Anjana Appachana
Encyclopedia
Anjana Appachana is a novelist of Indian origin who lives in the United States. She has written a book of short stories titled Incantations and a novel titled Listening Now.
and Pennsylvania State University
. Her first book Incantations and Other Stories was published in England by Virago
in 1991 and in the US by Rutgers University Press
in 1992. The book was reissued in India by Penguin
in 2006. The stories in it are set in the early eighties in India. One of her short stories titled "Sharmaji" was included in Mirrorwork: Fifty Years of Indian Writing, a collection edited by Salman Rushdie and Elizabeth West.
Appachana received the O. Henry Festival Prize
and a creative writing fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts
in the US. Her first novel and second book is titled Listening Now, and was published by Random House
in 1997. In it, six women tell the story of two lovers, Padma and Karan, spanning sixteen years. The novel is set in Bangalore, Delhi and Lucknow.
Speaking about the perception of women writing in India, she has said "Writing is not deemed legitimate work by anyone. They assume that it can be put aside for anything and everything -- for housework, for house guests, for cooking... Now tell me, how many people who work outside the house do you know who would take time off from their work to cook a meal or do groceries or laundry or look after house guests? None, right?...That's because they work outside the house and because they have a regular income which apparently legitimizes their work." In the same interview, Appachana adds that a writer's life is comparatively more comfortable in America than in India.
She lives in Tempe, Arizona
, and has a young daughter.
Biography
Anjana Appachana was born in India of Coorg (Karnataka) origin and educated at Scindia Kanya Vidyalaya, Delhi University, Jawaharlal Nehru UniversityJawaharlal Nehru University
Jawaharlal Nehru University, also known as JNU, is located in New Delhi, the capital of India. It is mainly a research oriented postgraduate University with approximately 5,500 students and a faculty strength of around 550.-History:...
and Pennsylvania State University
Pennsylvania State University
The Pennsylvania State University, commonly referred to as Penn State or PSU, is a public research university with campuses and facilities throughout the state of Pennsylvania, United States. Founded in 1855, the university has a threefold mission of teaching, research, and public service...
. Her first book Incantations and Other Stories was published in England by Virago
Virago Press
Virago is a British publishing company founded in 1973 by Carmen Callil to publish books by women writers. Both new works and reissued books by neglected authors have featured on the imprint's list....
in 1991 and in the US by Rutgers University Press
Rutgers University Press
Rutgers University Press is a nonprofit academic publishing house, operating in Piscataway, New Jersey under the auspices of Rutgers University.-History:...
in 1992. The book was reissued in India by Penguin
Penguin Books
Penguin Books is a publisher founded in 1935 by Sir Allen Lane and V.K. Krishna Menon. Penguin revolutionised publishing in the 1930s through its high quality, inexpensive paperbacks, sold through Woolworths and other high street stores for sixpence. Penguin's success demonstrated that large...
in 2006. The stories in it are set in the early eighties in India. One of her short stories titled "Sharmaji" was included in Mirrorwork: Fifty Years of Indian Writing, a collection edited by Salman Rushdie and Elizabeth West.
Appachana received the O. Henry Festival Prize
O. Henry Award
The O. Henry Award is the only yearly award given to short stories of exceptional merit. The award is named after the American master of the form, O. Henry....
and a creative writing fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts
National Endowment for the Arts
The National Endowment for the Arts is an independent agency of the United States federal government that offers support and funding for projects exhibiting artistic excellence. It was created by an act of the U.S. Congress in 1965 as an independent agency of the federal government. Its current...
in the US. Her first novel and second book is titled Listening Now, and was published by Random House
Random House
Random House, Inc. is the largest general-interest trade book publisher in the world. It has been owned since 1998 by the German private media corporation Bertelsmann and has become the umbrella brand for Bertelsmann book publishing. Random House also has a movie production arm, Random House Films,...
in 1997. In it, six women tell the story of two lovers, Padma and Karan, spanning sixteen years. The novel is set in Bangalore, Delhi and Lucknow.
Speaking about the perception of women writing in India, she has said "Writing is not deemed legitimate work by anyone. They assume that it can be put aside for anything and everything -- for housework, for house guests, for cooking... Now tell me, how many people who work outside the house do you know who would take time off from their work to cook a meal or do groceries or laundry or look after house guests? None, right?...That's because they work outside the house and because they have a regular income which apparently legitimizes their work." In the same interview, Appachana adds that a writer's life is comparatively more comfortable in America than in India.
She lives in Tempe, Arizona
Tempe, Arizona
Tempe is a city in Maricopa County, Arizona, USA, with the Census Bureau reporting a 2010 population of 161,719. The city is named after the Vale of Tempe in Greece. Tempe is located in the East Valley section of metropolitan Phoenix; it is bordered by Phoenix and Guadalupe on the west, Scottsdale...
, and has a young daughter.
Reviews and articles
- http://www.sawnet.org/books/reviews.php?Listening+now Reviews of Listening Now on Sawnet (South Asian Women's Network)
- Review by Meenakshi Mukherjee