Another Indian name appears in the booker winners list. Despite Indian writers in English winning awards galore it is only when one bags the booker that we feel that Indian literature has truly arrived.
Kiran Desai. I read about her when her book Hullabaloo in the Guava orchard was published. An interesting thing was that though she was attributed with her mother's gift of language her writing style was deemed her own.
Another aspect was that considering that she was the offspring of a literary heavy-weight, she was surprisingly low-key.
And it happened with the release of her second book too. I remember the reviews generous with praise, but none termed it anything extraordinary. A booker prize and, suddenly Desai is the toast of the literary circles, with her poor mother being subjected to unflattering comparisons.
Do we need a foreign prize to help us rate the potential of our compatriots? Why does every Indian writer need a European or north American prize for us to term her/him as good?
Anywayz, that's a lengthy discussion which could merit a blog in itself.
What I look forward to is how Kiran deals with this sudden spurt of her superstardom and, the burden of being an Indian Booker prize winner.
India has had two other players in the fray. Salman Rushdie (hey he was born in Mumbai making him a natural Indian citizen afterall) courts controversy as if its his birthright. Books or his private life, he is always in the news. An unbashed celebrity, he cocks a snook at communities and sensibilities. His is a heady mix of with serious issues and, frivolity with a verbosity most find difficult to comprehend.
And then there is Arundhati Roy, whose literary quill seems to have been satisfied after the win. She endorses her cause like actors endorse consumer goods, making sure that the media eye is there to make note. Her non-fiction gems are much appreciated but sometimes you feel its time she dropped the cause celeb tag and, whipped up some more literature.
I'm sure the media is waiting in anticipation to put Kiran in some slot too. Inherited talent or in mums footsteps , etc. suddenly her views on everything from politics to warfare to global warming will be sought and, then dissected. How would Kiran deal with all this and, what will she finally emerge as, that is a real-life drama more interesting than what any author can imagine.
Kiran Desai. I read about her when her book Hullabaloo in the Guava orchard was published. An interesting thing was that though she was attributed with her mother's gift of language her writing style was deemed her own.
Another aspect was that considering that she was the offspring of a literary heavy-weight, she was surprisingly low-key.
And it happened with the release of her second book too. I remember the reviews generous with praise, but none termed it anything extraordinary. A booker prize and, suddenly Desai is the toast of the literary circles, with her poor mother being subjected to unflattering comparisons.
Do we need a foreign prize to help us rate the potential of our compatriots? Why does every Indian writer need a European or north American prize for us to term her/him as good?
Anywayz, that's a lengthy discussion which could merit a blog in itself.
What I look forward to is how Kiran deals with this sudden spurt of her superstardom and, the burden of being an Indian Booker prize winner.
India has had two other players in the fray. Salman Rushdie (hey he was born in Mumbai making him a natural Indian citizen afterall) courts controversy as if its his birthright. Books or his private life, he is always in the news. An unbashed celebrity, he cocks a snook at communities and sensibilities. His is a heady mix of with serious issues and, frivolity with a verbosity most find difficult to comprehend.
And then there is Arundhati Roy, whose literary quill seems to have been satisfied after the win. She endorses her cause like actors endorse consumer goods, making sure that the media eye is there to make note. Her non-fiction gems are much appreciated but sometimes you feel its time she dropped the cause celeb tag and, whipped up some more literature.
I'm sure the media is waiting in anticipation to put Kiran in some slot too. Inherited talent or in mums footsteps , etc. suddenly her views on everything from politics to warfare to global warming will be sought and, then dissected. How would Kiran deal with all this and, what will she finally emerge as, that is a real-life drama more interesting than what any author can imagine.
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