"A Forgotten Raja"

The archives of two famous authors of Indian origin are in the news right now but for very different reasons. In the case of the celebrated Salman Rushdie, the welcome news is that Emory University in Atlanta has bought his papers and set up an archive which is open to the public. In the case of the other writer, the late Raja Rao (1908-2006 ), the news is not so heartening. Last week, the property in Austin, Texas, where the author had lived for 40 years, of which 23 years were with his wife Susan-Raja Rao, was sold to the highest bidder for $500,000. Susan, also the director of the non-profit Sacred Wordsmith Raja Rao Memorial Literary Endowment, had thought about transforming the residence into a museum and archive to preserve the late Indian author's oeuvre for future generations . Now, she can only hope to ensure that all of Raja Rao's papers will be safely moved to the modest flat she can afford, located at a safe sentimental distance from their former cherished residence.