Anita Desai (b. June 24, 1937) is an Indian novelist, notable for her portrayal of female characters. She was formerly known as Anita Mazumdar. June 24 is the 175th day of the year (176th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 190 days remaining. ... 1937 was a common year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ...

She was born to a German mother and an Indian father in Mussoorie, India. She is married and has four children. She has taught at Mount Holyoke College, Smith College, and currently teaches at MIT. Mussoorie is small hill station situated in the foothills of the Himalaya ranges in north India. ... Mount Holyoke College, a liberal arts college in South Hadley, Massachusetts, is the oldest womens college in the United States, and the oldest continuing institution of womens higher education in the world. ... Smith College campus center Smith College, located in Northampton, Massachusetts, is the largest womens college in the United States. ... The Massachusetts Institute of Technology, or MIT, is a research and educational institution located in the city of Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA. MIT is a world leader in science and technology, as well as in many other fields, including management, economics, linguistics, political science, and philosophy. ...

The 1993 film In Custody (based upon her novel of the same name), directed by Ismail Merchant, won the 1994 President of India Gold Medal for Best Picture. The film stars the noted actors Shashi Kapoor, Shabana Azmi and Om Puri. 1993 is a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar and marked the Beginning of the International Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination (1993-2003). ... Anita Desais 1984 novel, In Custody , was adapted into the 1993 film Hifazaat / In Custody by Ismail Merchant in his directorial debut. ... Ismail Merchant (December 25, 1936 - May 25, 2005) was an Indian-born film producer, best known for the results of his long collaboration with his lover director James Ivory. ... Shashi Kapoor (born March 18, 1938) belongs to a very prolific acting family of India, the Kapoors. ... Shabana Azmi (born 18 September 1950 at New Delhi , India ) is the daughter of famous Urdu poet Kaify Azmi. ... Om Puri (born October 18, 1950) is an Indian actor. ...

Books Include

• Fire on the Mountain (1977)
• Games at Twilight (1978)
• Clear Light of Day (1980)
• In Custody (1984)
• Baumgartner's Bombay (1988)
• Journey to Ithaca (1995)
• Fasting, Feasting (1999)
• Diamond Dust and Other Stories (2000)
• The Village By The Sea (1982)

External links

• Literary Encyclopedia (in-progress)
• Voices from the Gaps
• SAWNET bio: Anita Desai
• Profile
• Anita Desai
• Anita Desai at the Internet Movie Database
• Anita Desai at www.contemporarywriters.com