A Dictionary of Indian English Litterateurs



BOOK REVIEW: R .K. SINGH

Mahendra S. Rana (Comp. and ed.). Assisted by Rekha Rana. A Dictionary of Indian English Litterateurs: 1794-2010. 2 vols set. New Delhi: Sarup Books Publishers Pvt Ltd., 2012. Size—Crwn. ISBN 978-81-7625-809-8 (Set). Pages Vol. I, 566+Appendix+23 and Vol. II, 573+Appendix+ 7, Price Rs.6500/- (Set).

M.S. Rana, who worked in the universities of Kurukshetra, Delhi, Meerut, and Roorkee as librarian, has compiled the 2-volume Dictionary of Indian English authors with editorial skill, scholarly interest, and professional commitment. It appears it took him about a decade to develop an authentic, systematic bio-bibliographical critical source book on over 4000+ creative writers that include about 500 women writers from various parts of India.

The Dictionary also includes authors of Indian origin settled in the USA, Europe, Latin America, South Africa, and the Caribbean region as well as Nepal and Bhutan. While the criteria for choosing the native Indian English authors, as made out in the Preface, are their original contribution in any genres of literature, publication of research and critical articles on their works, inclusion in anthologies, or listing in standard reference tools, the criterion for choosing the ‘diasporic’ authors is their dealing with Indian life and culture. With this in view, the editor-compiler explores and documents the biographical sketches with bibliographies and critical articles on both well-known and less known poets, fiction and non-fiction writers, playwrights, and other creative personalities of the last 220 years.

In the making of the massive Dictionary of Litterateurs, Rana takes help from literary advisors such as G.S. Balarama Gupta, Prema Nandakumar, R.K. Singh, C.S. Singh, A.P. Trivedi, Rajiv Verma, Badri N. Raina, Arun Kumar, and S.C. Dwivedi who also contribute critical articles and/or comments about various poets and authors’ lives and work. He also takes assistance from Rekha Rana, though it is not clear what her specific contribution is.

The compiler also makes use of several scholarly journals, magazines, dailies and fortnightlies that include The Hindu, India Today, Outlook, Biblio, Creative Forum, Language Forum, Indian Literature, Journal of Commonwealth Literature, Journal of Indian Writing in English, Kavya Bharati, Litcrit, Mawaheb International, Metverse Muse, Poet, Poecrit, Triveni, Cyber Literature, Commonwealth Quarterly etc. Some of these journals have ceased publication now.

The layout of the alphabetically arranged entries typically includes personal information, career history, including academics and honours, literary output – poetry, drama, fiction, prose, travelogue, letters, diaries, narratives, transcreation, and other works. The critical bibliography appears in the form of major books and Ph.D. theses. Then, there is a note of appraisal on the literary endeavours of the author. Where available, the compiler provides the contact or email address at the end of the entry.

Needless to say, Rana tries to place the writers in the larger perspective of Indian English literary history just as he seeks to empower the interested researchers and scholars to decide about their areas of specialization  and/or understanding of the topics of research (for M  Phil or PhD dissertation) via the information provided in the Dictionary.

The appendices reflect upon the status of Indian English at home and abroad even as it is encouraging to know that besides Indian universities, 89 foreign universities promote researches in Indian English literature.

At a time when study of literature is losing importance among our students, A Dictionary of Indian English Litterateurs should help promote Indian English Literature to study the humanities. It should also prove indispensible in effective study of and research in Indian English Writing to enhance critical understanding and human values.

Despite printing errors in several articles and comments culled from various books and journals, I find the Dictionary fascinating and significant, and recommend it to all English Departments and libraries in the country and abroad.