Additional information
by Tripathi) (Author), Gautam Choubey (Translator)
Suryakant Tripathi 'Nirala' was among the maverick writers who shaped modern Hindi literature. In his prose writings--fearless, provocative and startlingly original, much like his poetry--Nirala regards the world with the eyes of a compulsive satirist, committed to laying bare its hypocrisies. A Portrait of Love is an ode to Nirala's genius, drawing attention to his long-ignored legacy in prose. From his poignant yet humorous sketch of rural India in Billesur Bakriha to the sophisticated urbanity of Lucknow in 'Portrait of a Lady-Love'; from questioning the ideals of marriage and love in 'Sukul's Wife' to celebrating the nexus between writers and courtesans in colonial Calcutta in 'What I Saw'; from hailing agency among the oppressed castes in 'Chaturi Chamar' to shining a light on an uneasy relationship between education and progress in 'Jyotirmayee'--this collection sparkles with wit, atmosphere and an unmistakable autobiographical streak, taking readers to the heart of India and introducing them to the colourful cosmos of Hindi literature.
Author Biography
Nirala (Suryakant Tripathi) (Author)
Suryakant Tripathi ' Nirala' (1896-1961) was an editor, essayist, novelist and one of the architects of Chhayawaad Movement in Hindi poetry. His writings, alongside those of Premchand and Jaishankar Prasad, herald the first major flowering of Hindi literature in the twentieth century. Some of his notable works include Anaamika, Geetika, Tulsidas, Chaturi Chamar, Kulli Bhat and Ravindra Kavita Kaanan.
Gautam Choubey teaches English at Delhi University. He has previously translated Pandey Kapil's Bhojpuri novel Phoolsunghi, Andre Beitelle's Democracy and Its Institutions and co-translated the Hindi novel Twelfth Fail. Chakka Jaam, his forthcoming novel, is set in the
turbulent 1970s. It is a riveting saga of family,
friendship and love, scattered across Bihar,
Bengal and Rangoon.
