William Dalrymple’s love for India is not unknown. He has penned six books, of which five have embraced Indian life as their storyline and have been award winning. India has sewn itself into his life since long now with him spending a lot of time in New Delhi India apart from London and Edinburgh.
However, since last couple of years Jaunapur (a small village on the outskirts of Delhi) has been home to the the author and his family. Delhi has been the backdrop for many of Dalrymple’s books including The Last Mughal, a prizewinning account of the Indian uprising of 1857, and the fall of the Mughal dynasty. The book has sold more than 100,000 copies worldwide.
This is the writer’s third stint in India. He and his wife, Olivia, had a flat in central Delhi in the late 1980s, which they left in 1994 – the year his second book, City of Djinns was published.
William Dalrymple first visited Old Delhi, to work for Mother Teresa in his gap year before going to Cambridge, where he read history.
While living an Edwardian lifestyle in India on a three acre luxury farmhouse with a cook, an ayah, two houseboys, six gardeners, couple of guards and menagerie of animals, Dalrymple is working on a book about pilgrimages and popular religion, and researching on mythological lores like this one- goddess Kali gets on her elephant and goes to visit her sister the Virgin Mary (lore from Kerala).
“I have no urge to leave. It’s just a more exciting life,” says Dalrymple.
His wife, Olivia, has also found India very inspiring. She is a successful artist, painting beautifully detailed miniatures and depictions of local life. Their three children are studying in the British School in Delhi.
Interesting read on the man behind the words. One of these days I will get round to reading White Mughals – it’s been sitting on the bookshelf for a year now.
Helloji!
Yesterday, we shared with you a story on author of The Last Mughal. His love for India is very well known. Most of his literary works embrace Indian life and all things Indian.
For all those in the bay area in California, and would like to listen to the author William Dalrymple or get a book signed- he will be in the bay area till April 6, 2008.
Dalrymple will be speaking in Stanford, UC Berkeley, and Santa Clara.
After which he will travel to Atlanta (Georgia), New York, and Massachusetts (Cambridge).
Here is a link to the schedule-
http://www.williamdalrymple.uk.com/Pages/Lectures.html
Enjoy!
>>While living an Edwardian lifestyle in India on a three acre luxury farmhouse with a cook, an ayah, two houseboys, six gardeners, couple of guards and menagerie of animals, Dalrymple is working on a book about pilgrimages and popular religion, and researching on mythological lores like this one- goddess Kali gets on her elephant and goes to visit her sister the Virgin Mary (lore from Kerala).
“I have no urge to leave. It’s just a more exciting life,” says Dalrymple.<<
I wouldn’t want to leave either. I think he is a bit of a a pseud
myself – but then so are so many of the English speaking Indian so-called elite.
hello dear i saw your blog that is fantastic .u have done very good jobs on the topic.
Hi,
I’ve just finished Dalrymple’s “The Last Mughal”. It has been a pleasurable reading all through. I’ve also attempted a book review of it. Thank you for giving further details. The other two books of the author “The City of Djins” and “:The White Mughals” have already reached me. One of these days I’ll start reading them.
Thanks once again.
Nanda
http://ramblingnanda.blogspot.com
http://remixoforchid.blogspot.com