Amitav Ghosh resident writer at Rashtrapati Bhavan

 Renowned author Amitav Ghosh will stay at the Rashtrapati Bhavan as the guest of President Pranab Mukherjee, who has been throwing open the doors of his prestigious residence to artistes and innovators.

Ghosh will be accompanied in the four-day sojourn by his wife Deborah Baker and the couple will be artists-in-residence at Rashtrapati Bhavan from July 10 to 14, a press statement from the President’s office noted.

Mukherjee launched the in-residence programme on December 11, 2013 to allow artists, writers, students and grassroot innovators to be part of life at Rashtrapati Bhavan and get their creative impulses rejuvenated.

Eminent artist and Member of Parliament Jogen Choudhury was the first artist in-residence in 2014, and 140 persons have since followed him as guests at the Presidential palace.

“Looking forward to our stint as writers-in-residence at Rashtrapati Bhavan; will be an honour to be there,” Ghosh tweeted.

Besides artists and writers of repute, the in-residence programme would also honour several young and up-coming talents from across the country, the President’s press secretary Venu Rajamony said.

Born in Kolkata and grew up in India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, Ghosh penned many award-winning works. His 1986 debut novel ‘The Circle of Reason’ won the Prix Médicis étranger, one of France’s top literary accolades, in 1990.