Anita Desai stands as a major force in Indian English literature, known for her introspective novels and short stories. Her works explore human relationships, cultural identity, and the inner lives of her characters with remarkable depth.
Early Life
Anita Desai was born Anita Mazumdar on June 24, 1937, in Mussoorie, India. Her father, D. N. Mazumdar, was a Bengali businessman who studied engineering in Berlin. Her mother, Toni Nime, was a German immigrant and sculptor. The couple met in pre-war Germany, an uncommon union at the time, and settled in New Delhi after marriage. Anita grew up with two older sisters and a brother, speaking German at home and Hindi with neighbors. She also learned Bengali, Urdu, and English.
Anita attended Queen Mary’s Higher Secondary School in Delhi. She pursued a Bachelor of Arts with honors in English Literature at Miranda House, University of Delhi, graduating in 1957. She won the Pershad Memorial Prize for English during her studies.
Publishing Career
Anita began writing at age seven, publishing her first story at nine in an American children’s magazine. After graduating, she worked briefly at Max Müller Bhavan, the German Cultural Institute in Calcutta. In 1958, she co-founded Writers Workshop with P. Lal, a publishing firm in Kolkata. Her first novel, “Cry, the Peacock,” published in 1963.
Anita’s debut novel, “Cry, the Peacock,” examines a woman’s psychological turmoil in an arranged marriage.
After the warm reception of her first novel, Anita published Voices in the City in 1965, Bye-bye Blackbird in 1971, Where Shall We Go This Summer? in 1975, and Fire on the Mountain in 1977. Fire on the Mountain which tells the story of an elderly widow, went on to win the Winifred Holtby Memorial Prize.
“Clear Light of Day,” which came out in 1980, explores the inner demons of a dysfunctional family. The novel is set against the Partition of India and dives into the religious divide and torn social fabric following the tragedy. Anita said that this is her most autobiographical work.
Anita Desai The Storyteller
Her next was “In Custody (1984), “which was shortlisted for the Booker Prize. It follows a professor interviewing a declining Urdu poet. “Fasting, Feasting (1999), “another Booker finalist, contrasts Indian and American family life. In 2004 came The Zigzag Way (2004), which was followed by Rosarita in 2024, after a gap of 20 years.
Anita also published many collections of short stories and novellas. Some of them are Games at Twilight (1978), Scholar and Gipsy (1996), Diamond Dust and Other Stories (2000), Collected Stories (2008), The Artist of Disappearance (2011), andThe Complete Stories (2017).
Anita also wrote extensively for children. Her first children’s book, “The Peacock Garden,” was published in 1974. In 1976 she published Cat on a Houseboat. “The Village by the Sea (1982)” tells the struggles of a poor coastal Indian family. It earned the Guardian Children’s Fiction Prize.
Other Work
Anita collaborated with Ismail Merchant on the 1993 film adaptation of “In Custody.” Her daughter Kiran Desai, a Booker Prize winner, reflects a literary lineage. The film starring Shashi Kapoor, Om Puri, Shabana Azmi and Sushma Seth tells the story of a poet who is past his prime.
Anita received the Sahitya Akademi Award in 1978 for “Fire on the Mountain.” She earned three Booker Prize shortlistings for “Clear Light of Day (1980),” “In Custody (1984),” and “Fasting, Feasting (1999).” The Guardian Prize came in 1983 for “The Village by the Sea.” She became the John E. Burchard Professor of Humanities at MIT in 1993. She also got the Padma Bhushan in 2014 in recognition of her literary contributions.
Personal Life
Anita married Ashvin Desai, a businessman, on December 13, 1958. They had four children: Rahul, Tani, Arjun, and Kiran. The family moved across India—Calcutta, Mumbai, Kalimpong, Chandigarh, Delhi, and Pune—before settling in the U.S. Ashvin published “Between Eternities (2008),” sharing her literary interest. Kiran won the 2006 Booker Prize for “The Inheritance of Loss.” Anita lives in New York State, maintaining a low profile.
Anita Desai on IMDB
