Amitav Ghosh, a renowned Indian novelist and essayist, is widely regarded as one of the leading contenders for the 2025 Nobel Prize in Literature, which will be announced by the Swedish Academy this Thursday. If selected, Ghosh would become only the second Indian to receive this prestigious honor after Rabindranath Tagore, who won it in 1913.
Born in Kolkata in 1956, Ghosh is celebrated for his historical fiction and non-fiction works that explore themes such as colonialism, climate change, and their lasting impacts. His notable novels include The Shadow Lines, The Glass Palace, and the Ibis trilogy, which addresses the First Opium War. He has received many accolades, including the Jnanpith Award, India’s highest literary honor, and the Erasmus Prize in 2024 for his literary engagement with climate issues.
Literary betting experts also place Ghosh at the top of their lists, citing his combination of fiction and nonfiction writing and his thematic focus on pressing global issues as factors favored by the Nobel committee this year. Climate change, a key issue in Ghosh's works, is believed to be a significant consideration for the award.
While Ghosh faces stiff competition from writers such as China’s Can Xue, Hungary’s László Krasznahorkai, and Romania’s Mircea Cărtărescu, he is seen as a leading favorite among many literary circles. The Nobel Prize announcement on October 9 will confirm whether Ghosh can bring India its second-ever Nobel Prize in Literature, more than a century after Tagore’s historic win.
