November/December 2008
Around the Quads
In Lumine Tuo
BOOKER: Aravind Adiga ’97, a first-time author from India, won the Man Booker Prize on October 14 for his novel The White Tiger, which was praised by the judges for presenting the “dark side of India.” The 33-year-old Adiga is the second-youngest writer in the 40 years of the competition, which awards a prize of £50,000 to the best work of fiction by an author from the British Commonwealth or the Republic of Ireland. Adiga was born in Madras.
Michael Portillo, who chaired the panel of judges, praised The White Tiger as an “extraordinary” work that revolves around Balram, a young man who grows up in an poor village and is beguiled by the corrupting charms of New Delhi. “He is a hero who is a thorough-going villain,” Portillo said. “The story tells of the divisions between rich and poor and the impossibility of the poor from ever escaping their lot, as well as the corruption that typifies — for the author — the corruption in Indian politics.”
For more on Adiga, see the ’97 Class Notes.
SCIENCE: Samsung Corp. announced in April it has awarded physics professor Philip Kim the 2008 Ho-Am Science Prize for his pioneering work on low-dimensional carbon nanostructures. The prize gives Kim a certificate, a gold medal and 200 million Korean won. It is given to individuals who have furthered the welfare of humanity through distinguished accomplishments in their respective professional fields.