- The Circle of Reason (1986)
- The Shadow Lines (1988)
- The Calcutta Chromosome (1995)
- The Glass Palace (2000)
- The Hungry Tide (2004)
- Sea of Poppies (2008)
- River of Smoke (2011)
- Flood of Fire (2015)
- In an Antique Land (1992)
- Countdown (1999)
Amitav Ghosh is a well-known name in the contemporary literature. The Indian-born writer produced a wide range of novels in the genre of historical fiction. His fictional work centers on the Southeast Asian population dealing with the identity crisis at different levels.
Born in Kolkata on 11th of July 1956, Amitav Ghosh belongs to a Bengali Hindu household. His father, Lieutenant Colonel Shailendra Chandra Ghosh, was a diplomat who travelled a lot during Ghosh’s childhood. Consequently he had the opportunity to grow up and see the different cultures of Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Iran besides India. Ghosh received his higher education from University of Delhi obtaining a Bachelors of Arts and a Masters degree. During his studies he also engrossed himself in reporting and editorial work for a newspaper. Afterwards he left for England where he got admission in the University of Oxford and had himself enrolled in social anthropology course for Ph.D. degree.
Before embarking on a journey as a writer, Ghosh started off his professional career with teaching. There are a number of universities he taught at including Columbia University in NYU, Queens College of the City University, American University in Cairo, Harvard University and many more. Ghosh made his writing debut with The Circle of Reason (1986). The novel’s focuses on a central character being accused of terrorism and his journey to Africa. It is considered a postcolonial and postmodern literature for its treatment of the colonial factors and the intertextual nature the novel, respectively. Another widely recognized work of Ghosh includes The Shadow Lines (1988) that also deals with the aftermath of departure of British colonial powers from India.
Later in 2000, Ghosh produced another historical novel, The Glass Palace. This is a complex work of fiction set in different regions and time periods. In depth the novel addresses the prevailing issues like economic changes, constitution of a nation and the impact of modernity on the society. Sea of Poppies (2008) is one of the first volumes in Ibis trilogy. The story is set in the pre-Opium-War period in 1830s. It summarizes the colonial period in the Southeast Asia. The second volume in the trilogy is recently published by the title, River of Smoke (2011).
Besides writing historical fiction Ghosh subsequently delved into science fiction genre. His first sci-fi novel The Calcutta Chromosome was published in 1995. Sir Ronald Ross is considered to be the inspiration for the book. This medical thriller, set in future, revolves around random people who are brought together by a common thread of events. In an Antique Land (1992) is a Ghosh’s experimental work encompassing variety of genres like autobiographical writing, fictional and non-fictional writing, blending into each other. Incendiary Circumstances, Dancing in Cambodia and The Imam and the Indian are marked as his contributions to non-fictional genre.
Amitav Ghosh’s work is recognized internationally for which he achieved several honorary awards. In 1990, he received France’s chief literary award, France’s Prix Médicis, for The Circle of Reason. Arthur C. Clarke Award was presented to him for The Calcutta Chromosome. Another prestigious milestone in his career arrived when Sea of Poppies won Dan David Prize and was also shortlisted for Man Booker Prize. The Glass Palace was considered for Commonwealth Writers’ Prize but he pull out amid the consideration process. Amitav Ghosh is an established Indian author and there are more twenty languages in which his works have been translated so far.
REFERENCE:http://www.famousauthors.org/amitav-ghosh
