Japanese Literary Awards

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Amitav Ghosh

アミタヴ・ゴーシュ

Amitav Ghosh

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1956-07-11 （Kolkata）
Nationality
India
Languages
English
Residence History
Kolkata (birthplace) → Brooklyn, New York → Goa, India (property owner)

Career

Occupations
Novelist, Essayist, Academic
Active Years
1986-
Affiliations
CUNY Queens College (Distinguished Professor of Comparative Literature), Harvard University, Department of English (Visiting Professor)
Memberships
Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature, Member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences

Education

The Doon School
Country: India
Secondary school
St. Stephen's College, Delhi
Country: India
Undergraduate studies
University of Delhi
Country: India
St Edmund Hall, University of Oxford
Social Anthropology
Degree: PhD
Country: United Kingdom
PhD in social anthropology (year unspecified)

Awards

Prix Médicis (Étranger)
1990
Work: The Circle of Reason
Organization: Prix Médicis committee
Result: Winner
Sahitya Akademi Award
Work: The Shadow Lines
Organization: Sahitya Akademi
Result: Winner
Arthur C. Clarke Award
1997
Work: The Calcutta Chromosome
Organization: Arthur C. Clarke Award committee
Result: Winner
Padma Shri
2007
Organization: Government of India
Result: Recipient
Man Booker Prize (Shortlist)
2008
Work: Sea of Poppies
Organization: Man Booker Prize committee
Result: Shortlist
Dan David Prize
2010
Organization: Dan David Foundation
Result: Recipient
Erasmus Prize
2024
Organization: Erasmus Prize Foundation
Result: Recipient

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

The Circle of Reason

1986 Fiction

An early novel following young Indian protagonists, blending coming-of-age narrative with social critique; exhibits postcolonial themes.

PostcolonialismMigration and identity

The Shadow Lines

1990 Fiction / Historical elements

Explores borders, memory and the intersection of history and personal lives; considered one of his major works and recipient of major literary recognition.

BordersMemoryHistory and the personal

The Calcutta Chromosome

1995 Science fiction / Mystery

A novel intertwining history of science and conspiracy; winner of the Arthur C. Clarke Award.

Science and historyConspiracy

The Glass Palace

2000 Historical novel

An expansive historical novel tracing movements and family histories across colonial South Asia.

Empire and colonizationFamily saga

The Hungry Tide

2004 Fiction / Environmental literature

Set in the tidal regions of Bengal, exploring environment, ecology and human relationships.

EnvironmentEcologyHuman relationships

Sea of Poppies

2008 Historical novel / Epic saga

An epic set in the Indian Ocean world prior to the Opium Wars; shortlisted for the Booker Prize.

ColonialismTrade and movementCross-cultural encounters

Bibliography

  • The Circle of Reason (1986)
  • The Shadow Lines (1990)
  • The Calcutta Chromosome (1995)
  • The Glass Palace (2000)
  • The Hungry Tide (2004)
  • Sea of Poppies (2008)
  • In an Antique Land (1992)
  • Other nonfiction and essays

Translations of Works

  • The Shadow Lines — Japanese translation by Riho Isaka
  • The Calcutta Chromosome — Japanese translation by Makoto Ito
  • The Glass Palace — Japanese translation by Shizen Ozawa & Masatsugu Ono
  • The Nutmeg's Curse — Japanese translation by Yoshiharu Mihara & Kahori Inuma
  • The Hungry Tide — Japanese translation by Kaneichiro Iwahori

Style & Themes

Literary Style
Postcolonial perspectiveBlending history and fictionDetailed description and polyphonic narration
Recurring Motifs
Borders and boundariesMemory and movementSea and tradeEnvironmental and climate issues

Legacy

Internationally acclaimed writer whose work crosses postcolonial literature and historical fiction; known for addressing South Asian history and environmental issues.

Academic Societies

  • Royal Society of Literature
  • American Academy of Arts and Sciences

Trivia

  • Married to writer Deborah Baker.
  • Awarded the Padma Shri by the Government of India in 2007.
  • Sea of Poppies was shortlisted for the Booker Prize in 2008.
  • Also writes nonfiction on environment and climate change.
  • Lives in Brooklyn and owns property in Goa, India.