Rana Dasgupta
Encyclopedia
Rana Dasgupta is a British-Indian novelist and essayist. He grew up in Cambridge
, England and studied at Balliol College, Oxford
, the Conservatoire Darius Milhaud in Aix-en-Provence
, and the University of Wisconsin–Madison
. He lives in Delhi
, India.
His first novel, Tokyo Cancelled (2005), is an examination of the forces and experiences of globalisation. Billed as a modern-day Canterbury Tales, thirteen passengers stuck overnight in an airport tell thirteen stories from different cities in the world, stories that resemble contemporary fairytales, mythic and surreal. The tales add up to a broad exploration of 21st century forms of life, which includes billionaires, film stars, migrant labourers, illegal immigrants and sailors. Tokyo Cancelled was shortlisted for the 2005 John Llewellyn Rhys Prize
.
Dasgupta's second novel, Solo (2009) is an epic tale of the 20th and 21st centuries told from the perspective of a one hundred-year old Bulgaria
n man. Having achieved little in his 20th century life, he settles into a long and prophetic daydream of the 21st century, where all the ideological experiments of the old century are over, and a collection of startling characters – demons and angels – live a life beyond utopia.
Rana Dasgupta was awarded the prestigious Commonwealth Writers' Prize
for the novel Solo, it won both the region and overall best-book prize.
Cambridge
The city of Cambridge is a university town and the administrative centre of the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It lies in East Anglia about north of London. Cambridge is at the heart of the high-technology centre known as Silicon Fen – a play on Silicon Valley and the fens surrounding the...
, England and studied at Balliol College, Oxford
Oxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
, the Conservatoire Darius Milhaud in Aix-en-Provence
Aix-en-Provence
Aix , or Aix-en-Provence to distinguish it from other cities built over hot springs, is a city-commune in southern France, some north of Marseille. It is in the region of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, in the département of Bouches-du-Rhône, of which it is a subprefecture. The population of Aix is...
, and the University of Wisconsin–Madison
University of Wisconsin–Madison
The University of Wisconsin–Madison is a public research university located in Madison, Wisconsin, United States. Founded in 1848, UW–Madison is the flagship campus of the University of Wisconsin System. It became a land-grant institution in 1866...
. He lives in Delhi
Delhi
Delhi , officially National Capital Territory of Delhi , is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest by population in India, next to Mumbai. It is the eighth largest metropolis in the world by population with 16,753,265 inhabitants in the Territory at the 2011 Census...
, India.
His first novel, Tokyo Cancelled (2005), is an examination of the forces and experiences of globalisation. Billed as a modern-day Canterbury Tales, thirteen passengers stuck overnight in an airport tell thirteen stories from different cities in the world, stories that resemble contemporary fairytales, mythic and surreal. The tales add up to a broad exploration of 21st century forms of life, which includes billionaires, film stars, migrant labourers, illegal immigrants and sailors. Tokyo Cancelled was shortlisted for the 2005 John Llewellyn Rhys Prize
John Llewellyn Rhys Prize
The John Llewellyn Rhys Prize is a literary prize awarded annually for the best work of literature by an author from the Commonwealth aged 35 or under, written in English and published in the United Kingdom...
.
Dasgupta's second novel, Solo (2009) is an epic tale of the 20th and 21st centuries told from the perspective of a one hundred-year old Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
n man. Having achieved little in his 20th century life, he settles into a long and prophetic daydream of the 21st century, where all the ideological experiments of the old century are over, and a collection of startling characters – demons and angels – live a life beyond utopia.
Rana Dasgupta was awarded the prestigious Commonwealth Writers' Prize
Commonwealth Writers' Prize
Commonwealth Writers is an initiative by the Commonwealth Foundation to unearth, develop and promote the best new fiction from across the Commonwealth. It's flagship are two literary awards and a website...
for the novel Solo, it won both the region and overall best-book prize.
External links
- Rana Dasgupta personal website
- Article-length review of Solo in The Australian
- New Statesman article by Rana Dasgupta on the rise of the Third-World city
- Granta essay by Rana Dasgupta about Delhi's new rich
- http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/arts_and_culture/8616360.stm
- Rana Dasgupta in Telegraph list of best British novelists under 40