5 Popular Indian-American Authors: Author’s Day Special
With social and political transformations and societies becoming more progressive than before, Indian American authors have come into the limelight. Their work often gives you a glimpse into an immigrant’s life and realities. These Indian American novelists now stand united in the front to produce intense, insightful, and powerful writing that challenges the stereotypes around Indians and probes the most important question: that of “Identity”.
We present to you…
An Author’s Day Special!
Here’s a list of the most refined, most courageous, top-rated, and our favorite authors who are Indian American. They’re surely giving all the other authors #writinggoals
An India-born American novelist, Kiran Desai, became an international bestseller with her second novel – The Inheritance of Loss (2006). She received the Booker Prize in 2006, making her the youngest female writer to win this award. She is the daughter of the novelist Anita Desai and did her education in India, England, and the US. Her first novel was ‘Hullabaloo in the Guava Orchard’ (1998) that won Betty Trask Award in the same year.
Mindy is popular author, actress, comedian, and screenwriter. Born to Indian parents, she graduated from Dartmouth College and has a bachelor’s degree in playwriting. Some of her prevalent work as an Indian American author has been ‘Please Like Me,’ ‘Kind of Hindu,’ ‘Help is on the way,’ ‘Big Shot’, and ‘Why not me,’ to name a few. Her books depict offbeat humour, and are witty and entertaining for all readers. Currently, she is writing a Netflix original series, Never Have I Ever, based on her own childhood experiences.
Born in New Delhi, India, Akhil Sharma is another stellar Indian American author who shifted to the US when he was eight. His writings have appeared in various print publications like The New Yorker, The Atlantic, Best American Short Stories, and O. Henry Award Stories. However, his first novel, ‘An Obedient Father,’ won him numerous accolades and got him the PEN/Hemingway Award 2001; it was also a New York Times Notable Book of the year. Some of his other popular books are Family Life, An Obedient Father, A Life of Adventure, and Delight.
Jhumpa is an English-born famous American novelist whose parents were born in India. She is renowned for her short stories, novels, and essays in English and, very recently, in Italian. Some of her best works include The Namesake (2003), The Lowland (2013), and The Unaccustomed Earth (2008) and her debut book, Interpreter of Maladies (1999), for which she received the PEN/Hemingway Award, The New Yorker’s Best Debut of the Year and the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. She was also awarded the 2014 National Humanities Medal by U.S. President Barack Obama in 2015.
Anand Giridharadas is a famous American novelist, journalist, and political expert; he is also a former columnist for The New York Times. Some of his top-rated books, India Calling: An Intimate Portrait of a Nation’s Remaking (2011), The True American: Murder and Mercy in Texas (2014), and Winners Take All: The Elite Charade of Changing the World (2018). His travel to extended family in India in earlier days can be seen as an influence in his writing and makes for a perfect read for Indian immigrants trying to fit into American culture.
Vishwakarma Publications believes in supporting aspiring Indian authors and their writing talent. We feel that Indian authors do not get their due popularity. Perhaps National Author’s Day in India should also gain momentum to applaud and recognize the various Indian authors, and recognise the sheer talent we have in India.
To know more about our authors and their books, log on to www.vishwakarmapublications.com.
