Arun Joshi was born in Benaras and spent his childhood years in Delhi, Hoshiarpur and Chandigarh. As a child, he played the violin and music remained a great love through his life, along with reading, writing and painting. He wrote five novels and many short stories. He is remembered for his crisp, clear and perceptive writing style. He received the Sahitya Akademi Award for his novel The Last Labyrinth in 1982.