Krishna Sobti

Krishna Sobti Biography

Krishna Sobti is a great author of Hindi literature, known for fiction works such as novels and short stories. She won the Sahitya Akademi Award in 1980 for her novel Zindaginama and in 1996 she was awarded with Sahitya Akademi Fellowship for her overall contributions to Hindi literature. Among her novels, Mitro Marajani published in 1966 made her a popular novelist of the present era. Through this novel, she portrayed sexuality of a married woman. Sobti eka sohabata – includes her compilation of works. Many of her works are available in Urdu and English versions also.

She also writes with the name, Hashmat and has published Hama Hashamat, a compilation of pen portraits of writers and friends. She has also served as a consultant for Buniyad, a Doordarshan television serial based on India – Pakistan partition in 1947. Her works are noted for looking into objects and study various aspects, rather than observing them from outside. "You can take liberties with yourself only if you create a large space for yourself, a vast sky," – this great writer says. She refused Padma Bhushan given by the Government of India in 2010 stating that she has done a right thing as she keeps distance from such honours and awards.

Krishna was born on February 18, 1925 in Gujrat (West Punjab, in present-day Pakistan). Apart from Zindaginama, her popular novels include - Dara se bichuri, Samay sargam, Surajmukhi andhere ke and Yaaron Ke Yaar. Her famous short stories are Nafisa, Sikka Badal gaya, Bachpan and Badalom ke ghere. Apart from Sahitya Akademi Award and Sahitya Akademi Fellowship, she is the owner of a few of more honours. She was also the recipient of the first Katha Chudamani Award, in 1999. She has also received Shalaka Award of the Hindi Academy Delhi in 2008 for her novel, Samay Sargam.

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Updated: January 22, 2014