Chandrakant Topiwala
| Chandrakant Topiwala | |
|---|---|
 Chandrakant Topiwala At Sada Sarvada Kavita, ATMA Auditorium on February 2016 | |
| Born |
7 August 1936 Vadodara, Gujarat, India |
| Occupation | poet, critic |
| Language | Gujarati |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Notable awards |
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| Signature |
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Chandrakant Amritlal Topiwala is a Gujarati language poet and critic from India.
Early life
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Topiwala was born on 7 August 1936 at Vadodara.[1] He completed his Bachelor of Arts in Gujarati from the University of Bombay-affiliated Saint Xavier's College in 1958, and received his Masters in 1960. He completed his PhD at 1982 from Gujarat University.[2][3]
Career
Topiwala taught Gujarati language at K H Madhvani College, Porbandar from 1961 to 1965. In 1965, he joined Navjivan Commerce and Arts College, Dahod as head of Department of Gujarati, and served as principal of the college from 1971 to 1984. Later he became the director of Kasturbhai Lalbhai Swadhyay Mandir, run by Gujarati Sahitya Parishad.[2][3] He currently serves as the president of Parishad.
Works
Poetry
Maheraman, his first poetry collection, was published in 1962, followed by Kant Tari Rani in 1971, which gained him critical acclaim. Pakshitirth (1988) is further experimental poetry. Black Forest (1989) was written during his visit to Europe and was influenced by European culture.[2][3]
Criticism
Topiwala is considered a modernist critic. His first book, Aparichit A Aparichit B, was published in 1975. His collection Had Parna Hans Ane Albatross (1975) is a translation and criticism of French symbolist poetry. Madhyamala (1983) is a collection of articles on medieval Gujarati literature. Other publications include Pratibhasha nu Kavach (1984), San-sarjanatamak Kavya-vigyan (1985), and Gujarati Sakshibhasya.[2][3]
Translations
He has translated works of the Bohemian-Austrian poet Rainer Maria Rilke into Gujarati: Duino Elegies as Duino Karunikao (1976) and Sonnets to Orpheus (1977).[2] He translated Samuel Beckett's short prose as Kalpo ke Kalpana Mari Parvari Chhe. He translated and published Contemporary Gujarati Poetry (1972) and Maithili Sahitya no Itihas (History of Maithili Literature, 1987).[2][3]
Other
Topiwala co-authored Adhunik Sahitya Sangnya-Kosh (1986), a Gujarati dictionary of literary terms. He also wrote Vishishta Sahitya Sangnya-Kosh (1988).[2][3]
Awards
He received a Ranjitram Suvarna Chandrak in 2002 and a Sahitya Akademi Award for his critical study Gujarati Sakshibhasya in 2012.[4] He was conferred a Samanvay Bhasha Samman award in 2013 for his contributions to literature.[5]
References
- ↑ "Chandrakant Topiwala". Muse India. July–August 2014. ISSN 0975-1815. Retrieved 16 July 2014.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Lal, Mohan (1992). Encyclopaedia of Indian Literature: Sasay to Zorgot. 5. Sahitya Akademi. p. 4365. ISBN 9788126012213.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Chandrakant Topiwala" (in Gujarati). Gujarati Sahitya Parishad. Retrieved 17 July 2014.
- ↑ "Jeet Thayil among 24 selected for Sahitya Akademi Awards". The Hindu. New Delhi. 21 December 2012. Retrieved 17 July 2014.
- ↑ "Gujarati poet conferred award". Business Standard. New Delhi. 24 October 2013. Retrieved 15 July 2014.