Premchand (1880-1936). Born in Lamhi village near Varanasi in north India as Dhanpat Rai, Premchand’s realistic writings highlighted the social milieu through a multi-faceted portrayal of human nature. The 12 novels, 300 or so short stories (most of them collected in an 8-volume set called Mansarovar and in Soz-e-Watan), plays and numerous essays — all add up to make him not only one of the most prolific but also marvelously creative writers, who came to be regarded as the spokesman of the disinherited and the downtrodden. The Second Wife (titled Nirmala in Hindi) represents a high-water mark of Premchand’s genius as a creator of realistic fiction.

David Rubin, scholar and novelist, received his Doctorate in Comparative Literature at Columbia University, USA, and later taught Hindi literature at the same university. Author of three novels set in India, he has also translated two other volumes of Premchand’s three volumes of Chayavadi poetry and two contemporary Hindi novelists, Susham Bedi and Shrilal Shukla.