Anisfield-Wolf Book Award
1 appearances
-
Edition 82 (2017) Winner
Karan Mahajan
カラン・マハジャン
Karan Mahajan
Profile
- Gender
- Male
- Born
- 1984-04-24 （Stamford, Connecticut, U.S.）
- Nationality
- Indian-American
- Languages
- English
- Residence History
- Stamford, Connecticut (born) → New Delhi (grew up) → San Francisco (worked as an editor) → New York City (worked as consultant) → Bangalore (worked as researcher) → Providence, Rhode Island (resides/teaches)
Career
- Occupations
- Novelist, Essayist, Critic, Professor
- Active Years
- 2008-
- Affiliations
- Brown University (faculty)
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stanford University | Humanities and Social Sciences | English and Economics | BA | 2002–2006 | United States |
| Michener Center for Writers (University of Texas at Austin) | — | Fiction | MFA | — | United States |
Stanford University
Humanities and Social Sciences
/ English and Economics
Degree:
BA
Period:
2002–2006
Year of Graduation:
2006
Country:
United States
Michener Center for Writers (University of Texas at Austin)
Fiction
Degree:
MFA
Country:
United States
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Anisfield-Wolf Book Award (Fiction) | The Association of Small Bombs | Fiction | Anisfield-Wolf Book Awards | Winner |
| 2016 | National Book Award (Fiction) | The Association of Small Bombs | Fiction | National Book Foundation | Finalist |
| 2017 | Granta: Best Young American Novelists | — | — | Granta | Named |
| 2016 | The New York Times: 10 Best Books of 2016 | The Association of Small Bombs | — | The New York Times | Named in list |
Anisfield-Wolf Book Award (Fiction)
2017
Work:
The Association of Small Bombs
Category:
Fiction
Organization:
Anisfield-Wolf Book Awards
Result:
Winner
National Book Award (Fiction)
2016
Work:
The Association of Small Bombs
Category:
Fiction
Organization:
National Book Foundation
Result:
Finalist
Granta: Best Young American Novelists
2017
Organization:
Granta
Result:
Named
The New York Times: 10 Best Books of 2016
2016
Work:
The Association of Small Bombs
Organization:
The New York Times
Result:
Named in list
Awards & Nominations
Works
Major Works
Family Planning
2008 Fiction (satire / contemporary)A debut novel that satirically and humorously portrays urban life and family relationships in India. It received favorable reviews and was slated for international translations.
urban lifefamilyhumorsocial satire
Translations
- German edition
- Italian edition
- Spanish edition
- French edition
The Association of Small Bombs
2016 Fiction (social / contemporary)A novel about a bombing at a Delhi marketplace and the subsequent lives of those affected, told from multiple perspectives. Praised for its empathy and depth by critics.
violence and terrorismtraumafamily and connectionimmigration / diaspora
Bibliography
- Family Planning (2008)
- The Association of Small Bombs (2016)
- Short story "The True Margaret" (published in The New Yorker)
- Short story "Practice" (published in Open City)
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- multi-perspective narration grounded in empathymeasured yet emotionally resonant proseblend of humor and tragedy
- Recurring Motifs
- urban transformationindividual and collective lossaftereffects of violencefamily relationships
Legacy
Mahajan writes about violence, family, and diasporic experience from perspectives that traverse contemporary India and the United States, receiving critical acclaim. He is also active as an educator and is recognized among notable young novelists.
Quotes
-
"An epic tableau drawn by the instruments of empathy, an illuminating human expedition from India to America and back, a story that burns straight through you—incandescent, absorbing, engrossing."
Source: Judges of the National Book Award (regarding The Association of Small Bombs) (2016)
Trivia
- The Association of Small Bombs was a finalist for the 2016 National Book Award in Fiction.
- Named one of Granta's Best Young American Novelists in 2017.
- Has contributed to The New Yorker, Granta, The Daily Beast, and the San Francisco Chronicle.
- Teaches at Brown University.