Tishani Doshi was born in the city formerly known as MADRAS in 1975.
She has published seven books of poetry and fiction. Her essays, poems and short stories have been widely anthologized.
In 2012 she represented India at a historic gathering of world poets for Poetry Parnassus at the Southbank Centre, London. She is also the recipient of an Eric Gregory Award for Poetry, winner of the All-India Poetry Competition, and her first book, COUNTRIES OF THE BODY, won the prestigious Forward Prize for Best First Collection in 2006. GIRLS ARE COMING OUT OF THE WOODS was shortlisted for the TED HUGHES AWARD & a Firecracker Award.
Tishani's debut novel, THE PLEASURE SEEKERS, was shortlisted for the Hindu Literary Prize and long-listed for the Orange Prize and the International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award. SMALL DAYS AND NIGHTS, her second novel, has been shortlisted for the TATA BEST FICTION AWARD 2019 and the RSL ONDAATJE PRIZE 2020. A GOD AT THE DOOR, her fourth full-length collection, published in 2021, was shortlisted for the Forward Prize for Poetry.
She is Visiting Associate Professor of Practice, Literature and Creative Writing at New York University, Abu Dhabi, and a fellow of the Royal Society of Literature.
She has published seven books of poetry and fiction. Her essays, poems and short stories have been widely anthologized.
In 2012 she represented India at a historic gathering of world poets for Poetry Parnassus at the Southbank Centre, London. She is also the recipient of an Eric Gregory Award for Poetry, winner of the All-India Poetry Competition, and her first book, COUNTRIES OF THE BODY, won the prestigious Forward Prize for Best First Collection in 2006. GIRLS ARE COMING OUT OF THE WOODS was shortlisted for the TED HUGHES AWARD & a Firecracker Award.
Tishani's debut novel, THE PLEASURE SEEKERS, was shortlisted for the Hindu Literary Prize and long-listed for the Orange Prize and the International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award. SMALL DAYS AND NIGHTS, her second novel, has been shortlisted for the TATA BEST FICTION AWARD 2019 and the RSL ONDAATJE PRIZE 2020. A GOD AT THE DOOR, her fourth full-length collection, published in 2021, was shortlisted for the Forward Prize for Poetry.
She is Visiting Associate Professor of Practice, Literature and Creative Writing at New York University, Abu Dhabi, and a fellow of the Royal Society of Literature.
Tishani performs Girls Are Coming out of the Woods at the Jaipur Literature Festival
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Diptych by Michael Vatikiotis
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Chandralekha 1928-2006. Photo: Sadanand Menon
DANCE DANCE DANCE
Tishani's first performance on stage was as at age 3. She was a flower.
In school she choreographed ABBA's The Winner Takes it All for a talent competition and shared first place with a guy dressed as a ghost. For several years she also participated in the Madras Gymkhana Club swimming galas in the synchronised swimming event with a candle on top of her head.
At 26, a chance encounter with the legendary choreographer CHANDRALEKHA led to an unexpected and more serious career in dance.
From 2001-2016 she was the lead dancer in the Chandralekha Troupe and toured with Chandralekha's final choreography SHARIRA, performing on stages across the world from Tokyo, Taiwan, Champaner, Bhopal, Bombay, Munich, Calcutta, Toronto, Frankfurt, Salzburg, Sydney, and Madras.
Tishani's first performance on stage was as at age 3. She was a flower.
In school she choreographed ABBA's The Winner Takes it All for a talent competition and shared first place with a guy dressed as a ghost. For several years she also participated in the Madras Gymkhana Club swimming galas in the synchronised swimming event with a candle on top of her head.
At 26, a chance encounter with the legendary choreographer CHANDRALEKHA led to an unexpected and more serious career in dance.
From 2001-2016 she was the lead dancer in the Chandralekha Troupe and toured with Chandralekha's final choreography SHARIRA, performing on stages across the world from Tokyo, Taiwan, Champaner, Bhopal, Bombay, Munich, Calcutta, Toronto, Frankfurt, Salzburg, Sydney, and Madras.
poet as a young flower (centre)
THIS & THAT
Most exciting travels: Antarctica, Ethiopia, Bhutan, Mexico, India, Tanzania, Italy
Festival appearances: Hay -- Wales, Cartagena, Dhaka, Segovia, Xalapa, Kerala; Jaipur Literary Festival; Apeejay-Oxford Calcutta Literary Festival; Abu Dhabi Book Fair; StAnza; Kala Ghoda; Singapore Sun Festival; Incroci di Civilita (Venice); Mantova Literature Festival; Kovalam Literature Festival; Etonnants-Voyageurs, St Malo; Berlin International Festival; Brooklyn Book Festival; Galle Literary Festival; South Asian Literary Festival; Melbourne Writer's Festival; Cuirt International Festival; Ubud Writer's Festival; Jahazi Literary & Jazz Festival, Zanzibar; Listowel Writer's Week; Berlin Poetry Festival; St. Martin's Book Fair, Bocas (Trinidad) & Calabash (Jamaica); Queensland Poetry Festival (Brisbane), Dhaka Literary Festival, Blue Mountain's Writer's Festival, Byron Bay Writer's Festival, Listowel Writer's Week, Dalkey Book Festival, Port Eliot Festival, Georgetown Literary Festival, Ledbury Poetry Festival,
Has written for: The Guardian, The New York Times, The Hindu, The Weekend Financial Times, Vogue, Elle, India Today, The National, Corriere della Sera. She wrote a fortnightly column about books for the New Indian Express called NOTES FROM NOWHERE and a monthly column for Open Magazine CUE THE VIOLINS. Currently teaches creative writing at NYU, Abu Dhabi.
Honours: Tishani has attended and performed at the Forum d'Avignon and is part of 40UNDER40 Young European Leaders Programme. She has been a judge for the Forward Poetry Prize, the Shakti Bhatt First Book Prize, the 2014 Dylan Thomas International Prize, the Prabha Khaitan's Women's Voice Award 2018, and the 2021 Queen Mary Wasafiri New Writing Prize.
THIS & THAT
Most exciting travels: Antarctica, Ethiopia, Bhutan, Mexico, India, Tanzania, Italy
Festival appearances: Hay -- Wales, Cartagena, Dhaka, Segovia, Xalapa, Kerala; Jaipur Literary Festival; Apeejay-Oxford Calcutta Literary Festival; Abu Dhabi Book Fair; StAnza; Kala Ghoda; Singapore Sun Festival; Incroci di Civilita (Venice); Mantova Literature Festival; Kovalam Literature Festival; Etonnants-Voyageurs, St Malo; Berlin International Festival; Brooklyn Book Festival; Galle Literary Festival; South Asian Literary Festival; Melbourne Writer's Festival; Cuirt International Festival; Ubud Writer's Festival; Jahazi Literary & Jazz Festival, Zanzibar; Listowel Writer's Week; Berlin Poetry Festival; St. Martin's Book Fair, Bocas (Trinidad) & Calabash (Jamaica); Queensland Poetry Festival (Brisbane), Dhaka Literary Festival, Blue Mountain's Writer's Festival, Byron Bay Writer's Festival, Listowel Writer's Week, Dalkey Book Festival, Port Eliot Festival, Georgetown Literary Festival, Ledbury Poetry Festival,
Has written for: The Guardian, The New York Times, The Hindu, The Weekend Financial Times, Vogue, Elle, India Today, The National, Corriere della Sera. She wrote a fortnightly column about books for the New Indian Express called NOTES FROM NOWHERE and a monthly column for Open Magazine CUE THE VIOLINS. Currently teaches creative writing at NYU, Abu Dhabi.
Honours: Tishani has attended and performed at the Forum d'Avignon and is part of 40UNDER40 Young European Leaders Programme. She has been a judge for the Forward Poetry Prize, the Shakti Bhatt First Book Prize, the 2014 Dylan Thomas International Prize, the Prabha Khaitan's Women's Voice Award 2018, and the 2021 Queen Mary Wasafiri New Writing Prize.