Mere Mentor at 07:59, 31 December 2025

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{{distinguish|Yoseph Macwan}}
{{use dmy dates|date=November 2018}}
{{Infobox writer
| name = Joseph Macwan
| image = JosephMacwanPic.jpg
| caption =
| pseudonym =
| birth_name = Joseph Ignas Macwan
| birth_date = {{birth date|1936|10|9|df=y}}
| birth_place = Tranol, [[Anand, Gujarat|Anand]], [[Gujarat]]
| death_date ={{death date and age|2010|3|28|1936|10|9}}
| death_place = [[Nadiad]], [[Gujarat]]
| resting_place =
| occupation = Novelist, biographer
| language = [[Gujarati language|Gujarati]]
| nationality = Indian
| education = Master of Arts
| alma_mater =
| period =
| genre = Novel, biography
| subjects = [[Literary realism|realism]]
| movement = [[Dalit literature]] in India
| notableworks =
* ''Vyathana Vitak'' (Agony of Suffering; 1985)
* ''Angaliyat'' (The Step Child; 1986)
| spouse = {{marriage|Reginaben|1955}}
| children =
| awards = {{plainlist|
* [[Sahitya Akademi Award]] (1989)
* [[Dhanji Kanji Gandhi Suvarna Chandrak]] (1990)
}}
| signature = Joseph Macwan autograph.svg
| years_active = 1956–2010
}}

'''Joseph Ignas Macwan''' (9 October 1936 – 28 March 2010) was an Indian [[Gujarati language|Gujarati-language]] novelist, short story writer and essayist from [[Gujarat]], India. He received the [[Sahitya Akademi Award]] in 1989 for his novel ''Angaliyat'' (1986). He was also a recipient of the [[Dhanji Kanji Gandhi Suvarna Chandrak]] (1990). His significant works include: ''Vyathana Vitak'' (Agony of Suffering; 1985), ''Angaliyat'' (The Step Child; 1986) and ''Mari Paranetar'' (1988). He died on 28 March 2010, in [[Nadiad]] following kidney failure.<ref name="BBN 2010">{{cite news | last=Paul | first=Fr. Varghese | title=WELL KNOWN GUJARATI WRITER JOSEPH MACWAN PASSES AWAY | website=BBN | date=29 March 2010 | url=http://vijaymacwan.blogspot.com/2010/03/well-known-gujarati-writer-joseph.html | language=la | access-date=25 May 2016 | editor1-last= Macwan | editor1-first=Vijay | location=Anand }}</ref><ref name= "jm">{{cite encyclopedia |last=Topiwala |first=Chandrakant |encyclopedia=Gujarati Vishwakosh (Encyclopedia of Gujarati Literature) |title=Macwan Joseph Ignas |language=gu |year=1990 |publisher=[[Gujarati Sahitya Parishad]] |volume=2 |location=Ahmedabad |pages=493 }}</ref>

==Biography==
Macwan's grandfather was a [[Hindu]], but he adopted Christianity in 1892. Macwan was born on 9 October 1936 in Tranol, a small village of Kheda [[Tehsil|taluka]], [[Anand district]], Gujarat. His family were natives of [[Ode, Gujarat|Oad]], a small village nearby. He was born in the village of Tranol. He was born there because his father Ignas, or Dahyalal was working with a Christian mission there. His father was also known as a master in his village. His childhood passed in poverty and lack of maternal care. His mother Hiriben (Hira) died when he was young. His father soon married another woman who was cruel to him.<ref name=solanki>{{cite thesis|last=Solanki|first=Vipul|title=A Translation of Joseph Macwan's Vyathana Vitak from Gujarati Into English with a Critical Study|date=2016|publisher=[[Saurashtra University]]|place=Rajkot|type=PhD|chapter=Chapter 1|hdl=10603/130572}}</ref>

Macwan was a [[Child prodigy|prodigy]]. He was admitted to school when he was five years old because of his reading and writing skills. Which were more advanced than those of most students of the usual admitting age of seven years. At that time it was unusual to study in school in his community. He had good memory skills and he could remember poems by listening to his brother who used to recite poems to his ill mother.<ref name=solanki/> He studied in the Missionary School of Oad village until fourth grade, then he did two grades at a local board school. He passed the vernacular final exam at the I P Mission School of [[Nadiad]] in 1950.

Due to poverty, he joined the Christian Missionary School at Khamloj as a teacher when he was fourteen. Later he was transferred to Missionary School, Nadiad as a Deputy PTC (Primary Teacher's Collage) in 1955. In the same year, he passed [[matriculation]] with 72%. He also completed ''Vinit Visharad'' and ''Rashtrabhasha Ratna'' during the same period. In 1957, he joined St. Xavier's School in [[Anand, Gujarat|Anand]] as a teacher of [[Hindi language]]. He passed a Master of Arts in Hindi by studying in weekend classes while working as a teacher. He served as a visiting lecturer of Hindi at the College of [[Dakor]] from 1971 to 1972 and at M B College, [[Vallabh Vidyanagar|Vidyanagar]] from 1972 to 1977. Later, he resigned from his visiting lecturer posts and continued to teach at the St. Xavier's School until his retirement in 1994.<ref name=solanki/>

He married Reginaben in November 1955, and they had four daughters and four sons.<ref name= "mj">{{cite book |last1=Vaghela |first1=Agnes |last2=Vaghela |first2=Ramesh |year=2004 |title=Chakdo |series=Collection of Writings of Joseph Macwan |location=Gandhinagar |publisher=Joseph Macwan Foundation }}</ref>

He died on 28 March 2010, in [[Nadiad]] following kidney failure.<ref name="BBN 2010"/>

==Literary career==
{{expand section|date=July 2016}}
Macwan's writing is inspired by his real life experiences.<ref name=solanki/>

His first novel ''Angaliyat'' (The Stepchild) was published in 1986, followed by ''Lakshman Ni Agni Pariksha'' (1986), ''Mari Parnetar'' (1988), ''Manakhani Mirat'' (1992), ''Bij-Trij Na Tej'' (1995), ''Ajanma Aparadhi'' (1995), ''Dada Na Deshma'' (1996), ''Mavatar'' (1996), ''Amar Chandalo'' (2002), ''Dariya'' (2006), ''Sangavato'', ''Bhini Mati Kora Man'' (2004), ''Apano Paras Aap'' (2005) and ''Charushila'' (2011). Macwan depicted the life of the [[Charotar]] region in his novels. ''Vyathana Vitak'', is a biographical work published in 1985, followed by ''Vahalna Valkha'' (1987), ''Prit Pramani Pagle Pagle'' (1987) and ''Mari Bhillu'' (1989). ''Sadhna Ni Aaradhna'' (1989) is a short story collection.<ref>{{cite book |last=Shukla |first=Kirit |year=2008 |title=Gujarati Sahityakosh |location=Gandhinagar |publisher=Gujarat Sahitya Akadami |page=524 |isbn=9789383317028 }}</ref><ref>{{cite thesis |last=Kher |first=Prafulla |date=6 August 2015 |title=Joseph Makvan and Jagdishchandra's Novels : A comparative study |type=Ph.D |chapter=Chapter 8 |publisher=Saurashtra University |chapter-url=http://shodhganga.inflibnet.ac.in/bitstream/10603/46011/13/13_chapter%208.pdf }}</ref>

==Translations and adaptations==
His novel ''Angaliyat'' has been translated into English by [[Rita Kothari]] as ''The Stepchild'' in 2004. His ''Lohino Sambandh'' has been adapted as the film ''Bas Yari Rakho'' (English title: ''My Little Devil'') and ''Baheru Aayakhu Mungi Vyatha'' has been adapted as a tele-film.<ref name="The Hindu 2004">{{cite web | author=Shant Gokhale | title=Literary Review / Book Review : Saga of struggle | date=3 October 2004 | url=http://www.thehindu.com/lr/2004/10/03/stories/2004100300310500.htm | archive-url=https://archive.today/20150903101105/http://www.thehindu.com/lr/2004/10/03/stories/2004100300310500.htm | url-status=dead | archive-date=3 September 2015 | website=[[The Hindu]] | access-date=21 October 2017}}</ref><ref name=solanki/>

== Recognition ==
He won [[Sahitya Akademi Award]] for Gujarati language in 1989 for his novel ''Angaliyat''. He won [[Dhanji Kanji Gandhi Suvarna Chandrak]] in 1990.<ref name= "jm"/>

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

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Further reading==
* {{cite book|author1=Joseph Macwan|author2=Rita Kothari|title=The Stepchild: Angaliyat|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WoFzMAEACAAJ|date=31 January 2013|publisher=OUP India|isbn=978-0-19-809030-4}}
* {{cite book|author1=Vaghela Agnes|author2=Vaghela Ramesh |title=Chakdo: Joseph Macwanno Sahitya Samput-1|year=2004|publisher=Joseph Macwan Foundation|oclc=61479747}}

==External links==
* {{Gujarati Vishwakosh}}

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

{{DEFAULTSORT:Macwan, Joseph}}
[[Category:Indian male novelists]]
[[Category:1936 births]]
[[Category:2010 deaths]]
[[Category:Novelists from Gujarat]]
[[Category:Gujarati-language Indian writers]]
[[Category:People from Anand district]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Sahitya Akademi Award in Gujarati]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian novelists]]
[[Category:Deaths from kidney failure in India]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian male writers]]

Joseph Macwan - Revision history

Mere Mentor at 07:59, 31 December 2025