Kiran Desai (born 3 September 1971) is an Indian author renowned for her literary achievements. Her notable novel The Inheritance of Loss clinched both the prestigious 2006 Man Booker Prize and the National Book Critics Circle Fiction Award. In January 2015, The Economic Times recognized her among 20 "most influential" global Indian women.

Early and Personal Life

Kiran Desai, daughter of renowned novelist Anita Desai, was born in Delhi and spent her formative years in Punjab and Mumbai. She pursued her education at Cathedral and John Connon School in Mumbai.
At the age of 14, she relocated with her mother to England before eventually settling in the United States.

Education

Kiran Desai pursued her interest in creative writing through various institutions, including Bennington College, Hollins University, and Columbia University.

Work

Desai's literary journey commenced with her debut novel Hullabaloo in the Guava Orchard in 1998, earning accolades from notable figures such as Salman Rushdie. Notably, it secured the Betty Trask Award, recognizing the best new novels by citizens under 35 within the Commonwealth of Nations.

Her subsequent novel, The Inheritance of Loss (2006), garnered widespread acclaim across continents. Winning both the Man Booker Prize and the National Book Critics Circle Fiction Award, Desai made history as the youngest-ever woman to clinch the Booker Prize at 35 (later surpassed by Eleanor Catton in 2013).

Desai's contributions extend beyond writing; she appeared as a guest on BBC Radio 3's Private Passions and was a featured author at the inaugural Asia House Festival of Cold Literature. Additionally, she received a 2013 Berlin Prize Fellowship at the American Academy in Berlin.

Residing in New York City, Desai revealed her ongoing work on a novel exploring theme of power and identity, centered around a young Indian woman. However, this awaited release has yet to materialize, with Desai not publishing any books since her Booker Prize-winning second novel in 2006 as of 2021.