The growing popularity of English fiction especially by Indian writers can be observed at most book fairs, exhibitions and literary festivals, yet there is hardly a discussion about their vernacular counterparts. With many a riveting read, awards and accolades to their credit, these regional writers have come a long way in carving a niche for themselves and influencing their loyal audience.
Below is a list of some renowned regional writers in India. Irrespective of the time period, these stalwarts will always be remembered for their outstanding contribution to Indian literature.
Munshi Premchand: Popularly known as ‘Upanyas Samrat’ (‘Emperor of novels’) amongst Hindi writers, Munshi Premchand was a famous Hindi-Urudu writer who belonged to the twentieth century. A reformer at heart, Premchand’s writing always carried an underlying social message for the bourgeois. He has authored fourteen novels, around three hundred short stories as well as essays and plays. Premchand’s last novel Godaan (Gift of a cow) remains his most famous one. His other notable novels are Gaban, Kafan Poos ki Rat, Idgah, and Bade Ghar ki Beti. Premchand’s bestsellers such as Shatranj Ke Khiladi and SevaSadan have been adapted into films by Satyajit Ray. To this day, he remains one of the best Hindi fiction writers India has ever seen.
Bankim Chandra Chatterjee: A writer of great caliber, this Bengali poet and novelist needs no introduction. Composer of the national song Vande Mataram, a source of inspiration for many freedom fighters, Bankim Chandra Chatterjee was a key figure in shaping not just Bengali, but Indian literature. Encouraging his readers to think independently, many of his novels and essays have been translated into other regional languages. Having served the government for over thirty two years, Bankim Chandra Chatterjee retired as he was not in agreement with the British principles during his time.
Thakazhi Sivasankara Pillai: Thakazhi Sivasankara Pillai commonly known as Thakazhi after his birthplace, was a famous novelist and short story writer of Malayalam literature. His novels portrayed the lives of the poor and backward classes of society and the hardships they faced. Chemmeen and Kayar are considered his best till date. The former was made into a movie which was widely acclaimed internationally and has been translated into nineteen world languages and adapted as a film in fifteen countries. He was bestowed the Jnanpith award, the highest award for literature, by the Government of India in 1984.
Homen Borgohain: A renowned writer and poet in the Assamese language, Homen Borgohain was awarded the Sahitya Academi Award in 1978 for his novel, Pita Putra. Homen is famous for his thought provoking writing, which has stirred many controversies. Subala, Timirtirtha and Matsyagandha Kushilab remain his popular novels. Much talked about for his artistic and unconventional lifestyle, this writer is also the editor of Amar Asom, a leading daily newspaper in Assam.
Amrita Pritam: Fondly remembered for her heartrending poem, Aj Aakhaan Waris Shah Nu, Amrita Pritam was an outstanding Punjabi writer and poet who became the first woman to win the Sahitya Academy award in 1956. This talented writer began her career at the young age of sixteen and went on to receive the Padma Shri, Jnanpith, Padma Vibhushan awards at 1969, 1982 and 2004 respectively. She was also conferred the Sahitya Academy Fellowship for lifetime achievement in literature in 2004. Equally popular in Pakistan, Amrita Pritam has written about twenty eight novels, five short stories and many prose volumes.
Va Pu Kale: An architect by profession, Vasant Purushottam Kale, popularly known as Va Pu Kale, was one amongst the finest Marathi writers. He wrote more than sixty books and was famous for his short stories, novels, and biographical sketches. Va Pu Kale’s well-known books include Partner, Vapurza, Hi Waat Ekatichi, and Thikri. He is said to have been greatly influenced by the teachings of Osho, the famous spiritual guru, and this clearly reflected in his work.
Harilal Upadhyay: Apart from being an award winning astrologist, Harilal Upadhyay was also a leading Gujarati novelist and short story writer. He has over a hundred books to his credit which includes short stories for children, novels, plays, biographies, and the Mahabharath series. Harilal Upadhyay was famous for his social novels which dealt with kings and kingdoms. His historical novels about Suryavansh and Rajasthan were later complied into a series of books titled Mevad Itihas Granthavali Shrenee. Harilal Upadhyay has also penned numerous articles for leading newspapers and magazines such as Kismat, LokTantra, LokGurjari (LokGurjaree).
U. R. Ananthamurthy: One of the pioneers of the Navya Movement (New Movement) in Kannada literature, U. R. Ananthmurthy is a very popular Kannada writer in India today. He has authored several short stories, essays and novels many of which have been translated into Indian and European languages and few others made into movies as well. His renowned novels include Samskara, Bhava, Bharathi Pura, and Avasthe. Ananthamurthy’s stories deal with human psychology and many of his essays discuss the social and cultural situation of the society today. This well known author is also the recipient of the Jnanpith award in 1994 and the Padma Bhushan in 1998.
Pratibha Ray: Pratibha Ray, an Oriya novelist and short story writer, is one of the leading fiction writers in India today. A professor by occupation, Pratibha Ray is an active researcher and famous for her research on the Bonda tribe in Orissa. She is also referred to as a feminist as many of her stories are focused on the empowerment of women and celebrating womanhood. Her first novel Barsa BasantaBaishakha is also her most famous one. Pratibha Ray is currently the Member, Public Service Commission of Orissa State, and has represented the country in many international literary conferences.
Krishna Sobti: A noted Hindi fiction writer and essayist, Krishna Sobti won the Sahitya Akademi Award in 1980 for her novel Zindaginama and was awarded the Sahitya Akademi Fellowship in 1996. She is also the recipient of the Hindi Academy Award in 1982; the Shiromani Award in 1981; the first Katha Chudamani Award in 1999 for Lifetime Literary Achievement, and was also honoured with the Shalaka Award of the Hindi Academy Delhi in 2000 – 2001. Surprisingly, she declined one of the highest honours, ie the Padma Bhushan in 2010. Most famous for her novel Mitro Marajani, she has also authored some popular short stories such as Nafisa, Sikka Badal gaya, Badalom ke ghere, many of which have been translated into English. Krishna Sobti also features in celebrated writer Arundhati Roy’s list of favourite writers in Indian native language.
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