Shashi Deshpande facts for kids
Shashi Deshpande is a well-known Indian writer, born in 1938. She is famous for her many novels and short stories. She has received important awards like the Sahitya Akademi Award and the Padma Shri, which are big honors for writers in India.
Her Early Life and Education
Shashi Deshpande was born on August 19, 1938, in a town called Dharwad in Karnataka, India. Her father, Adya Rangacharya, was also a famous writer and playwright. She went to school in Bombay (which is now called Mumbai) and Bangalore.
Shashi Deshpande studied Economics and Law at university. In Mumbai, she also learned about journalism at Vidya Bhavan. For a few months, she worked as a journalist for a magazine called 'Onlooker'.
Her Writing Career
Shashi Deshpande published her first collection of short stories in 1978. Her first novel, 'The Dark Holds No Terror', came out in 1980.
She won the Sahitya Akademi Award in 1990 for her novel That Long Silence. This is one of India's highest literary honors. Later, in 2009, she received the Padma Shri award, which is a special award from the Indian government for people who have done great things. Her novel Shadow Play was also recognized in 2014.
Shashi Deshpande has written many different kinds of books. She has written four books especially for children. She has also written many short stories and thirteen novels for adults. She even wrote a collection of essays called Writing from the Margin and Other Essays.
Speaking Out for Writers
In December 2015, Shashi Deshpande decided to resign from her position on the general council of the Sahitya Akademi. She also returned her Sahitya Akademi award. She did this to join other writers who were protesting. They felt that the Akademi was not doing enough or speaking out about the murder of another writer, M. M. Kalburgi. This was her way of showing support and asking for action.
In December 2018, Shashi Deshpande gave a speech at the Goa Arts and Literature Festival. She asked people in India to think carefully about what it would mean to want a "Hindu nation." She reminded everyone about the violence and problems that happened when India and Pakistan were separated many years ago. Her message was about thinking about peace and understanding.
See also
In Spanish: Shashi Deshpande para niños
