Ruth Prawer Jhabvala British writer, novelist and playwright Date of Birth: 07.05.1927 Country: Great Britain

Ruth Prawer Jhabvala: A Biography

Ruth Prawer Jhabvala, a British writer, novelist, author of short stories, and screenwriter, was born on May 7, 1927, in Cologne, Germany. Her father, Marcus Prawer, was a Polish lawyer, and her mother, Eleanora Prawer, was the daughter of a cantor at the largest synagogue in Cologne. In 1939, the family emigrated to Britain to escape the Nazis. Ruth lived in London during World War II and experienced bombings, becoming fluent in both English and German.

In 1948, Ruth obtained British citizenship, but tragically, her father took his own life that same year. She graduated from Queen Mary College at the University of London in 1951 with a degree in English and married Cyrus H. Jhabvala, an Indian architect. The couple settled in Delhi, India, where they had three daughters: Ava, Firoza, and Renana. These children currently reside in India, Los Angeles, and England.

In 1975, Ruth moved to New York and divided her time between India and the United States. She became an American citizen in 1986. While living in India, Ruth started writing novels about her new life, including "To Whom She Will" (1955), "Nature of Passion" (1956), "Esmond in India" (1957), "The Householder" (1960), and "Get Ready for the Battle" (1962). Her novels were praised for their beautiful language, and her early comedies were often compared to Jane Austen's works due to their keen exploration of family dynamics and marriage. Additionally, her books were known for their excellent Jewish humor.

Initially, Ruth faced rejections from numerous London publishers until she encountered John Murray, who became her British publisher for the next forty years. After acquiring an American literary agent, her stories started appearing in The New Yorker. Ruth's portrayal of India differed from the perspectives of esteemed Nobel laureate Vidiadhar Surajprasad Naipaul or British writer E. M. Forster. Unlike Naipaul, Ruth was not of Indian origin and did not come to India in an attempt to challenge Western liberalism like Forster. She lived in Delhi because her husband resided there, and her interest lay not so much in India itself but in her own experiences in India. Nevertheless, her personal experiences were skillfully transformed into art.

Some Indian critics regarded her books as embodying outdated Western views of India, often portraying her protagonists as failures. In 1975, Ruth won the prestigious Booker Prize for her novel "Heat and Dust." In 1963, she began collaborating with director James Ivory and producer Ismail Merchant, writing the screenplay for her own novel, "The Householder," despite having no prior experience in screenwriting. This partnership resulted in over twenty films, including "Shakespeare Wallah" (1965), "The Guru" (1969), "Autobiography of a Princess" (1975), "The Europeans" (1979), "Jane Austen in Manhattan" (1980), "Heat and Dust" (1983), "A Room with a View" (1985), "Howards End" (1991), "The Remains of the Day" (1993), "The Golden Bowl" (2000), and "The City of Your Final Destination" (2007). These films collectively received six Academy Awards.

Ruth Prawer Jhabvala's notable contributions to literature and cinema earned her recognition as a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE). She passed away on April 3, 2013, leaving behind a rich legacy of work that continues to inspire and captivate audiences worldwide.