Published in 1991, Such A Long Journey is a story set in Mumbai in the year 1971, the year of the Bangladesh Liberation War. Gustad Noble is a devoted family man and a hard working clerk at the bank. At a time when the country is facing internal as well as external disturbance, the dedicated Parsi man struggles hard to keep his family out of poverty. His is the only practical voice in his eccentric neighbourhood. Gustad's troubles begin when his son decides to chase his own dreams and his daughter falls sick. A letter from an old friend sends him on a gallant long journey that exposes India's political turmoil and the peculiar way in which it affects his life. Such A Long Journey was shortlisted for the Booker Prize and Trillium Award. It received a number of accolades such as the Governor General's Award, the Commonwealth Writers Prize for Best Book, and the W.H. Smith/Books in Canada First Novel Award. It been translated into many languages and was made into a film by the same name in 1998.
Born in 1952, Rohinton Mistry earned a BA degree in Mathematics and Economics at the University of Mumbai. After migrating to Canada with his wife, he earned a BA in English and Philosophy at the University of Toronto where he won two Hart House literary prizes. His first publication was a collection of eleven short stories, Tales from Firozsha Baag. Other works of Mistry are, A Fine Balance, Family Matter, and The Scream. His books depict the diverse facets of socioeconomic life in India, especially about Parsi Zoroastrian life. He is currently settled in Toronto and his literary papers reside at the Clara Thomas Archives at York University.
