Mulk Raj Anand was born in Peshawar in 1905 and educated at the universities of Punjab and London. After earning his PhD in philosophy in 1929, Anand began writing for T.S. Eliot's magazine, the Criterion,as well as books on cooking and art. Recognition came with the publication of his first two novels, including his well- known trilogy - The Village (1939), Across the Black Waters ( 1940) and The Swaord and the Sickle ( 1942). By the time he returned to India in 1946 he was easily the best - known Indian writer abroad. Making Bombay his home and centre of activity, Anand threw himself headlong into the cultural and social life of India. He founded and edited the fine art magazine Marg, and has been the recipient of the Sahitya Akademi Award, several honorary doctorates and other distinctions.