Indian author Anita Nair is best known for her fiction and poetry. Her novels ‘The Better Man’ and ‘Ladies Coupe’ is one of bestselling works and have been translated in 21 languages. She was born at Shornur, Kerala and took education in Chennai. After that, she returned to Kerala to pursue BA in English Language and Literature. Then, she took up a job of creative director in an advertising agency in Bangalore where she wrote her first book; which was a collection of short stories named Satyr of the Subway. Anita sold this book to Har-Anand Press. This book won her a fellowship from the Virginia Centre for Creative Arts.
Author Anita’s next book was published by Penguin India, and it was the first book by an Indian author which was published by Picador USA. Soon Anita became a well known face across globe and her books were published in several languages around the world. Writer Anita’s early commercial works were penned down in the late 90s for the Bangalore Monthly magazine (which is now called ‘080’ Magazine) and was published by Explocity in the column titled ‘The Economic Epicurean’.
After that her novel, The Better Man, came in the year 2000; which was also been published in Europe and the United States. Thereafter, her collection of poems, Malabar Mind, appeared in the year 2002, and later in the year 2003, she edited ‘Where the Rain is Born-Writings about Kerala.’ Indian writer Anita penned her second novel, ‘Ladies Coupe’ and was published in the 2001. This novel turned out to be a turning point in her career as achieved greater success that the first two novels. This novel increased her reach and her novel was read far in 15 countries apart from India; which included USA, Turkey, Poland, Portugal and others.
In 2002, writer Anita was elected as one of the best five writers in India. Her third novel, Ladies Coupe, was about women’s conditions in a male dominated society and was told with great insights, solidarity and humour. This novel was also rated as one of the top five books of the year in 2001 and was translated into more than 25 languages all around the world.
Apart from these novels, Indian writer Anita has also written novels like ‘The Puffin Book of Myths and Legends’ which is a children’s book on myth and legends. Anita also edited one book named ‘Where the Rain is Born’ in the year 2003. Her writings about Kerala and her poetry were included in ‘The Poetry India Collection’ and in a British Council Poetry Workshop Anthology. Anita also wrote other novels like ‘Mistress’ (2003), ‘Adventure of Nonu-The Skating Squirrel’ (2006), ‘Living Next Door to Alise’ (2007), and ‘Magical Indian Myths’ (2008).
Writer Anita also wrote many travelogues. She turned playwright from a play named ‘Nine Faces of Being’; which was adapted from her book Mistress.
Awards
● Nair was named a finalist for the 2007 PEN/Beyond Margins Award in the U.S.A.
● Nair was nominated a finalist for LiBeraturpreis 2007 in Germany
● Nair was on the Orange Prize long list in the UK
● FLO FICCI Women Achievers Award in 2008 for Literature
Her work –
Novels
● The Better Man (2000)
● Ladies Coupé (2001)
● Mistress (2005)
● Lessons In Forgetting (2010)
● Cut Like Wound (2012)
● Idris Keeper Of The Light (2014)
Mythology
● Puffin Book of World Myths and Legends (2004)
● Magical Indian Myths (2008)
Children's writing
● Living Next Door To Alise - Children's Novel (2006)
● Adventures of Nonu, the Skating Squirrel (2007)
Poetry
● Malabar Mind (1997)
Essays
● Goodnight & God Bless (2008)
Edited
● Where the rain is born - Writings about Kerala (2003)
0 Comments