'' Jungle Nama'' (2021) Non-Fiction *'' In an Antique Land'' (1992) *'' Dancing in Cambodia and at Large in Burma'' (1998; Essays) *''Countdown'' (1999) *'' The Imam and the Indian'' (2002; Essays) *''Incendiary Circumstances'' (2006; Essays) *'' The Great Derangement: Climate Change and the Unthinkable'' (2016) * '' The Nutmeg's Curse: Parables for a Planet in Crisis'' (2021) * ''The Living Mountain'' (2022)


See also

*
List of Indian writers This is a list of notable writers who come from India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area, the List of countri ...


Further reading

* *


References


External links


Philosophy & Politics of science mutation in Amitav Ghoshs The Calcutta Chromosome
*
Excerpt from ''River of Smoke''
in Guernica Magazine
''Sea of Poppies'' at Farrar, Straus and Giroux siteAmitav Ghosh's Blog on Indipepal
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ghosh, Amitav 1956 births 20th-century essayists 20th-century Indian essayists 20th-century Indian male writers 20th-century Indian non-fiction writers 20th-century Indian novelists 20th-century Indian poets 20th-century poets 21st-century essayists 21st-century Indian essayists 21st-century Indian male writers 21st-century Indian non-fiction writers 21st-century Indian novelists 21st-century Indian poets 21st-century poets Alumni of St Edmund Hall, Oxford Anti-imperialism Bengali novelists Bengali poets Bengali writers Climate activists Cultural critics The Doon School alumni English-language poets from India Environmental fiction writers Environmental writers Fellows of the Royal Society of Literature Harvard University staff Indian emigrants to the United States Indian environmentalists Indian essayists Indian expatriates in the United States Indian historical novelists Indian humanists Indian literary critics Indian male non-fiction writers Indian male novelists Indian male poets Indian non-fiction environmental writers Indian science fiction writers Indian social commentators Indian speculative fiction writers Literary theorists Living people Novelists from West Bengal Prix Médicis étranger winners Recipients of the Ananda Purashkar Recipients of the Jnanpith Award Recipients of the Padma Shri in literature & education Recipients of the Sahitya Akademi Award in English Social critics St. Stephen's College, Delhi alumni Sustainability advocates Delhi University alumni Writers about activism and social change Writers about globalization Writers from Kolkata Writers of historical fiction set in the early modern period Writers of historical fiction set in the modern age Postcolonial literature