Jhumpa Lahiri
Pulitzer‑Prize Winning Author & Translator
Born in London and raised in the United States, Jhumpa Lahiri is a celebrated author of fiction and essays in English and Italian. Her writing explores identity, belonging, and the immigrant experience.
About
Jhumpa Lahiri (b. July 11, 1967) is an Indian‑American author born in London, raised in Rhode Island, and based in Rome. Her debut short‑story collection Interpreter of Maladies (1999) won the Pulitzer Prize and PEN/Hemingway Award. She followed with the acclaimed novel The Namesake (2003), later adapted into a major film, and further collections like Unaccustomed Earth (2008) and The Lowland (2013), the latter winning the DSC Prize and National Humanities Medal.
In 2015, she shifted to writing in Italian, producing In Other Words (2016) and Whereabouts (2018, English translation 2021). Her work—spanning fiction, memoir, and translation—explores cultural identity, language, silence, and exile. A professor of creative writing at Princeton and later Barnard College, Lahiri continues to shape contemporary literature in two languages with remarkable clarity and emotional insight.
Published Books
Interpreter of Maladies
Short Stories
Nine stories exploring the immigrant experience, cultural dislocation, and personal relationships. Winner of the Pulitzer Prize.
The Namesake
Novel
A multigenerational tale of an Indian-American family, identity, and the bond between parents and their son Gogol.
Unaccustomed Earth
Short Stories
A collection that delves into family ties, loss and expectations across two generations of Bengali-Americans.
The Lowland
Novel
A deeply emotional novel of two brothers in Calcutta—politics, love, sacrifice—and the ripples that echo across continents.
In Other Words
Memoir / Language
A lyrical memoir on learning and writing in Italian, reflecting on silence, identity and the writer’s voice.
Whereabouts
Novel (Italian → English)
Originally written in Italian, this quietly poetic novel observes urban life, identity and daily fragmentation in Rome.
Recommended Reading
Midnight's Children
Salman Rushdie
A landmark novel in postcolonial literature, exploring India's transition from British rule to independence.
The White Tiger
Aravind Adiga
A gripping tale of class struggle and corruption in modern India, told through the eyes of a village boy turned entrepreneur.
Awards & Recognition
Pulitzer Prize for Fiction
2000For Interpreter of Maladies, honoring excellence in short fiction.
Frank O'Connor International Short Story Award
2008Won for Unaccustomed Earth, recognizing outstanding short‑story collections.
National Humanities Medal
2014Awarded by the U.S. government for contributions to American cultural and intellectual life.
Famous Quotes
"That’s the thing about books. They let you travel without moving your feet."
"Language, identity, place, home: these are all of a piece – just different elements of belonging and not‑belonging."
"You can’t have a hit every time. The main thing is to keep on working and not be afraid to take risks."
"The first sentence of a book is a handshake, perhaps an embrace."
"Fiction is the only way I know a human being can inhabit the mind of another human being."
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