Kiran Desai facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Kiran Desai
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Desai at the 2024 National Book Awards finalist reading, reading on behalf of Salman Rushdie
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| Born | New Delhi, India |
| Occupation | Novelist |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Alma mater | Columbia University |
| Period | 1998–present |
| Notable works |
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| Notable awards | Man Booker Prize 2006 |
| Relatives | Anita Desai (mother) |
Kiran Desai is a famous Indian author. She is known for her amazing stories. Her novel The Inheritance of Loss won two big awards in 2006: the Man Booker Prize and the National Book Critics Circle Fiction Award. In 2015, she was named one of the 20 most influential Indian women globally by The Economic Times.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Kiran Desai was born in Delhi, India. Her mother is also a well-known author, Anita Desai. Kiran spent her early years in Punjab and Mumbai. She went to the Cathedral and John Connon School in Mumbai.
When she was 14, Kiran moved from India. She lived in England for a year with her mother. After that, they moved to the United States. Kiran studied creative writing at several universities. These included Bennington College, Hollins University, and Columbia University.
Her Books and Achievements
Kiran Desai's first novel was Hullabaloo in the Guava Orchard. It was published in 1998. Many famous people, like Salman Rushdie, praised her first book. It also won the Betty Trask Award. This award is given to young authors from countries in the Commonwealth of Nations.
The Inheritance of Loss
Her second book, The Inheritance of Loss, came out in 2006. This novel was highly praised by critics all over the world. The story takes place in the beautiful Himalayas. It explores important ideas about who we are and how different cultures interact. It also looks at the effects of colonialism.
The Inheritance of Loss won the 2006 Man Booker Prize. It also received the 2006 National Book Critics Circle Fiction Award. When she won the Booker Prize, Kiran Desai was 35 years old. She was the youngest woman to win it at that time. Later, Eleanor Catton broke this record in 2013.
Other Recognitions
Kiran Desai has received other honors for her work. In 2009, she was given the Columbia University Medal for Excellence. She also received a 2013 Berlin Prize Fellowship. This allowed her to spend time at the American Academy in Berlin.
In 2008, Kiran Desai was invited by the Gates Foundation to visit Andhra Pradesh. She reported on a community of people there.
Upcoming Book
Kiran Desai has been working on a new book for a long time. In 2017, she shared that it was about "power." She said it would feature a young Indian woman exploring India and the world. In December 2024, it was announced that her next novel is called The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny. It is set to be released in the fall of 2025 by Hogarth.
See also
In Spanish: Kiran Desai para niños
- Desai
- Indian English literature
- Indian Writers
