Photo: Dying Fall / Public domain (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni is a writer I hold in deep respect. Born in Kolkata in 1956 and later settled in the United States, she chose to write in English and gave us works like The Mistress of Spices, earning an American Book Award and two Pushcart Prizes along the way. What moves me is her gift for women living in the seam between two cultures; few capture that in-between space with such tenderness and clarity. That she still teaches at the University of Houston, shaping new voices, only deepens my admiration. I regard her as a treasure of the immigrant literary tradition.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni
- Name (Japanese)
- チットラ・バネルジー・ディヴァカルニー
- Reading
- ちっとら・ばねるじー・でぃゔぁかるにー
- Born
- January 1, 1956 (age 70)
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Capricorn / Monkey
- Origin
- Kolkata, India
- Blood type
- Private
- Height
- Private
- Agency
- Private
- Occupation
- novelist / short story writer / poet / essayist / writer
2. Background
- Elementary school
- Private
- Junior high
- Private
- High school
- Private
- University
- University of Calcutta
Awards & achievements
- 2011 PEN Oakland/Josephine Miles Literary Award
- 1996 American Book Awards
- 1997 Pushcart Prize
- 2003 Pushcart Prize
- Scanno Prize
3. Relationships
- Spouse
- Private
- Children
- Private
- Parents
- Private
- Siblings
- Private
4. Personality
Motto
Private
5. Works & records
| Category | Title | Role | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Notable work | The Mistress of Spices | — |
6. Links
- Official sitehttp://www.chitradivakaruni.com/
- Wikipedia (Japanese)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chitra%20Banerjee%20Divakaruni
Frequently asked questions
When was Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni born?
Born January 1, 1956 (age 70).
Where is Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni from?
Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni is from Kolkata, India.
What does Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni do?
Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni works as novelist, short story writer, poet, essayist, writer.
What is Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni known for?
Notable works include The Mistress of Spices.
Novelist — see all → · Short story writer — see all → · More people from India →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-21
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public items are marked "Private / Unknown". English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.