Vikram Seth CBE, FRSL (born 20 June 1952) is an Indian novelist and poet. He has written several novels and poetry books, earning numerous awards including:

Padma Shri
Sahitya Academy Award
Pravasi Bharatiya Samman
WH Smith Literary Award
Crossword Book Award

Seth's collections of poetry, such as Mappings and Beastly Tales, are notable contributions to the Indian English language poetry canon.

Early Life and Education

Seth was born on 20 June 1952 in Calcutta. His father, Prem Nath Seth, was an executive of Bata Shoes, and his mother, Leila Seth, a Barrister by training, became the first female judge of the Delhi High Court and the first woman to become Chief Justice of a state High Court in India.

Seth was educated at the all-boys' private boarding school The Doon School in Dehradun, where he was editor-in-chief of The Doon School Weekly. He was influenced by his teacher, the mountaineer Gurdial Singh, who taught him geography and encouraged his love of adventure and daring. After graduating from Doon, Seth went to Tonbridge School, England, to complete his A-levels. Later, he pursued a Ph.D. in Economics at Stanford University, though never completed it.

Work and Style

Seth has published eight books of poetry and three novels. His notable works include A Suitable Boy and An Equal Music. He has also written a travel book titled From Heaven Lake: Travels through Sinkiang and Tibet, documenting his journey through Tibet, China, and Nepal.

In addition to his novels, Seth has written poetry collections such as Mappings, The Humble Administrator's Garden, and All You Who Sleep Tonight. He has also authored a children's book, Beastly Tales from Here and There.

Personal Life

Seth is bisexual and has been actively involved in campaigning against laws discriminating against homosexuality in India. He divides his time between the United Kingdom and India.

Bibliography

Novels

The Golden Gate (1986)
A Suitable Boy (1993)
An Equal Music (1999)

Poetry

Mappings (1980)
The Tale Of Melon City (1981)
The Humble Administrator's Garden (1985)
All You Who Sleep Tonight (1990)
Beastly Tales (1991)
Three Chinese Poets (1992)
The Frog and the Nightingale (1994)
Summer Requiem: A Book of Poems (2015)
A Doctor’s Journal Entry for August 6, 1945
Elephant and the Trapogan

Children's Fiction

Arion and the Dolphin (1994)
The Louse and the Mosquito (2020)

Non-fiction

From Heaven Lake: Travels Through Sinkiang and Tibet (1983)
Two Lives (2005)
The Rivered Earth (2011)

Awards and Honours

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1983 – Thomas Cook Travel Book Award for From Heaven Lake: Travels Through Sinkiang and Tibet
1985 – Commonwealth Poetry Prize (Asia) for The Humble Administrator's Garden
1988 – Sahitya Akademi Award for The Golden Gate
1993 – Shortlisted, Irish Times International Fiction Prize for A Suitable Boy
1994 – Commonwealth Writers Prize (Overall Winner, Best Book) for A Suitable Boy
1994 – WH Smith Literary Award for A Suitable Boy
1999 – Crossword Book Award for An Equal Music
2001 – Commander of the Order of the British Empire
2001 – EMMA (BT Ethnic and Multicultural Media Award) for Best Book/Novel for An Equal Music
2005 – Pravasi Bharatiya Samman
2007 – Padma Shri in Literature & Education
2013 – NDTV's 25 Greatest Global Living Legends In India