Chandrakant Topiwala

{{Short description|Indian Gujarati-language poet and critic (Born: 1936)}}

{{Infobox writer

| name=Chandrakant Topiwala

| image= Writer Chandrakant Topiwala.jpg

| caption = at Gujarati Sahitya Parishad, Ahmedabad, October 2017

| birth_date={{birth date and age|1936|8|7|df=y}}

| birth_place=Vadodara, Gujarat, India

| death_date=

| death_place=

| occupation= poet, critic

| period=

| language = Gujarati

| nationality=

| module={{Infobox academic

| child = yes

| doctoral_advisor = Self

| thesis_title=Linguistic operations in modern Gujarati poetry criticism

| thesis_url= http://shodhganga.inflibnet.ac.in/handle/10603/49649

| doctoral_students = {{plainlist|* Rajesh Vyas

Mohan Parmar}} }}

| signature=Chandrakant Topiwala signature.svg

| awards= {{plainlist |

}}

Chandrakant Amritlal Topiwala (born 7 August 1936) is a Gujarati language poet and critic from Gujarat, India.

Early life

File:Chandrakant Topiwala with his wife (Cropped).jpg on 19 June 2016|left]]

Topiwala was born on 7 August 1936 at Vadodara, to Amritlal and Lilavati.{{cite magazine |last=Joshi |first=Yogesh |author-link=Yogesh Joshi (poet)|title= Sahitya Akademi, Delhi Dvara Award (in 'Aa Kshane') |magazine=Parab |date=February 2013 |location=Ahmedabad |publisher=Gujarati Sahitya Parishad |pages=11}}{{cite journal|url=http://www.museindia.com/authprofile.asp?id=374|journal=Muse India|issue=56|date=July–August 2014|issn=0975-1815|accessdate=16 July 2014|title=Chandrakant Topiwala|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140729030811/http://www.museindia.com/authprofile.asp?id=374|archive-date=29 July 2014|url-status=dead}} 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 in 1982 from Gujarat University.{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KnPoYxrRfc0C&pg=PA4365|title=Encyclopaedia of Indian Literature: Sasay to Zorgot|volume=5|first=Mohan|last=Lal |publisher=Sahitya Akademi|year=1992 |isbn= 9788126012213|page=4365}}{{cite web|url=http://www.gujaratisahityaparishad.com/prakashan/sarjako/savishesh/Savishesh-Chandrakant-Topiwala.html|title=Chandrakant Topiwala|publisher=Gujarati Sahitya Parishad|language =Gujarati|accessdate=17 July 2014}}{{cite book|title=અર્વાચીન ગુજરાતી સાહિત્યનો ઈતિહાસ - આધુનિક અને અનુઆધુનિક યુગ (History of Modern Gujarati Literature – Modern and Postmodern Era)|first=Prasad|last=Brahmabhatt |publisher=Parshwa Publication|location=Ahmedabad|year=2010|pages=317–319|language=gu|isbn=978-93-5108-247-7}}

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, Ahmedabad. He was the president of Parishad during 2016 to 2018.

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. Avagaman (1999) and Apani Kavyasamriddhi (2004) are his other works of poetry.

=Criticism=

Topiwala is considered a modernist critic. His first book, Aparichit A Aparichit B, was published in 1975 which has four sections. 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), Vivechanno Vibhajit Pat (1990), Granth Ghatna (1994) and Gujarati Sakshibhasya.

=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 as Orpheus Prati Sonneto (1977). 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) and Ishwarni Yatna (2004).

=Other=

Topiwala co-edited Adhunik Sahitya Sangnya-Kosh (1986), a Gujarati dictionary of literary terms. He also edited Vishishta Sahitya Sangnya-Kosh (1988), Gujarati Tunki Varta Kosh (1990), Anuadhunikatavad (1993), Pavan Pagathiya (2004). He also edited Jayant Khatrini Shreshth Vartao (1994).

Awards

He received a Ranjitram Suvarna Chandrak in 2002, Premanand Suvarna Chandrak in 2005, Anantrai Raval Criticism Award and a Sahitya Akademi Award for his critical study Gujarati Sakshibhasya in 2012.{{cite news|url=http://m.thehindu.com/books/jeet-thayil-among-24-selected-for-sahitya-akademi-awards/article4222947.ece/|archive-url=https://archive.today/20140726175006/http://m.thehindu.com/books/jeet-thayil-among-24-selected-for-sahitya-akademi-awards/article4222947.ece/|url-status=dead|archive-date=26 July 2014|title=Jeet Thayil among 24 selected for Sahitya Akademi Awards|work=The Hindu|date=21 December 2012|place=New Delhi|accessdate=17 July 2014}} He was conferred a Samanvay Bhasha Samman award in 2013 for his contributions to literature.{{cite news|url=http://wap.business-standard.com/article/news-ians/gujarati-poet-conferred-award-113102401237_1.html|title=Gujarati poet conferred award|work =Business Standard |date= 24 October 2013|place = New Delhi|accessdate =15 July 2014}}