Sculpting emotions with words; Image Source: Vogue

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Little Jhumpa would always see her father surrounded by books, after all, he was a librarian and they were his life and livelihood. She too was drawn towards them. Tucked in between the pages of these books were stories that deeply fascinated her. 

> Jhumpa was a daughter of Indian immigrants living in the states and stories were all they had to keep her connected to their Bangla roots.

It didn’t take a lot of time for her love of books to turn into a passion for writing and for Jhumpa Lahiri to carve a niche for herself in the world of literature.

Born on July 11, 1967, Lahiri is a critically acclaimed author whose subtle art of weaving emotionally stirring storylines with human characters leaves a great impact on the reader. A Pulitzer prize winner for fiction, she is an author who draws heavily from the world around her, making her narration extremely unique.

An exceptional woman holding a bachelors and masters in English Literature, masters in creative writing and comparative literature, and a Ph.D. in Renaissance Study, she did not have an easy time getting her initial works published. 

> After great perseverance and persistence, Jhumpa’s first collection of short stories, *The Interpreter of Maladies*, was published in 1999. It was an account of anxieties of Indian-American people that played on with multiple intricate themes. While it didn’t receive much love from India, it was highly praised in America and got Lahiri a Pulitzer.

This big win was the fruit of her labour and a testament to her talent as a writer. Jhumpa was ready to charm the world again and she released her first novel, *The Namesake* in 2003. Once again, the story was influenced by her own life, particularly, a story she heard growing up. Not only did the book perform well, but it was also adapted in a movie starring Tabu and Irrfan Khan. Jhumpa herself had a cameo in it.

It was time to replicate success again; she did it with *Unaccustomed Earth*, a collection of short stories that debuted at Number 1 on the New York Times bestseller list. These stories again invoke the themes of immigrants and the dilemmas they face about their identity and place within the society.

> Lahiri’s next novel, *The Lowland* was shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize. While she did not win the title, the book only reaffirmed her place as a brilliant author with a penchant for selecting words that strike right at the heart of the readers.

Apart from these publications, her short story singles frequently find a place in major publications and have a huge reader base.

The art of writing takes years to master and Jhumpa is now helping an entire generation of passionate students as a creative writing professor at Princeton University. Through her literary journey, she has also served as vice president of the PEN American Center and a member of the Committee on the Arts and Humanities.

A recipient of many prestigious awards, Lahiri is currently based in Italy. While people usually like spending their time sipping in the beauty of the Italian landscape, she has published an Italian novel, *Dove mi Trovo*.

It is a tricky task to manage a storyline that belongs to two entirely different parts of the world, please this polar opposite audience while giving out a piece of your life, and make everyone connect with it. With her simple yet nuanced writing, Jhumpa Lahiri always manages to pull it off.

Throughout time, sharing stories about the self to the world has been a practice that has held great importance for mankind. Bringing out such tales in a masterful manner that relates to an audience worldwide, makes Jhumpa Lahiri a special author.