Indian Literature and Authors

The Inheritance of Loss by Kiran Desai won the Man Booker Prize in 2006. Her mother Anita Desai was also a renowned novelist but had not won this prize. Arvind Adiga won the Booker Prize later in 2008 for The White Tiger, while Salman Rushdie won in 1981 for Midnight's Children.

The Namesake is a novel by Jhumpa Lahiri published in 2003, exploring themes of identity and immigration through the Ganguli family. Amitav Ghosh is known for works like The Shadow Lines and The Ibis Trilogy. Shobha De is a columnist and novelist, while Khushwant Singh was a journalist and author known for Train to Pakistan.

The Kite Runner is a novel by Khaled Hosseini published in 2003, about friendship and redemption in Afghanistan. Arvind Adiga wrote The White Tiger, Salman Rushdie wrote Midnight's Children, and Vikram Seth wrote A Suitable Boy.

Seevaga Sinthamani, one of the five great Tamil epics, is known as 'Mana Nool' (Book of Marriages) because it contains numerous marriage scenes and sequences. This Jain epic by Tiruttakkatevar celebrates the life of King Seevagan and includes elaborate descriptions of marriage ceremonies.

Vande Mataram was written by Bankim Chandra Chatterjee in his novel Anandamath. Rabindranath Tagore wrote Jana Gana Mana. It became India's national song.

Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay (Chatterjee), the renowned Bengali novelist and writer, was affectionately called 'Anila Devi' by his close family members during his childhood. This nickname was given to him because he was delicate and fair-skinned like a girl, and his family used this feminine pet name lovingly. He is famous for works like Devdas, Parineeta, and Srikanto.

This famous doha (couplet) is by Saint Kabir, a 15th-century Indian mystic poet. The verse teaches that if you look for faults in others, you'll find them everywhere, but if you examine yourself, you'll find no fault with anyone.

Shivaram Karanth (1902-1997) wrote Mookajjiya Kanasugalu, a celebrated Kannada novel exploring philosophical themes through an elderly protagonist's dreams. Girish Karnad, U.R. Ananthamurthy, and K.S. Narasimhaswamy are all distinguished Kannada writers but not this novel's author.

S.L. Bhyrappa wrote Matadaana (1965), a significant novel exploring political and social themes in post-independence India. P.L.ankesh was a noted writer/journalist, Harihara a pioneer Kannada novelist, and Akka Mahadevi a 12th-century vak saint.

G.D. Birla contributed Rs 22,000 to support C.V. Raman's groundbreaking research in light scattering, which led to the discovery of the Raman Effect and won Raman the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1930. The Birla family has a long history of supporting scientific research in India.

Kalki (R. Krishnamurthy) wrote 'Ponniyin Selvan', widely regarded as one of the greatest Tamil historical novels. Published in serial form from 1950 to 1954, it depicts the Chola dynasty's rise to power with meticulous historical detail and vivid characterization.

Chandilyan wrote 'Yavana Rani' (The Greek Queen), a popular Tamil historical novel set in the Sangam era. The story revolves around the relationship between a Tamil princess and a Greek merchant/princess, exploring cross-cultural encounters in ancient Tamilakam.

Sujatha (R. Suresh) wrote 'Srirangathu Devadhaigal' (The Deities of Srirangam), a collection of short stories that vividly portrays life around the Srirangam temple. Sujatha was one of Tamil's most popular modern writers, known for his accessible prose and deep understanding of human nature.

Vikraman is a well-known Tamil author famous for historical novels. 'Nandipurathu Nayaki' is one of his most celebrated works, continuing the story of characters from Kalki's Ponniyin Selvan.

Aravind Adiga won the Booker Prize in 2008 for his novel 'The White Tiger,' which explores the class struggle and corruption in modern India. The book presents a dark satire on India's economic boom through the eyes of a chauffeur from a poor background. The other options listed are not Booker Prize winners by this author.