Vikas Swarup
Vikas Swarup is an Indian writer and diplomat who is best known as the author of the novel Q & A, adapted in film as Slumdog Millionaire, the winner of Best Film for the year 2009 at the Academy Awards, Golden Globe Awards and BAFTA Awards.
He joined Indian Foreign Services in 1986 and served in Turkey, the United States, Ethiopia, the United Kingdom, South Africa and Japan in various Indian diplomatic missions. His other novels are Six Suspects and The Accidental Apprentice. In March 2015, He has been appointed as the new official spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs of India to head the Public Diplomacy divisions of ministry at New Delhi, succeeding Syed Akbaruddin.
Early life and education
Vikas Swarup was born in Allahabad in the north Indian state of Uttar Pradesh in a family of lawyers. He did his schooling at Boys' High School & College, Allahabad and pursued further studies at Allahabad University in Psychology, History and Philosophy.
Diplomatic career
Swarup is an officer of the Indian Foreign Service batch of 1986.