Vikram Seth

A poet and writer from India, Vikram Seth. He has published many books of poetry and fiction. Seth, a Calcutta native, was the editor of The Doon institution Weekly while he was a student at the all-boys institution. When his time at Doon was through, he transferred to Tonbridge School in England. Later, he started working at Stanford to get his Ph.D., but he never finished it.

Gurdial Singh, a mountaineer and his student's instructor at Doon, inspired him in many ways. He taught him geography and, in the words of Leila Seth, "guided Vikram in many ways...encouraged him to appreciate Western classical music and instilled in him a love of adventure and daring."

Seth has written three novels and several poetry collections. A Suitable Boy, Seth's debut book, propelled him to the top of the Indian literary scene. In 2020, the tale was turned into a BBC television program. Mappings and Beastly Tales from Here and There are two of Seth's other well-known poetry collections.

Seth has received several honors, including the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman (2005), the Commonwealth Writers Prize for A Suitable Boy (1994), the Thomas Cook Book Award for From Haven Lake: Travels Through Sinkiang and Tibet (1983), and the Crossword Book Award for An Equal Music (1999).

Born: 1952

Topics aimed at: adventure and daring