Suman Shah
| Suman Shah | |
|---|---|
 Suman Shah at Gujarati Sahitya Parishad in August 2015 | |
| Native name | સુમનચન્દ્ર ગોવીંદલાલ શાહ |
| Born |
Sumanchandra Govindalal Shah November 1, 1939 Dabhoi, Vadodara, Gujarat |
| Occupation | Critic, short story writer, novelist, essayist, Editor, translator |
| Language | Gujarati |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Education |
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| Alma mater | |
| Period | postmodern Gujarati literature |
| Genres | Short story, Novel, Essay, Criticism |
| Literary movement | Existentialism, Surrealism, Modernism, Postmodernism, Structuralism, Post-structuralism, Postcolonialism |
| Notable works |
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| Notable awards |
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| Years active | 1957 - present |
| Spouse | Rashmita (1965 - d. 2016) |
| Children | Purvarag, Madir |
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| Signature |
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| Website | |
| Official website | |
Suman Shah (Gujarati:સુમન શાહ) is a Gujarati language critic, short story writer, novelist, essayist, editor and translator from Gujarat, India. Sahitya Akademi, New Delhi awarded him the Sahitya Akademi Award of 2008 for his short story collection Fatfatiyun. He wrote both in the modern and in the postmodern eras in Gujarati literature. He authored more than 74 books including 2 novels, 6 short story collections, 4 collections of creative essays, 6 translation into Gujarati from English and Hindi, 22 books on literary criticism and around 23 edited works for literary theory, modern Gujarati Short Stories and poems. He was honorary editor of Shabdasrishti, published by Gujarat Sahitya Akademi, Gandhinagar from 1983-1986. He was an editor of Khevna, a literary journal, from 1987 to 2009, published by Parshva Publication, Ahmedabad.[1]
Early life
Shah was born on 1 November 1939 in Dabhoi, a city of Vadodara district, Gujarat to Govindlal and Kundanbahen. He took his primary education (from std. 1 to 7) in Dabhoi Prathamik Shala. He finished his secondary education from Vibhag High School, Dabhoi in 1957. Although he had joined M. S. University to obtain Bachelor of Commerce, but he found himself unfit to learn commerce. He left it and joined Arts College, Dabhoi in 1959. He was graduated in 1962 with Gujarati literature as major and Sanskrit as subordinate subjects. In 1964, he completed his Master of Arts with Gujarati and Sanskrit literature from M. S. University, Vadodara. Under the guidance of Mohanbhai Shankarbhai Patel, he obtained his Ph.D degree for his thesis Suresh Joshi: His Literature and its Impact upon Modern Gujarati Literature in 1978 from Gujarat Vidyapith.[2][3][4]
Career
Shah taught Gujarati literature in various school, universities and colleges for 42 years (1962 to 2004). He started his career in 1962 as a secondary school teacher for Gujarati language and literature at Dayaram Sharada Mandir, Dabhoi. He taught Gujarati literature from 1966 to 1972 at Municipal Arts College, Kapadvanj. In 1972, he joined T.C. Kapadia Arts College, Bodeli as Professor of Gujarati literature and served as principal of the college till 1977. In 1977, he joined Department of Gujarati language and literature at School of language located at Gujarat University, Ahmedabad and Headed the department from 1992 to 2002. He served as a Professor Emeritus appointed by University Grant Commission for two years. He also served as Writer-In-Residence of University of Pennsylvania, US.[2][3]
Literary career
Shah started writing career in 1957. In 1958, his short story was published in Aaram, a Gujarati magazine edited by Pitanbar Patel. Subsequently, his works are published in other Gujarati literary magazines including Shabdasrishti, Tathapi, Samipe, Etad and Farbus Traimasik. He is a founder member of several literary and educational organization such as Suresh Joshi Sahityavichar Forum (SJSF) since 1989. The SJSF is dedicated to seminars and workshops for short story writing. He is also founder member of two other educational organizations namely Sannidhan (since 1991) and Punarapi (since 2011). Sannidhan is dedicated to teaching programs in connection of University curriculum while Punarapi is dedicated to training programs for college and university teachers.
Works
Novel
His first novel, Khadki, was published in 1987, followed by Bajbaji (1989). Salam Amarica Urfe Mari Vidyayatra (1996), a travelogue, is an account of his travel across the Amarica.[3]
Short story
His short stories dealt with complexity of human lives, especially the kind that exists between a married couple, as evident in his collection Jenti - Hansa Symphony (1992). 'Avarshunkelub'(1976) was the first collection of his Short stories, reflecting modernist tendencies employed by him. The stories are experimental in nature with phenomenological and absurdist backdrops.Though some of the stories, as for example Kakajini Bodhkatha, are notable for their mixture of experimentalism and traditional story-telling. His second collection of Short stories, Jenti Hansa Symphony (1992), is a work which is considered a break through in Shah's literary career . From modernist tendencies he went to adapt post modern sensibilities with regard to world view and style. Shah himself noted that he became most concerned about narration and narratology. Fatfatiyun, published in 2006, further enhanced the reputation of Shah as a chief short story writer of his era . The stories stand up for the varitey of themes and light hearted treatment while dealing with social issues like earthquake (Cement), rape (Khanjar ) and riots (E.E.W ). Stories like Two Twenty Thousand Lagi , Lemon Tea ane Biscuit revolve round urban life. Kagarol Unlimited (2010), his fourth collection, is a work which marks a major departure in Shah's literary world. For the first time he gets socially concerned, breaking his own world of urban characters, mainly an upper-middle class married couple. As in the title Story he mixes fantasy with narrative to depict the harsh reality of the villagers in contemporary India and how they are imapcted by political goons. Some of the stories in this collection contains his earlier characters Jenti and Hansa. In these Jenti-Hansa senior series, Shah explores theme of writerly crisis, mainly what to write about other's pain, as there are a lot suffering in this world or to write about one self as true writing can never be done without looking into one's own self. His other collections of short stories are No Idea , Get Idea (2013) and DhisoomDhisoom (2014) which contain various themed stories like Kanchan Thodo Giligili Chhe (urban bisexuality ), Ae ane Territorial Birds (suffering of Migrants) and Wolkswagon Chhokro ane Renault Duster Chhokri (impact of market on urban sexual fantasy).[3]
Criticism
Shah has worked both of in Theorotical and Applied criticism.
He is noted in Gujarati literature for his theorotical criticism Sartra No Sahityavichar (1980), Sahityama Adhunikta (1988) and Anu-adhunikta Ane Apane (2008). His other works of Theorotical criticism includes Vivechan: Char Mudda (1975), "Navya Vivechan" Pachhi (1977), Sahityik Sanshodhan Vishe (1980), Khevna (1984), Saranchana Ne Saranchan (1986), Adhunik Gujarati Kavita Ane Sarjakchetna (1988), Sangyan (1991), Sahityik Artha No Koyado (2000), Katha-Siddhanta (2002) and Siddhante Kim? (2008). His works of Applied criticism includes Chandrakant Bakshi Thi Fero (1973), Suresh Joshi Thi Suresh Joshi (1978, Ph.D thesis), Niranjan Bhagat (1981), Umashankar: Samagra Kavitana Kavi: Ek Profile (1982), Kavi-Vivechak Eliot (1987), Kathapad (1989), Kavyapad (2002), Vishwanavalkatha (2007), Nisbatpurvak (2011), Khevnapurvak (2011) and Bhakta-Kavi Dayaramni Kavyasrushti (2012)[3]
Essay
Wait a beat, his first collection of Essay, was published in 1987, followed by Byline (1990), Media-Message (1993), Vastusanchar (2005) and Sahitya Sahitya (2015).[3]
Translation
He has translated several works from English into Gujarati: Chekhov's Three Sisters as Tran Baheno (1965), Dostoyevsky's The Meek One as Vinita (1985), Beckett's Waiting for Godot as Godoni Raahma (1990), M.k Naik's History of Indian English Literature as Bharatiy Angreji Sahitya No Itihaas (1999) and Harold Pinter's A Slight Ache as Bhamri (2007). He has also translated Nisarg , a novel by Kannad writers Mirgy Anna Ray from Hindi.[3]
Editing
He has introduced some literary form by editing seven books Atmakatha (autobiography), Jivankatha (biography), Navalkatha (novel), Tunki Varta (short story), Sonnet (sonnet), Lalit Nibandh (essay) and Khandakavya (narrative poetry) published during 1983 to 1987. He eited some short stories book including Suresh Joshi Thi Satyajit Sharma (1975), Ketlik Vartao (1992), Ketlik Gujarati Tunki Vartao (1993; in collaboration with Gulabdas Broker), 1995:Ketlik Vartao (1995), Ujhani (2004; Collection of stories of writers from Suresh Joshi Sahitya Forum) and Varta Re Varta (2015; Collection of 47 short stories with editorial note). His other significant works of editing includes Aathma Daykani Kavita (1982), Aatmanepadi (1987; Collection of interviews of Suresh Joshi) and Vansaladi (1990; collection of articles written on Dayaram's poetry).[3]
Recognition
He Received Ravindra Chandrak in 1961 and Hargovindadas Kantawala Gold Medal in 1964. He was conferred Sahitya Akademi Award in 2008 for his short story collection Fatfatiyun.[3] Fatfatiyun was also awarded by Raman Pathak Shashtipurti Prize (2006-07) instituted by Gujarati Sahitya Parishad. He is also a recipient of Ramprasad Premshankar Bakshi Prize (2002-03) for his work Kathasiddhanta, Premanand Suvarna Chandrak (2013) and Sahitya Gaurav Puraskar (2014).[5]
Personal life
Shah married Rashmita in 1965 and they have two sons, Purvarag and Madir. His wife died in 2016.
References
- ↑ "Shah Sumanchandra Govindlal". Gujarati Sahityakosh (Encyclopedia of Gujarati Literature). 2. Ahmedabad: Gujarati Sahitya Parishad. 1996.
- 1 2 Shukla, Kirit (2008). Gujarati Sahityakar Parichaykosh. Gandhinagar: Gujarat Sahitya Akademi. p. 654. ISBN 9789383317028.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Brahmabhatt, Prasad (2010). અર્વાચીન ગુજરાતી સાહિત્યનો ઈતિહાસ - આધુનિક અને અનુઆધુનિક યુગ (History of Modern Gujarati Literature – Modern and Postmodern Era) (in Gujarati). Ahmedabad: Parshwa Publication. pp. 319–320. ISBN 978-93-5108-247-7.
- ↑ Mohan Lal (1992). Encyclopaedia of Indian Literature: Sasay to Zorgot. New Delhi: Sahitya Akademi. p. 3946. ISBN 978-81-260-1221-3. Retrieved 12 January 2017.
- ↑ Trivedi, Dr. Ramesh M. (2015). History of Modern Gujarati Literature. Ahmedabad: Adarsh Prakashan. ISBN 978-93-82593-88-1.