Acclaimed British novelist Sara Banerji, whose unique literary voice masterfully blended myth, magic, and the sharp realities of everyday life, has died at the age of 93.
A Literary Legacy of Fantasy and Reality
Over a prolific three-decade career, Banerji authored 10 distinctive novels. Her work was celebrated for its seamless fusion of gritty domestic detail with elements of fantasy and sudden, often darkly comic, violence. She brought a fresh perspective to fiction by making the surreal feel entirely tangible.
Her debut, Cobweb Walking (1986), introduced readers to a child named Morgan who could walk on cobwebs, setting the tone for a career built on imaginative premises. Reviewers frequently compared her sharp wit to literary giants Evelyn Waugh and Muriel Spark. The Observer praised her 1991 novel Absolute Hush as "a bold, fantastical work … an extraordinary marriage of pyrotechnics and grace."
From Buckinghamshire to India: A Life of Adventure
Born in Stoke Poges, Buckinghamshire, on 6 June 1932, Sara was one of four children. Her mother, Anita, was a novelist and a descendant of Henry Fielding, while her father, Sir Basil Mostyn, was a baronet and army officer. After the Second World War, the family moved to a tobacco farm in Southern Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe), living in basic mud huts. Following her parents' separation, she returned to Britain.
Her life took a decisive turn in 1957 when she married Ranjit Banerji, moving with him to India for 16 years. This period profoundly influenced her writing. Novels like The Wedding of Jayanthi Mandel (1987) and The Tea-Planter’s Daughter (1988) drew directly on her Indian experiences, exploring post-colonial dynamics with a mix of humour and violence. Her final novel, Tikkippala (2015), used magical realism to tell a rajah's family saga.
During her time in India, Banerji was also a successful amateur jockey, strategically planning the births of her three daughters around the Flat racing season. The family left India in 1973 with just £10 after their dairy farm failed amid the Naxalite insurgency.
A Creative Force Until the End
Back in the UK, Banerji's determination to be published was bolstered by working for horror writer James Herbert. She found success with her first novel in 1986 and continued writing, painting, and sculpting throughout her life. She taught creative writing at a college in Oxford until 2014 and ran a writing group until early 2025.
Sara Banerji is survived by her three daughters, Bijoya, Sabita and Juthika, five grandchildren, four great-grandchildren, and two siblings. Her husband, Ranjit, died in 2022. She passed away on 2 November 2025, leaving behind a rich and singular body of work that continues to enchant readers.
