Vikas Swarup

Vikas Swarup was born into a family of lawyers in the city of Prayagraj, formerly known as Allahabad. He attended Allahabad University, where he studied psychology, history, and philosophy. Swarup began his career as a diplomat in 1986, and it would be several years before he started writing and publishing fiction. In 2005, he published Q & A, which became an international bestseller and was translated into many different languages. In 2008, director Danny Boyle loosely adapted the book into Slumdog Millionaire, a film that went on to win Best Picture at the Academy Awards. Swarup’s next novel was a mystery titled Six Suspects that was published in 2010. In 2013, Swarup’s next novel, The Accidental Apprentice, was again inspired by a game show, this time The Apprentice. Swarup went on to work for the Ministry of External Affairs, retiring in 2021.