Pankaj Mishra

Pankaj Mishra is an Indian author and essayist whose work critically examines the social, cultural, and political changes occurring in India, Asia, and the rest of the world. Mishra has written critically acclaimed works of fiction such as THE SYMPHONY OF SILENCE and REMOTE CONTROL, as well as works of nonfiction including THE INTAGLIO: TALES OF INDIA’S GLOBALISED WORLD. His writings explore issues of identity, nationalism, imperialism, and economic inequality, and have made him one of the most important voices in South Asian literature.

Mishra was born in Uttar Pradesh, India in 1969. He received his undergraduate degree from Allahabad University and a post-graduate degree in Indian history from Jawaharlal Nehru University in Delhi. He has also held fellowships at Harvard, Stanford, and the University of California, Berkeley.

Mishra’s first book was THE SYMPHONY OF SILENCE, an experimental novel set in India just before the liberalization of the country’s economy in 1991. It delves into the complex issues of nationalism, identity, and culture that characterized India during this divisive period. The Novel examines the ways in which India’s long history of oppression, discrimination, and exploitation has shaped its culture and politics.

Mishra offered a searing critique of India’s rigid caste system in his collection of essays entitled THE INTAGLIO: TALES OF INDIA’S GLOBALISED WORLD. Drawing upon history, mythology, biography, and travelogue, Mishra talks about the disenfranchisement of dalits, or untouchables, within India’s rigidly hierarchical social structure. He also examines the personal pain and indignity they endure in a society where they are frequently marginalized.

Mishra’s more recent work is focused on the globalised world. His first work of nonfiction, THE CORRUPTABLE REACH, examines the rise of international terrorism and its relationship to the West. It explores the roots of Muslim militancy and insurgencies from Kashmir to Afghanistan, and argues that economic inequality and lack of political and cultural representation are at the root of most extremist ideologies.

Mishra’s other works of nonfiction include INDIA IN THE WORLD, which looks at the role of India in the global political and economic arenas, and THE ASCENT OF MONEY, which examines economic globalization and its consequences.

Mishra has also published collections of essays and journalism, including FROM THE MARGIN OF OPTIMISM, in which he traces India’s complex cultural, political, and economic changes over the last fifty years. His most recently publication, RAGE IS THE NEW JOY, examines the changing relationship between the East and the West and its implications for the future.

Mishra's works have earned him widespread recognition and praise. He was shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize in 2017 for his novel Age of Anger and won the 2018 Windham–Campbell Literature Prize. His works have been translated into multiple languages and his writings have appeared in publications around the world, including The New York Review of Books, The New York Times, The Guardian, and The London Review of Books.

Pankaj Mishra is undoubtedly one of the most esteemed writers on South Asian society and the global politics of the 21st century. His works offer a critical yet sympathetic eye to the social, cultural, and political issues that have shaped the region. His insight into India’s complex past and ongoing economic and political transformation is a valuable asset to understanding this rapidly changing world.