Suman Shah | |
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 Suman Shah atGujarati Sahitya Parishad in August 2015 | |
| Born | Sumanchandra Govindalal Shah (1939-11-01)1 November 1939 (age 85) Dabhoi,Vadodara,Gujarat |
| Occupation | Critic, short story writer, novelist, essayist, Editor, translator |
| Language | Gujarati |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Education |
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| Alma mater | |
| Period | postmodernGujarati literature |
| Genres | Short story,Novel,Essay,Criticism |
| Literary movement | Existentialism,Surrealism,Modernism,Postmodernism,Structuralism,Post-structuralism,Postcolonialism |
| Years active | 1957 - present |
| Notable works |
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| Notable awards |
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| Spouse | |
| Children | Purvarag, Madir |
| Signature | |
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| Academic background | |
| Thesis | Suresh Joshi: His Literature and its Impact upon Modern Gujarati Literature (2000) |
| Doctoral advisor | Mohanbhai Patel |
| Website | |
Official website | |
Suman Shah is aGujarati language critic, short story writer, novelist, essayist, editor and translator fromGujarat,India. He won theSahitya Akademi Award in 2008 for his short story collectionFatfatiyun. He has written both in the modern and in the postmodern eras in Gujarati literature. He has authored more than 74 books, including 2 novels, 6 short story collections, 4 collections of creative essays, 6 translations into Gujarati from English and Hindi, 22 books on literary criticism and around 23 edited works of literary theory and modern Gujarati short stories and poems. He was honorary editor ofShabdasrishti from 1983 to 1986 and an editor ofKhevna, a literary journal, from 1987 to 2009.[1]
Shah was born on 1 November 1939 inDabhoi,Vadodara district,Gujarat, to Govindlal and Kundanbahen. He took his primary education in Dabhoi Prathamik Shala. He finished his secondary education from Vibhag High School, Dabhoi in 1957. He joinedM. S. University to obtain aBachelor of Commerce, but left it for the Arts College in Dabhoi in 1959. He was graduated in 1962 with a major inGujarati literature and a minor inSanskrit. In 1964, he completed hisMaster of Arts in Gujarati and Sanskrit literature from M. S. University in Vadodara. Under the guidance of Mohanbhai Shankarbhai Patel, he obtained a PhD degree for his thesisSuresh Joshi: His Literature and its Impact upon Modern Gujarati Literature in 1978 fromGujarat Vidyapith.[2][3][4]
Shah taught Gujarati literature in various schools, 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 inKapadvanj. In 1972, he joined T.C. Kapadia Arts College inBodeli as Professor of Gujarati Literature and served as principal of the college until 1977. In 1977, he joined the Department of Gujarati Language and Literature at the School of Language atGujarat University inAhmedabad, and headed the department from 1992 to 2002. He served as a Professor Emeritus appointed by theUniversity Grant Commission for two years. He also served as a Writer-In-Residence at theUniversity of Pennsylvania in the United States.[2][3]
Shah started his writing career in 1957. In 1958, he published a short story inAaram, a Gujarati magazine edited by Pitanbar Patel. Subsequently, he published in other Gujarati literary magazines includingShabdasrishti,Tathapi,Samipe,Etad andFarbus Traimasik. He is a founder member of several literary and educational organization such asSuresh Joshi Sahityavichar Forum (SJSF) since 1989. The SJSF is dedicated to seminars and workshops for short story writing. He is also a founding member of two other educational organizations:Sannidhan (since 1991) andPunarapi (since 2011).Sannidhan is dedicated to teaching programs in connection with university curricula whilePunarapi is dedicated to training programs for college and university teachers.
His first novel,Khadki, was published in 1987, followed byBajbaji (1989).Salam Amarica Urfe Mari Vidyayatra (1996), a travelogue, is an account of his travel across the United States.[3]
His short stories dealt with the complexity of human lives, especially the kind that exists between a married couple, as evident in his collectionJenti - Hansa Symphony (1992).Avarshunkelub (1976), his first collection of short stories, reflected his modernist tendencies. The stories are experimental in nature with phenomenological and absurdist backdrops, although some of the stories, such as "Kakajini Bodhkatha", are notable for their mixture of experimentalism and traditional storytelling. His second collection of short stories,Jenti Hansa Symphony (1992), is a work which is considered a breakthrough in Shah's literary career. From modernist tendencies he went to adapt postmodern sensibilities with regard to world view and style. Shah 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 variety of themes and lighthearted treatment while dealing with social issues like an earthquake ("Cement"), rape ("Khanjar") and riots ("E.E.W"). Stories like "Two Twenty Thousand Lagi" and "Lemon Tea ane Biscuit" revolve around 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 impacted by political goons. Some of the stories in this collection contain his earlier charactersJenti andHansa. In these, Shah explores the theme of writerly crisis, mainly whether to write about others' pain, as there is a lot of 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 areNo Idea, Get Idea (2013) andDhisoomDhisoom (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]
Shah has worked both in theoretical and applied criticism.
He is noted inGujarati literature for his works of theoretical criticismSartra No Sahityavichar (1980),Sahityama Adhunikta (1988) andAnu-adhunikta Ane Apane (2008). His other works of theoretical criticism includeVivechan: 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) andSiddhante Kim? (2008). His works of applied criticism includeChandrakant Bakshi Thi Fero (1973),Suresh Joshi Thi Suresh Joshi (1978, PhD 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) andBhakta-Kavi Dayaramni Kavyasrushti (2012)[3]
Wait a beat, his first collection of essays, was published in 1987, followed byByline (1990),Media-Message (1993),Vastusanchar (2005) andSahitya Sahitya (2015).[3]
He has translated several works from English into Gujarati:Chekhov'sThree Sisters asTran Baheno (1965),Dostoyevsky'sThe Meek One asVinita (1985),Beckett'sWaiting for Godot asGodoni Raahma (1990), M.k Naik'sHistory of Indian English Literature asBharatiy Angreji Sahitya No Itihaas (1999) andHarold Pinter'sA Slight Ache asBhamri (2007). He has also translatedNisarg, a novel by Kannad writer Mirgy Anna Ray from Hindi.[3][5]
He has introduced some literary forms by editing seven books:Atmakatha (autobiography),Jivankatha (biography),Navalkatha (novel),Tunki Varta (short story),Sonnet (sonnet),Lalit Nibandh (essay) andKhandakavya (narrative poetry) published during 1983 to 1987. He edited some short story collections includingSuresh 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) andVarta Re Varta (2015; Collection of 47 short stories with editorial note). His other significant works of editing includeAathma Daykani Kavita (1982),Aatmanepadi (1987; collection of interviews ofSuresh Joshi) andVansaladi (1990; collection of articles written on Dayaram's poetry).[3]
He received Ravindra Chandrak in 1961 and the Hargovindadas Kantawala Gold Medal in 1964. He received theSahitya Akademi Award in 2008 for his short story collectionFatfatiyun.[3]Fatfatiyun was also awarded the Raman Pathak Shashtipurti Prize (2006–2007) instituted byGujarati Sahitya Parishad. He is also a recipient of the Ramprasad Premshankar Bakshi Prize (2002–2003) for his workKathasiddhanta,Premanand Suvarna Chandrak (2013) andSahitya Gaurav Puraskar (2014).[6]
Shah married Rashmita in 1965 and they have two sons, Purvarag and Madir. His wife died in 2016.[citation needed]
Works by Sumana Śāha atGoogle Books
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| Preceded by | Recipient of theSahitya Akademi Award winners for Gujarati 2008 | Succeeded by |
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