Indian and Pakistani Literature

A Passage to India by E M Forster is set in the 1920s and casts a critical eye on the racism, bigotry and misunderstanding rife in colonial India. When a young British woman visiting her fiancé claims she has been raped by an Indian doctor the extent of the racial hatred and misunderstanding in the subcontinent at the time is revealed - the British demonstrating their narrow-mindedness and prejudice and the Indians' their resentment of British rule, championing the accused regardless. It was made into a film directed by David Lean in 1984.

The Siege of Krishnapur by J G Farrell explores the violence and turbulence in India during the nineteenth century. Using the British fort at Krishnapur as its backdrop it gives a historical view of British colonialism and of civil unrest during the nineteenth century. The Siege of Krishnapur' won the Booker Prize in 1973.

Midnight's Children by Salman Rushdie deals specifically with the partition of India and Pakistan, using the traumatic birth of two nations in an elaborate string of metaphors about birth, death, trust and communication. Saleem is a child born on the 24th April 1947 exactly on the hour of midnight - he is the first child of India's independence and forges special links with the other midnight children and symbolically with his country. As the spilt into India and Pakistan becomes increasingly bitter and painful, India's destruction as a nation is tracked through Saleem's mind and body. Do not worry if it takes you some time to get in to it - it is a notoriously difficult book. Though the book is essentially comic it is also poetically and politically dense. Keep reading and the book's central concerns of language, nationalism, identity and independence will become clearer and clearer.

Midnight's Children' has been critically acclaimed all over the world and is considered by many critics, scholars, authors and readers to be one of the most important novels of the twentieth century. It won the Booker Prize in the year of its publication and later the Booker of Bookers, a special prize for being the best novel to have done this. Rushdie's other works include 'The Satanic Verses', 'The Moor's Last Sigh', and his own screenplay adaptation of 'Midnight's Children' written for the BBC.

Staying On by Paul Scott, part of the author's 'Raj Quartet' (see below) tells the story of a retired, ex-patriot couple living in India after Independence. As the traumatic events of the novel develop the female protagonist realises she has no home - living in a country that she feels does not want her because of what she represents yet unable to return to her "home" where she no longer knows anybody. This is a short and compelling novel which cuts to the tender quick of human fear and anxiety and demonstrates the position both of native Indians and the ageing British patriotism which had previously been so influential and destructive. 'Staying On' won the Booker Prize in 1977.

Also part of the 'Raj Quartet' are 'The Jewel In The Crown' and 'The Day of The Scorpion'. Both look at issues of race, gender, colonialism, history and independence.

A Suitable Boy by Vikram Seth is essentially a love story. Over three volumes it tracks Lata's quest for a suitable husband. Set just after Partition it gives an excellent insight into the life of the upper classes in India during the mid 20th century. Although it is a contemporary novel (first published in 1993) it has the scope and breadth of a 19th century novel with a huge cast of characters and an evocative sense of place.

An extract from 'A Suitable Boy' is contained in The Vintage Book of Indian Writing.

Hanif Kureishi is a British based author and screen writer. His novels include 'The Buddha of Suburbia' (made into the popular television series), 'The Black Album' and 'Love In a Blue Time'. His film cannon includes 'My Son The Fanatic' (1997), My Beautiful Launderette (1986), Sammy and Rosie Get Laid (1987) and 'London Kills Me' (1991). Kureishi's work is important as it explores the experience of Asian communities in Britain whilst also dealing with issues raised by popular culture.

Meera Syal is a comic writer and broadcaster working in Britain. She has written a lot of successful and popular comic material including scripts for the television series Goodness Gracious Me, a novel called Anita and Me (1997) and the screenplay for Bhaji On The Beach' (1993), the first British film to be written and directed by Indian women. Her work explores the position of Asian communities, particularly Asian women, in Britain.

There is also a 'Vintage Book of Indian Writing' which was published to coincide with the 50th anniversary of Indian independence in 1997. This compilation was edited by Salman Rushdie and Elizabeth West and includes a broad selection of the best Indian writing of the last 50 years. It also contains works by some Pakistani writers. The book includes works by:

All but one of the short stories in this collection were originally written in English.

Key texts written by Pakistani and Indian authors in their own language are also available in the UK. Many of these have been translated into English but the process of translation can effect the style and meaning of the original texts. For more details on the issues relating to translation and Indian/Pakistani writing see the introduction to 'The Vintage Book of Indian Writing Vintage'.