Jeet Thayil
Full Name and Common Aliases
Jeet Thayil is a renowned Indian novelist, poet, and critic.
Birth and Death Dates
Born on December 6, 1970, in Mumbai (formerly Bombay), India. Currently active and still contributing to literature as of my last knowledge update.
Nationality and Profession(s)
Indian by nationality, Jeet Thayil is a distinguished writer, poet, and critic. He has made significant contributions to the Indian English Literature landscape.
Early Life and Background
Growing up in Mumbai, Thayil's early life was marked by an interest in writing from a young age. His father, P.K. Thayil, was a Malayali who moved to Bombay for his job as an engineer, influencing Jeet's exposure to different cultures from the beginning.
Major Accomplishments
Some of Jeet Thayil's notable accomplishments include:
Winning the DSC Prize for South Asian Literature in 2011 for his novel "These Days Are Ours".
Being shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize in 2009 and 2012, further solidifying his reputation as a masterful storyteller.
Editing the anthology "Blood Red City: Bombay Noir" alongside S.J. Rozan.Notable Works or Actions
Among Jeet Thayil's notable works are:
"These Days Are Ours", which explores themes of love, identity, and cultural heritage.
"Dom Mifflin, An Unfortgettable Woman", showcasing his ability to craft compelling characters and narratives.
His contributions to various literary anthologies and journals, such as the "Bombay Noir" series, cementing his position in Indian English Literature.
Impact and Legacy
Jeet Thayil's impact on Indian literature is undeniable. He has opened doors for other writers by exploring diverse themes and genres. His use of language, blending elements from different cultures, has paved the way for a more inclusive literary landscape in India.
Why They Are Widely Quoted or Remembered
Jeet Thayil is widely quoted and remembered due to his:
Innovative storytelling style, which often blends elements of myth, history, and contemporary life.
Ability to craft relatable characters that reflect the complexities of Indian society.
* Contributions to promoting Indian English literature, making it more accessible and engaging for a broader audience.
Thayil's work serves as a testament to his dedication to storytelling.
Quotes by Jeet Thayil
I’ve always liked the awkward young men and I’m no casteist, god no. I like boys, circumcised, uncircumcised, washed, unwashed, touchable, untouchable, straight, bent, curved, I mean, it’s all love, isn’t it, in the end?
Isn’t violence a failure of the imagination, after all? And that failure, isn’t it stupidity?
Because now there’s time enough not to hurry, to light the lamp and open the window to the moon and take a moment to dream of a great and broken city, because when the day starts its business I’ll have to stop, these are night-time tales that vanish in the sunlight like vampire dust.
How will the ships navigate without stars? And then he remembered that the stars were dead, long dead, and the light they shed was not to be trusted, was false, if not an outright lie, and in any case was inadequate, unequal to its task, which was to illuminate the evil that men did.
If you want a moral, here it is: what god giveth, he taketh away. In this story art is god. And if god is art, then what is the devil? Bad art of course.
God has it in for the poets, that’s obvious, but the Bombaywallahs hold a special place in his dispensation.
All I did was write it down, one word after the other, beginning and ending with the same one, Bombay.
I found Bombay and opium, the drug and the city, the city of opium and the drug Bombay.