G. A. Kulkarni

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Gurunath Abaji Kulkarni (1923-1987), popularly known as G.A. Kulkarni or simply GA, was an Indian writer of great renown. Marathi short stories was his niche area.

G.A. Kulkarni was an English professor in JSS College, Dharwad for roughly 40 years. He lived in Kademani Compound in Malmaddi with his two unmarried sisters. GA himself was bachelor all his life. He moved to Dharwad in 1950s for the teaching job from Belgaum. He did his schooling and higher studies up to M.A. from Balgaum. He left Dharwad in 1985/86 for health reasons, and spent his last years in Pune. A major road in Kothrud suburb of Pune was named after GA posthumously.

Many of GA's short stories have been translated into English, Hindi, and Kannada. He was honored with the Sahithya Academy Award[1] in 1973 for the collection of short stories - 'Kajalmaya'. A critically acclaimed marathi movie 'Kairee' [2], directed by Amol Palekar, was based on one of GA's short stories.

GA was a prolific correspondent. Four volumes of his letters were published after his death; they make up one of the best collections of letters in world literature. A big majority of these letters were written to Shri Pu Bhagwat, Sunitabai Deshpande, Madhav Achawal, Jaywant Dalvi, Anantrao Kulkarni and Ma Da Hatkanangalekar. He had a fetish for keeping his life private which made him tie himself into many a knot. But he also longed to reach out to friends who shared his tastes. This longing resulted in a voluminous correspondence with friends which has become a treasure of Marathi language.

GA was an avid reader; the range in English literature that he managed to cover from his base in a small town like Dharwad is quite astonishing. GA translated five novels by American writer Conrad Richter into Marathi in 1960s for a project initiated by USIS in India to bring some fine American writing into Indian languages. As a writer, his stock-in-trade was 'Short Story'. Indeed he published little else while he lived. But after his death, his gift for other forms of writing also came to light. In addition to his monumental volumes of letters, a longish book named : 'Manase Arbhat Ani Chillar', based around nostalgic autobiographical ramblings, is also worth mention.

[edit] G.A. Kulkarni's Publications

Neela Savala (1959)
Hirave Rave (1960)
Parava (1960)
Rakta Chandan (1966)
Kajalmaya (1972)
Pingalavel
Dohakalima
Sanjshakun (1975)
Ramalkhuna (1975)
Ek Arabi Kahani (1982) (Translated)
Amrutphale (1983)
Onjaldhara (1984)
Bakhar Bimmachi
Mugdhachi Rangit Goshta (1986)
Pailpakhare (1986)
Manse Arbhat Ani Chillar (1988)
Kusumgunja (1989)
Sonpawale
Akashphule
Sonyache Madake (Translated, Original - Crock of Gold by James Stephens)
Lord of the Flies (Translated, Original - Lord of the Flies, By William Golding)
Vairyachi Ek Ratra (1985) (Translated, Original - I Survived Hitler's Ovens by Olga Lengyel)
Raan, Shivar, Gaav, Ranatil Prakash, and ??? (Translated, Original - The Trees, The Fields, The Town, The Light in the Forest and Smoke over the Prairie by Conrad Richter)