Vikram Seth

Vikram Seth is one of India’s most celebrated and versatile writers. Born in Calcutta in 1952, he studied at Oxford and Stanford, excelling in economics and literature before embarking on a literary career. His work spans genres and forms—from the sonnet novel The Golden Gate to the monumental A Suitable Boy, one of the longest novels ever published in a single volume. Seth’s writing is marked by deep empathy, graceful language, and structural elegance.

A Suitable Boy (1993) was a landmark moment in Indian English literature, offering an immersive portrait of post-independence India through the lives of ordinary families. The novel received international acclaim and has been translated into multiple languages. Seth followed this with An Equal Music, a poignant exploration of love, loss, and the emotional world of classical musicians. His poetry collections and fables—including Beastly Tales—reflect his wit, moral clarity, and affection for rhythm and form.

He is also the author of Two Lives, a powerful biographical work about his great-uncle and great-aunt, touching on themes of diaspora, memory, and historical trauma. Seth has received numerous honors, including the Padma Shri and the Sahitya Akademi Award. Known for his quiet but firm stance on civil liberties, LGBTQ+ rights, and secularism, he continues to be a revered voice in contemporary Indian literature.