Contents
Esther David
Exploring Indian Jewish life in Book of Rachel and other fiction.
The Walled City · My Father’s Zoo
- Born
- 17 March 1945
- Birthplace
- Ahmedabad
More people
Esther David
Esther David is an Indian writer and artist from Ahmedabad. Her books explore Bene Israel memory, domestic life and food traditions.
Early life
Ahmedabad family
Her father Reuben David founded the city’s zoo; her mother Sarah was a teacher.
Art training
Studied fine art and art history at the Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda.
Career
- After graduation
Art teaching
Returned to Ahmedabad to teach art history and appreciation.
- Later career
Arts journalism
Wrote criticism for The Times of India.
- 2010
Literary recognition
Received the Sahitya Akademi Award for Book of Rachel.
Selected work
The Walled City
A novel rooted in Ahmedabad.
My Father’s Zoo
Recounts her father’s work with animals.
Bombay Brides
Explores Indian Jewish lives through fiction.
Beyond work
Cultural research
Has researched Indian Jewish food traditions with support from the Hadassah-Brandeis Institute.
Sources & photo credit
Biography and career ↗Biographical references ↗Original photograph. Cropped and displayed in monochrome.
Photo: Sarvajanik Puralekh. CC BY-SA 4.0 · Original image. Cropped and displayed in monochrome.