Description

Kanji Patel is a poet who skilfully reconciles opposing centripetal and centrifugal forces of life and literature in his work. He creates linear divine forms in his poems, much like a Polynesian sculptor would, leaving ample room for the imagination to fill in the gaps of the world he has created. His ingenuity lies in his ability to seamlessly blend the real and surreal, so that dreams and reality become continuous, much like a child waking from sleep. — Dileep Jhaveri, from the introduction

Kanji Patel has four poetry collections in Gujarati to his credit — Janpad, Dungardev, Desh and Dharatina Vachan — besides works of fiction and ethnographies. Dahelu, translated in English as Rear Verandah, is his best-known fictional work. He received the Katha Award (1996), Umashankar Joshi Prize and the Dhumketu Prize (2008). Patel founded and published Vahi, a journal of poetry, rituals and multilingual expressions. He also organised the Kaleshwari Adivasi Fair in Mahisagar district from 1998 to 2017 to provide a platform for the cultural expression of Adivasis, denotified and nomadic tribes from across India. Former Director of Adivasi Academy, Tejgadh, Patel is currently curating contemporary poetry of Adivasi, denotified and nomadic tribes in India in translation from several languages into English and Hindi.

Dileep Jhaveri was born in 1943 and writes in Gujarati and English. He has published four books of poems, a play and a travelogue in Gujarati. In English, he has published four books of poems and autobiographical stories from New York. He is on the editorial board of Muse India and Nadwa from Hong Kong. His works have been translated and anthologised into several national and international languages. He has received multiple awards and has represented India and Gujarati in various conferences, poetry readings, universities and institutions in several countries. Additionally, he has also translated Gujarati and Marathi poets into English.