Nathacha Devi Pathareddy Appanah (born 1973) is a Mauritian-French author. She comes from a traditional Indian family, specifically Telegu.
She spent most of her teenage years in Mauritius and also worked as a journalist/columnist at Le Mauricien and Week-End Scope before emigrating to France.
Since 1998, Nathacha Appanah is well-known as an active writer. Her first book Les Rochers de Poudre d'Or (published by Éditions Gallimard) received the " Prix du Livre RFO". The book was based on the arrival of Indian indentured workers in Mauritius.[1]
She also wrote two other books Blue Bay Palace (2003, Éditions Gallimard) and La Noce d'Anna (2005, Éditions Gallimard) which also received some prizes for best book in some regional festivals in France. The latter is set entirely in France.[2]
In 2007, she released her fourth book " Le Dernier Frère " Ed de L'Olivier. This book won the Prix FNAC.
Her first language is Mauritian creole, like most people from Mauritius[3]