Chandrakant Topiwala

Chandrakant Topiwala Biography

Chandrakant Topiwala is a noted poet and critic associated with Gujarati literature. He currently serves as the president of Gujarati Sahitya Parishad. He is a winner of several prestigious awards such as Ranjitram Suvarna Chandrak (2002), Sahitya Akademi Award (2012) and Samanvay Bhasha Samman award (2013). A modernist critic, his first book belonging to this category Aparichit A Aparichit B, was published in 1975. Had Parna Hans Ane Albatross (1975) is a noted translation and criticism of French symbolist poetry. Madhyamala (1983), Pratibhasha nu Kavach (1984), San-sarjanatamak Kavya-vigyan (1985), and Gujarati Sakshibhasya are other noted critic works. He writes books of theoretical and applied criticism.

Maheraman was his first poetry collection, published in the year 1962. He got noticed through his second work, Kant Tari Rani in 1971 and received rave reviews from critics. Pakshitirth (1988) and Black Forest (1989) are his other famous poetry works. He translated many foreign language works to Gujarati and also co-authored Adhunik Sahitya Sangnya-Kosh (1986), a Gujarati dictionary of literary terms. Vishishta Sahitya Sangnya-Kosh is another noted work belonging to this category. The author has written experimental poetry and translated from Greek and Latin classics also.

He was born in Vadodara in the year 1936. After completing graduation in 1958, he took Master’s in the year 1960, followed by his research work. He started his professional career in academics in 1960. He taught at K H Madhvani College, Porbandar; Navjivan Commerce and Arts College, Dahod, where he later became the Principal. He joined Kasturbhai Lalbhai Swadhyay Mandir as the director. He completed his PhD in 1982 from Gujarat University. He currently serves as the president of Gujarati Sahitya Parishad. His works are characterized for standing against the authoritarian forces in contemporary Indian society.

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Updated: March 06, 2016