Indra Sinha
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Indra Sinha (born in 1950 in Colaba,[1] which is part of Mumbai in the state of Maharashtra, India) is a British writer of English and Indian descent.[2] Formerly a copywriter for Collett Dickenson Pearce & Partners, Sinha has the distinction of having been voted one of the top ten British copywriters of all time.[1]
Indra Sinha's books, in addition to his translations of ancient Sanskrit texts into English,[3] include a non-fiction memoir of the pre-internet generation (Cybergypsies),[4] and novels based on the case of K. M. Nanavati vs. State of Maharashtra (The Death of Mr. Love),[5] and the Bhopal disaster (Animal's People).[6][7] Animal's People, his most recent book, was a 2007 Man Booker Prize nominee.[8][9]
Sinha is the son of an Indian naval officer and an English writer.[10] He was educated at Mayo College, Ajmer, Rajasthan in India, where he studied Hindi and Sanskrit; Oakham School, Rutland, England and Pembroke College, Cambridge in England, where he studied English literature. After living in England for four decades, he and his wife currently live in southern France. They have three grown-up children.
“I was invited by a publisher to write the text for Tantra.[1] Having done some research, what fascinated me was the evidence that many 'tantric' ideas actually came to India from the Mediterranean. It is rather a dry read and debunks reports of orgies and sexual mischief — sorry to disappoint.”
– Indra Sinha, Interview.
[edit] Books
- 1980. The Love Teachings of Kama Sutra:[11] With extracts from Koka Shastra, Ananga Ranga and other famous Indian works on love. Translations from Sanskrit and commentary. London: Hamlyn. Hardcover first edition: ISBN 0-60034-158-5. First North American edition 1997, New York: Marlowe & Co. Paperback: ISBN 1-56924-779-X.
- 1993. Tantra: The Search for Ecstasy[12] (also known with the subtitle "The Cult of Ecstasy").[1] London: Hamlyn. ISBN 0-60057-699-X.
- 1993. The Great Book of Tantra: Translations and Images from the Classic Indian Text. Rochester: Inner Traditions - Bear & Company. ISBN 0-89281-487-X. London: Hamlyn paperback edition: ISBN 0600599981.
- 1999. The Cybergypsies: a True Tale of Lust, War, and Betrayal on the Electronic Frontier.[4] New York: Viking Press, hardcover first edition. ISBN 0-67088-630-0. New York: Simon & Schuster paperback edition: ISBN 0-68481-929-5.
- 2002. The Death of Mr Love.[5] New York: Scribner (Simon & Schuster). ISBN 0-74320-698-3. (See also: K. M. Nanavati vs. State of Maharashtra.)
- 2007. Animal's People.[6] New York: Simon & Schuster. ISBN 0-74325-920-3. (See also: Bhopal disaster.)
[edit] References
- ^ a b c d Lindsay Pereira. "I feel strong contempt for Indian politicians", Rediff.com, 22 August 2007. "Pick an advertising agency; any agency. Walk to where the copywriters congregate, and gently whisper the name 'Indra Sinha'. Then stand back and watch as feelings of inadequacy suddenly rush into the room. There is a perfectly logical explanation for the reaction. For decades now, Sinha has been making copywriters around the world feel inadequate and inspired in turns. Being voted one of the top ten British copywriters of all time tends to give one that kind of power ... Sinha's writing career has been intriguing. He began with a translation (Kama Sutra) and followed it with an explanation of the Tantric tradition (Tantra: The Cult of Ecstasy), before winning acclaim with his rather frightening memoir on hours spent online in the early years of the Internet, The Cybergypsies. His first novel, The Death of Mr Love, was based on a real-life murder, in Mumbai, where he was born."
- ^ "Indra Sinha profile", The Guardian.
- ^ SINHA, Indra. State Library of Western Australia.
- ^ a b Our decade: The 90s and cyberspace. BBC News E-cyclopedia (13 March 1999).
- ^ a b Shamaila Khan (15 November 2002). Indra Sinha Interview. BBC Radio Manchester (includes audio link).
- ^ a b Nilanjana S Roy. "Bhopal revisited: Animal's Story", Business Standard, 14 August 2007. (This book review also discusses Sinha's book in the context of previous books about the Bhopal disaster: It Was Five Minutes Past Midnight (2001) by Dominique Lapierre and Javier Moro, and A Breath of Fresh Air (2002) by Amulya Malladi.)
- ^ Mark Thwaite (2007). Interview with Indra Sinha. The Book Depository, Ltd. Gloucester.
- ^ McEwan battles Booker newcomers. BBC News (7 August 2007).
- ^ At-a-glance: a guide to the Booker longlist 2007 (8 August 2007).
- ^ Biography on Indra Sinha's website.
- ^ Common misconceptions about Kama Sutra. “The Kama Sutra is neither a sex-manual nor, as also commonly believed, a sacred or religious work. It is certainly not a tantric text. In opening with a discussion of the three aims of ancient Hindu life – dharma, artha and kama – Vatsyayana's purpose is to set kama, or enjoyment of the senses, in context. Thus dharma or virtuous living is the highest aim, artha, the amassing of wealth is next, and kama is the least of the three.” —Indra Sinha.
- ^ Books on Indra Sinha's website.
