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{{Short description|Indian Gujarati-language poet and critic (born 1936)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2018}}
{{Use Indian English|date=July 2018}}
{{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 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 |
* [[Ranjitram Suvarna Chandrak]] (2002)
* [[Sahitya Akademi Award]] (2012)
* [[Indian Languages Festival|Samanvay Bhasha Samman]] award (2013)
}}
}}

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

==Early life==
Topiwala was born on 7 August 1936 at [[Vadodara]], to Amritlal and Lilavati.<ref>{{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}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref> 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]].<ref name=enc>{{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}}</ref><ref name=gsp>{{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}}</ref><ref name=AGSI>{{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}}</ref>

==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]].<ref name=enc/><ref name=gsp/> He was the president of Parishad during 2016 to 2018.<ref name=AGSI/>

==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.<ref name=enc/><ref name=gsp/><ref name=AGSI/>

===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 [[Symbolism (movement)|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''.<ref name=enc/><ref name=gsp/><ref name=AGSI/>

===Translations===
He has translated works of the [[Bohemia]]n-Austrian poet [[Rainer Maria Rilke]] into Gujarati: ''[[Duino Elegies]]'' as ''Duino Karunikao'' (1976) and ''[[Sonnets to Orpheus]]'' as ''Orpheus Prati Sonneto'' (1977).<ref name=enc/> 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).<ref name=enc/><ref name=gsp/><ref name=AGSI/>

===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 Khatri]]ni Shreshth Vartao'' (1994).<ref name=enc/><ref name=gsp/><ref name=AGSI/>

==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.<ref>{{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}}</ref> He was conferred a [[Indian Languages Festival|Samanvay Bhasha Samman]] award in 2013 for his contributions to literature.<ref>{{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}}</ref><ref name=AGSI/>

==See also==
* [[List of Gujarati-language writers]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{commonscat}}

{{Sahitya Akademi Award for Gujarati}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Topiwala, Chandrakant}}
[[Category:Modernist writers]]
[[Category:Indian literary critics]]
[[Category:1939 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian poets]]
[[Category:Gujarati-language Indian writers]]
[[Category:People from Vadodara district]]
[[Category:Indian male poets]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Sahitya Akademi Award in Gujarati]]
[[Category:Poets from Gujarat]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Ranjitram Suvarna Chandrak]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian male writers]]
[[Category:Presidents of the Gujarati Sahitya Parishad]]
[[Category:Translators of Rainer Maria Rilke]]
[[Category:Translators of Edgar Allan Poe]]

Chandrakant Topiwala - Revision history

Mrrajrumel at 15:03, 23 February 2026