Shobhan Bantwal (born 1951) is anIndian American writer. She is a recipient of the Golden Leaf Award for Best Debut Book.
Bantwal was born inBelgaum, India to a largeHindu family. She studiedsociology atKarnatak University inDharwad, and earned both her bachelor's and master's degrees there.[1] Bantwal married her husband in an arranged marriage and the couple moved toNew Jersey in theUnited States in 1974.[2] She continued her studies in the U.S., and received an M.A. in Public Administration fromRider University. After completing that degree, Bantwal began a job at the New Jersey Department of Labor, where she would work for the next 19 years.[1] She currently resides in Arizona.[3]
Bantwal began writing in 2002 at the age of 50.[4] Her books includeThe Dowry Bride (2007),The Forbidden Daughter (2008),The Sari Shop Widow (2009),The Unexpected Son (2010),The Full Moon Bride (2011), andThe Reluctant Matchmaker (2012), all published byKensington Books.[1][5] Her books have been published in India by Fingerprint Publishing.[6] She writes stories about contemporary Indian women and romance, and has described her style as "Bollywood in a book".[5] Bantwal's plots feature women's issues like arranged marriages, cross-cultural stories from theIndian diaspora, and New Jersey settings.[7][8][9] She has received some criticism for her focus on commercial and genre fiction, but she sees her books as a useful way to introduce a consciousness of cultural issues, especially those that affect women, to large audiences.[2] Bantwal's short stories have been published inRomantic Times,India Abroad,Little India,India Currents, andNew Woman.[5]
She won the Golden Leaf Award for Best Debut Book in 2008.[1]
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