PERSONAL INFORMATION
Profession(s): Poet & Novelist
Famous Works: First Book of Poetry: Mappings (1980) First Novel: The Golden Gate (1986) Other Famous Works • From Heaven Lake: Travels through Sinkiang and Tibet (1983) • The Humble Administrator’s Garden (1985) • A Suitable Boy (1993) • An Equal Music (1999) • Two Lives (2005)
Date of Birth: 20 June 1952 (Friday)
Age (as of 2024): 72 Years
Birthplace: Calcutta ( now, Kolkata)
Zodiac sign: Gemini
Nationality: Indian
Hometown: Delhi, India
Religion: He belongs to a Hindu Family. However, while talking about religion and country, Vikram says- “I have said it before and am saying it again that any Indian who demeans another Indian on the basis of the food he eats and on the basis of the god he prays to or on the basis of the person he loves is not worthy to be an Indian leader.”
Food Habit: Non-Vegetarian [2] The Hindu
Age: 72 Years
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EDUCATION
School: • St. Michael’s High School, Patna • St. Xavier’s High School, Patna • The Doon School, Dehradun • Welham Boys’ School, Dehradun • Tonbridge School, England
College/University: • Corpus Christi College, Oxford, England • Stanford University, California • Nanjing University, China
Educational Qualification(s): • PPE (Philosophy, Politics, and Economics) from Corpus Christi College, Oxford, England in 1975 • Master’s in Economics from Stanford University, California in 1979
Education: Master Of Economics
PHYSICAL STATISTICS
Height[1]The Guardian: in centimeters – 160 cm in meters – 1.60 m in feet & inches – 5’ 3”
Eye Colour: Black
Hair Colour: Black
FAMILY & RELATIONSHIPS
Marital Status: In an interview given to a magazine, Vikram confessed that he had been in a monogamous relationship once. [6] Outlook India
Affairs: • Gabrielle • Philippe Honoré (French; Violinist)
Parents: Father – Prem Nath Seth (Executive of Bata Shoes) Mother – Leila Seth (Justice; died on 5 May 2017)
Siblings: Brother – Shantum Seth (Buddhist Teacher) Sister – Aradhana Seth (Filmmaker & Scenographer)
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS
Awards, Honours, Achievements: • 1983: Thomas Cook Travel Book Award for ‘From Heaven Lake: Travels Through Sinkiang and Tibet’ • 1985: Commonwealth Poetry Prize (Asia) for ‘The Humble Administrator’s Garden’ • 1988: Sahitya Akademi Award for ‘The Golden Gate’ • 1994: Commonwealth Writers Prize for ‘A Suitable Boy’ • 1994: WH Smith Literary Award for ‘A Suitable Boy’ • 1999: Crossword Book Award for ‘An Equal Music’ • 2001: Order of the British Empire, Officer • 2005: Pravasi Bharatiya Samman • 2009: Padma Shri
MONEY FACTOR
Assets/Properties: • He keeps on shifting his base from England to Delhi and vice versa. • Bemerton Rectory in Salisbury, England (former house of the poet George Herbert) [7] The Guardian
OTHER INFORMATION
Hobbies: Reading, Writing, Listening to Music, Swimming, Singing
Sexual Orientation: Bisexual [5] Outlook India
Food: Chapli Kabab, Shamli Kabab, Awadhi Biryani, Konkani Biryani, Hyderabadi Biryani
Poets(s): Timothy Steele, Donald Davie
Novelist(s): Jane Austen, George Eliot, R. K. Narayan
Book: “Eugene Onegin” by Alexander Pushkin
Musician(s): Johann Sebastian Bach, Franz Schubert
Wine: Villa Maria
Royalty (approx.): He was paid Rs. 2.3 crores for his bestselling novel “A Suitable Boy” and Rs. 13 crores for his novel “Two Lives” [8] The Telegraph
INTERESTING BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Vikram Seth, a distinguished figure in contemporary literature, was born into a family of notable accomplishments. His father, Prem Nath Seth, earned the nickname ‘Mr. Shoes’ for his role as an executive at Bata Shoes in Delhi, while his mother, Leila Seth, carved a path for women in law as the first female judge of the Delhi High Court and the first woman Chief Justice of a state High Court in India, serving as the 8th Chief Justice of the Himachal Pradesh High Court from August 5, 1991, to October 20, 1992. Growing up in such an influential environment, Vikram’s early life was marked by a combination of privilege and profound personal challenges that shaped his character and creative pursuits.
At the tender age of six, Vikram was sent to boarding school, an experience that significantly impacted his personality and interests. This early separation from his family fostered in him an introverted demeanor, leading him to find solace in books rather than sports or social activities. He recalls the isolation he felt during those six formative years, often wishing he would not wake up at night due to the loneliness that enveloped him. His introversion drew ridicule from his peers, who teased him for his academic pursuits and reluctance to participate in group dynamics. However, this period of solitude also nurtured his passion for literature, which would later flourish during his time at the Doon School, where he edited the school’s journal, “The Doon School Weekly,” and ultimately earned a scholarship to Tonbridge School in England.
Relocating to England to attend Tonbridge, Vikram lived with his great-uncle, Shanti Behari Seth, a dentist who provided him a stable home while he pursued his education. His time at Tonbridge was marked by further academic achievements, culminating in another scholarship to Oxford University. While at Oxford, Vikram began exploring poetry, though he later dismissed his early works as “incredibly unskillful.” Nonetheless, he remained committed to his craft, writing extensively while keeping most of his poems private. This dedication to poetry continued to grow, especially during his studies at Stanford, where he encountered the translated works of Chinese poet Wang Wei. Inspired, Vikram took it upon himself to learn Mandarin, mastering the language to the extent that he was soon writing poetry in it, all while simultaneously cultivating his English poetry.
To enhance his writing skills, Vikram sought guidance from the faculty at Stanford’s English Department, where he found mentorship under American poet Timothy Steele. Their biweekly tutorials ignited Vikram’s creative impulses, leading him to abandon his PhD in Economics to focus on his writing, including a year-long Wallace Stegner Fellowship in creative writing. This decision bore fruit when he published “Mappings,” his collection that employed traditional rhyme and meter, ultimately leading him to self-publish after facing rejections from various publishers. His literary journey took an adventurous turn when he pursued doctoral research in demography at Nanjing University in China, where he immersed himself in the poetry of Wang Wei, Du Fu, and Li Bai, leading to his translations being published in “Three Chinese Poets” in 1992.
Vikram’s engaging narrative continued as he undertook a remarkable journey across Tibet, which he chronicled in his travel memoir, “From Heaven Lake: Travels Through Sinkiang and Tibet.” His literary ventures flourished further with the publication of his debut novel “The Golden Gate” in 1986, paving the way for the monumental “A Suitable Boy” a few years later. Beyond his novels, Vikram’s work spans children’s literature, with “Beastly Tales from Here and There,” and an insightful memoir, “Two Lives,” that captures the poignant love story of his great-uncle and his German Jewish great-aunt. His versatile talents also extend to the realms of calligraphy and opera, having been commissioned to write a libretto for the English National Opera. Throughout his career, Vikram Seth has articulated a profound vision through his work, reflecting on the importance of compassion and understanding within the diverse tapestry of Indian society, a sentiment he passionately upholds in his personal beliefs.
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Note: All biographical information compiled from publicly available sources.