The Mani Suri File
SURI BY THE NUMBERS
2 Novels he has published
5 Awards he has received for his writing
20 Age when he came to America
22 Languages his first novel was translated into
25 Years he has been teaching mathematics
48 His current age (He was born in July 1959 in Mumbai)
350,000 The advance he received for his first novel
SURI QUOTES
“Ever since Vishnu was a success, people have been asking me whether I am going to quit mathematics. The answer is no. It took me seven years to write my second novel, and having another profession ensured I went only modestly crazy.”
“On days that I’m teaching, I have to get up and write at least a paragraph before breakfast – if I eat first, I’m too contented and I can’t write anymore.”
“When I was a teenager, I turned atheist because it was the rebellious thing to do, but later, when I became a mathematician, I became very concerned about the need to have proofs for everything – so I’m on the fence now.”
SURI FACTS
After completing his schooling in Mumbai, he earned his B.Sc. from University of Mumbai in 1979 and his Ph.D. from Carnegie-Mellon University, Pittsburgh, in 1983 (both in mathematics), then landed a job at the University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC), where he is now a tenured professor in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics.
His first novel, The Death of Vishnu, was published in 2001 and appeared worldwide in 25 editions. The critically acclaimed novel won several awards, including the 2002 Barnes and Noble Discover Prize, and was nominated for many more.
His second novel, The Age of Shiva, was recently published by W.W. Norton & Co.
In an interview with Washington Blade, a newspaper that serves the gay community, Suri revealed that he’s been out of the closet since 1983 and has been with the same partner for about 18 years.
SURI ON THE WEB
www.manilsuri.com/
His website, which includes his blog
www.youtube.com/watch?v=RB-vFrmQ7mw
Suri reads from The Age of Shiva
Enjoyed reading Khabar magazine? Subscribe to Khabar and get a full digital copy of this Indian-American community magazine.
