Shashi Deshpande: A Mindmap

• Shashi Deshpande (1938 – Present)
  • Titles & Epithets
    • Prominent Contemporary Indian Writer
    • Leading Feminist Voice
  • Biography
    • Born: 1938 (Dharwad, Karnataka)
    • Family: Daughter of Adya Rangacharya (Sriranga), renowned Kannada dramatist
    • Education: Dharwad, Bombay, Bangalore (B.A. Economics, M.A. English, Journalism)
    • Early Career: Journalist for Onlooker
  • Major Works
    • Novels
      • The Dark Holds No Terrors (1980) - Debut, marital abuse, identity
      • That Long Silence (1988) - Sahitya Akademi Award, search for voice
      • The Binding Vine (1992) - Violence against women, memory
      • A Matter of Time (1996) - Abandonment, intergenerational patterns
      • Small Remedies (2000) - Grief, healing, art
      • If I Die Today (1982) - Mystery thriller
      • Roots and Shadows (1983)
      • In the Country of Deceit (2008)
    • Short Story Collections
      • The Legacy (1978) - First collection
      • The Intrusion and Other Stories (1993) - Includes marital rape theme
    • Children’s Books
      • The Narayanpur Incident
  • Literary Style & Themes
    • Style
      • Psychological Realism
      • Introspective & Reflective Narration
      • Focus on the Domestic Sphere
      • Subtle & Understated Tone
      • Realistic Dialogue
    • Themes
      • Search for Identity & Self-Realization
      • Burden of Tradition & Patriarchy
      • Marital Relationships & Discord (including marital rape)
      • Memory & the Past
      • Silence and Voice (breaking silence)
      • Motherhood & Daughterhood
      • Grief & Healing
  • Awards & Honors
    • Sahitya Akademi Award (1990) for That Long Silence
    • Padma Shri (2009)