'Nayantara Sahgal' is the author of several works of fiction and non-fiction, the first of which, 'Prison and Chocolate Cake', an autobiography, was published in 1954. Her works include classic novels such as 'Rich Like Us, Plans for Departure' and 'Lesser Breeds'. She has received the Sahitya Akademi Award, the Sinclair Prize and the Commonwealth Writers' Prize. She is a Member of the American Academy of Arts & Sciences. She has been awarded the Diploma of Honour from the International Order of Volunteers of Peace (Italy), and an Honorary Doctorate of Letters from the University of Leeds. She returned her Akademi Award in 2015 in protest against the murder by vigilantes of three writers, and the Akademi's silence at the time. She has been a Vice President of the PUCL (People's Union for Civil Liberties) and is engaged in an ongoing protest against the assaults on the freedom of expression and democratic rights.
