Lakshmi Raj Sharma
Encyclopedia
Lakshmi Raj Sharma (born in 1954) is an Indian author, novelist, and academician. He teaches English literature and literary theory. He is currently a Professor at the Department of English and Modern European Languages at the University of Allahabad, Allahabad
. Recently his novel The Tailor’s Needle was published. A few other books are also to his credit. He is also an active blogger.
. His grandfather Rai Bahadur Lakshmi Narain Sharma, a barrister
, and his father Indra Raj Sharma were among notable people in Mirzapur
. His eldest brother Ajay Raj Sharma was the Police Commissioner
of Delhi
and later the Director General of the Border Security Force
. He is married to Bandana Sharma, a fellow professor in his university department; they have a son, Dhruv, who is an etymologist.
for his early and secondary education. He entered the University of Allahabad in 1973, graduated in 1975 and then completed his masters in 1977. He received the Doctor of Philosophy
award from the same university in 1986. He was selected for the Indian Civil Services
, but opted for an academic career.
The Tailor's Needle (2009; ISBN: 0956037046, Picnic Publishing Limited, UK) is his first novel, published in 2009. It is set in India in the first half of the twentieth century. The novelist himself says: It is a Raj novel covering the era 1917–1940. The characters are Indians and Brits, including a fictional British Viceroy
of India
. A reviewer comments:
Gis Hoyle, a novelist and reviewer, observes that in the novel "The whole is held together by a gently mocking and yet ultimately compassionate narrative voice, which gives the reader a brief and enchanting glimpse into a world now gone, with all its faults – and all that might be loved in it, too." Ann Northfield in Historical Novels Review writes: This is an unusual novel that carries the flavour of its time and setting. Anyone who enjoys books about India would find this worth a read.
The novelist believes that his "greatest wealth is the support he has received from his students who have always overflowed into and out of his classrooms. A number of them are in high positions, some very distinguished journalists, who would go out of their way to continue their support to this author."
Professor Lakshmi Raj Sharma is currently working on his second novel, Emancipation, and has recently completed a further collection, The English World and Other Stories. His works include TS Eliot-Middleton Murry Debate, The Twain Shall Meet, and a short story collection Marriages are Made in India (2001; ISBN: 8175957786, Writers Workshop
, Calcutta). He has edited Shakespeare's Problem Plays.
Allahabad
Allahabad , or Settled by God in Persian, is a major city of India and is one of the main holy cities of Hinduism. It was renamed by the Mughals from the ancient name of Prayaga , and is by some accounts the second-oldest city in India. It is located in the north Indian state of Uttar Pradesh,...
. Recently his novel The Tailor’s Needle was published. A few other books are also to his credit. He is also an active blogger.
Biography
Lakshmi Raj Sharma, was born in 1954 in a land-owning family, well-known in the eastern districts of Uttar PradeshUttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh abbreviation U.P. , is a state located in the northern part of India. With a population of over 200 million people, it is India's most populous state, as well as the world's most populous sub-national entity...
. His grandfather Rai Bahadur Lakshmi Narain Sharma, a barrister
Barrister
A barrister is a member of one of the two classes of lawyer found in many common law jurisdictions with split legal professions. Barristers specialise in courtroom advocacy, drafting legal pleadings and giving expert legal opinions...
, and his father Indra Raj Sharma were among notable people in Mirzapur
Mirzapur
Mirzapur is a city in the heart of North India, nearly 650 km between Delhi and Kolkata and also equidistant from Allahabad and Varanasi. Located in the state of Uttar Pradesh, Mirzapur has a population of a little over 205,264 and is renowned for its famous carpet and brassware industry...
. His eldest brother Ajay Raj Sharma was the Police Commissioner
Police commissioner
Commissioner is a senior rank used in many police forces and may be rendered Police Commissioner or Commissioner of Police. In some organizations, the commissioner is a political appointee, and may or may not actually be a professional police officer. In these circumstances, there is often a...
of Delhi
Delhi
Delhi , officially National Capital Territory of Delhi , is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest by population in India, next to Mumbai. It is the eighth largest metropolis in the world by population with 16,753,265 inhabitants in the Territory at the 2011 Census...
and later the Director General of the Border Security Force
Border Security Force
The Border Security Force is a border patrol agency of the Government of India. Established on December 1, 1965, it is one of the Central Armed Police Forces. Its primary role is to guard India's international borders during peacetime and also prevent transnational crime...
. He is married to Bandana Sharma, a fellow professor in his university department; they have a son, Dhruv, who is an etymologist.
Career and Works
Lakshmi Raj Sharma went to the Boys' High School & College, AllahabadBoys' High School & College, Allahabad
Boys' High School & College, , is an independent school in Allahabad, India. It was founded in 1861 to provide a Christian education to the children of Europeans and Anglo-Indians, but has always accepted children from all backgrounds. Though originally co-educational, it now admits only boys.It...
for his early and secondary education. He entered the University of Allahabad in 1973, graduated in 1975 and then completed his masters in 1977. He received the Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy, abbreviated as Ph.D., PhD, D.Phil., or DPhil , in English-speaking countries, is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities...
award from the same university in 1986. He was selected for the Indian Civil Services
Indian Civil Services
The Indian Civil Service , which after 1886 was officially called the Imperial Civil Service and was also known as the British India Civil Service, was the civil service of the Government of India in the period of the British Raj...
, but opted for an academic career.
The Tailor's Needle (2009; ISBN: 0956037046, Picnic Publishing Limited, UK) is his first novel, published in 2009. It is set in India in the first half of the twentieth century. The novelist himself says: It is a Raj novel covering the era 1917–1940. The characters are Indians and Brits, including a fictional British Viceroy
Viceroy
A viceroy is a royal official who runs a country, colony, or province in the name of and as representative of the monarch. The term derives from the Latin prefix vice-, meaning "in the place of" and the French word roi, meaning king. A viceroy's province or larger territory is called a viceroyalty...
of India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. A reviewer comments:
- In a blend of fictional conventions, Lakshmi Raj Sharma's literary masterpiece The Tailor's Needle uses the past to highlight modern India's fragmentation ... His moral vitality serves as a subliminal lament to India's political class today. In a dignified reproach to those who have failed the country, Sharma's The Tailor's Needle is a final adieu to the great Indian Raj novel – we will not see the like again – as well as an homage to traditions that gave meaning to people's lives.
Gis Hoyle, a novelist and reviewer, observes that in the novel "The whole is held together by a gently mocking and yet ultimately compassionate narrative voice, which gives the reader a brief and enchanting glimpse into a world now gone, with all its faults – and all that might be loved in it, too." Ann Northfield in Historical Novels Review writes: This is an unusual novel that carries the flavour of its time and setting. Anyone who enjoys books about India would find this worth a read.
The novelist believes that his "greatest wealth is the support he has received from his students who have always overflowed into and out of his classrooms. A number of them are in high positions, some very distinguished journalists, who would go out of their way to continue their support to this author."
Professor Lakshmi Raj Sharma is currently working on his second novel, Emancipation, and has recently completed a further collection, The English World and Other Stories. His works include TS Eliot-Middleton Murry Debate, The Twain Shall Meet, and a short story collection Marriages are Made in India (2001; ISBN: 8175957786, Writers Workshop
Writers Workshop
Writers Workshop is a Calcutta-based literary publisher founded by the poet-professor P. Lal in 1958. Over the next few decades it published many new authors in urban literature of the post-independence period. These authors later became big names.-History:...
, Calcutta). He has edited Shakespeare's Problem Plays.