Shantinath Desai (1929–1998) was one of the leading modern authors of the Navya (modernist) movement in Kannada. He became active shortly after India achieved independence from the United Kingdom. In most of his novels, short stories, and essays, Desai explores the challenges of a changing society and its drift from traditional values.His first novel, Mukti (1961), narrates the protagonist's quest for an independent identity, liberation from the influence of a friend and his infatuation with the friend's sister. The second novel, Vikshepa (1971), tells the story of a village youth from northern Karnataka, who attempts to flee from his traditional environment by studying English in Bombay and later relocating to England. He was one of the best known writers in the genre of short stories in