Geet Chaturvedi (born 27 November 1977) is a

Hindi Hindi (Devanāgarī: or , ), or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi (Devanagari: ), is an Indo-Aryan language spoken chiefly in the Hindi Belt region encompassing parts of northern, central, eastern, and western India. Hindi has been de ...

poet, short story author, lyricist, screenwriter and novelist. Often regarded as an

avant-garde The avant-garde (; In 'advance guard' or ' vanguard', literally 'fore-guard') is a person or work that is experimental, radical, or unorthodox with respect to art, culture, or society.John Picchione, The New Avant-garde in Italy: Theoretical ...

writer, he was awarded the Bharat Bhushan Agrawal Award for poetry in 2007 and Krishna Pratap Award for Fiction in 2014. He lives in

Bhopal Bhopal (; ) is the capital city of the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh and the administrative headquarters of both Bhopal district and Bhopal division. It is known as the ''City of Lakes'' due to its various natural and artificial lakes. It i ...

, India. He is active both as a fiction writer and critic. In 2011, ''

The Indian Express ''The Indian Express'' is an English-language Indian daily newspaper founded in 1932. It is published in Mumbai by the Indian Express Group. In 1999, eight years after the group's founder Ramnath Goenka's death in 1991, the group was split betw ...

'' included him in a list of the 'Ten Best Writers' of India. His poems have been translated into 22 languages worldwide. He translated the work of great Spanish Poet Pablo Neruda in Hindi and many others. Chaturvedi is the author of eleven books including the poetry collections ''Aalaap me girah'' in 2010, ''Nyoonatam Main'' in 2017, and ''Khushiyon Ke Guptchar'' in 2019. He also published two collections of novellas, ''Savant Anti Ki Ladkiyan'' and ''Pink Slip Daddy'', in 2010. The novella "Pink Slip Daddy" was considered to be one of the best works of fiction in contemporary Hindi writing by the literary periodical ''Kathadesh''. The English translation of his novella "Simsim", translated by Anita Gopalan, won the

PEN/Heim Translation Fund Grants The PEN/Heim Translation Fund Grants were established in 2003 by PEN America (formerly PEN American Center) following a gift of $730,000 by Michael Henry Heim, a noted literary translator. Heim believed that there was a 'dismayingly low number of ...

, 2016. Geet Chaturvedi is considered one of the most widely read contemporary Hindi literary authors. His poetry is immensely popular among general readers and it has won high acclaim from literary critics as well. ''Adhuri Cheezon ka Devta'' is his latest book of non-fiction.

Poetry

Geet Chaturvedi was awarded the Bharat Bhushan Agrawal Award in 2007. His poetry has been translated into 22 languages. In

Anita Gopalan Anita or ANITA may refer to: Arts * ''Anita'' (1967 film), an Indian film * ''Anita'' (2009 film), an Argentine film * ''Anita'' (2021 film), a Hong Kong film *'' Anita: Swedish Nymphet'', a 1973 erotic film People *Anita (given name), people w ...

's English translation, his poems have been published in

AGNI Agni (English: , sa, अग्नि, translit=Agni) is a Sanskrit word meaning fire and connotes the Vedic fire deity of Hinduism. He is also the guardian deity of the southeast direction and is typically found in southeast corners of Hindu ...

PEN America PEN America (formerly PEN American Center), founded in 1922 and headquartered in New York City, is a nonprofit organization that works to defend and celebrate free expression in the United States and worldwide through the advancement of litera ...

, Poetry International,

Sycamore Review ''Sycamore Review'' is an American literary journal based at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 ...

World Literature Today ''World Literature Today'' is an American magazine of international literature and culture, published at the University of Oklahoma. The stated goal of the magazine is to publish international essays, poetry, fiction, interviews, and book review ...

Words without Borders ''Words Without Borders'' (''WWB'') is an international magazine open to international exchange through translation, publication, and promotion of the world's best writing and authors who are not easily accessible to English-speaking readers. The ...

Asymptote (magazine) ''Asymptote'' is a Taiwan-based online literary magazine dedicated to translations of world literature, including poetry, fiction, nonfiction, and drama, mostly to English, but also to other languages. Reviews, interviews, blogs, visual arts and ...

Chicago Review ''Chicago Review'' is a literary magazine founded in 1946 and published quarterly in the Humanities Division at the University of Chicago. The magazine features contemporary poetry, fiction, and criticism, often publishing works in translation and ...

, The Offing,

Modern Poetry in Translation ''Modern Poetry in Translation'' is a literary magazine and publisher based in the United Kingdom. The magazine was started by Ted Hughes and Daniel Weissbort in 1965. It was relaunched by King's College London in 1992. The College published it ...

, and elsewhere.

''The Amphibian''

His long poem ''Ubhaychar'' (The amphibian) was published in 2010, and treats topics such as memory and collective myths.

''Aalaap mein girah''

''Aalaap mein girah'' (Lit. ''Nodule in Prelude'') is the first volume of his poems, published in 2010 with positive reviews. It established Chaturvedi as the leading poet of his generation.

''Nyoonatam Main''

''Nyoonatam Main'' (Lit. ''The Minimal I'') is the second volume of his poems, published in 2017. It was named among the best books of Hindi poetry by many literary critics along publications like Femina, Navbharat Times etc. It was included in the

Dainik Jagran ''Dainik Jagran'' ( Hi:दैनिक जागरन , , ) is an Indian Hindi language daily newspaper. It was ranked 5th in the world and 2nd in India by circulation in 2016. In 2019 Quarter 4, according to Indian Readership Survey, Daini ...

Bestseller list 2017–2018. Nyoonatam Main won the prestigious Spandan Award for Hindi poetry.

''Khushiyon Ke Guptchar''

''Khushiyon Ke Guptchar'' (Lit. ''Secret Agents of Joys'') is the third book of Chaturvedi's poems. It became an instant bestseller after its publication. The books has 81 poems of his, written during 2014 to 2017.

Fiction

''Aunt Savant And Her Daughters''

''Savant Anti Ki Ladkiyan'' (lit. ''Aunt Savant And Her Daughters''), his first book of fiction, contains three novellas set in Mumbai. The common theme of the stories is women obsessed with the idea of love.

''Pink Slip Daddy''

''Pink Slip Daddy'', published in 2010, is also a collection of three novellas, "Gomutra", "Simsim", and "Pink Slip Daddy". "Gomutra" is a critique of the open market economy, in which the protagonist gets into increasingly large debts, ending with his death. "Simsim" is a love story set in a decaying library; the English translation by Anita Gopalan was awarded with the

in 2016. The title story is about a man called Prafful Shashikant Dadhich or PSD, nicknamed "Pink Slip Daddy". The book received the Krishna Prataap Award for Fiction 2014. The award statement mentioned Chaturvedi's "mastery as a storyteller", and his "taut poetic language".

Praise

Many senior writers and literary journals consider him one of the best writers in India. Veteran critic

Namvar Singh Namvar Singh (Hindi: ) (28 July 1926 – 19 February 2019) was an Indian literary critic, linguist, academician and theoretician. He received his doctorate degree from Banaras Hindu University where he also taught for some time. He served as a ...

has named him as one of the best poets and novelists of the first decade of the 21st century. While poet-critic

Ashok Vajpeyi Ashok Vajpeyi ( hi, अशोक वाजपेयी; born 1941) is an Indian Hindi-language poet, essayist, literary-cultural critic, apart from being a noted cultural and arts administrator, and a former civil servant. He was chairman, Lali ...

, in an interview, says, "Geet Chaturvedi has shown a truly avant-garde spirit in his fiction and poetry. He brings his vast reading, unusual for his generation, to bear effortlessly on his writing, which is innovative in language and style. He has an evolving vision, which is not bogged down by cliches or clutches of current ideological stances." Iraqi-American poet

Dunya Mikhail Dunya Mikhail (born 1965 in Baghdad, Iraq) is an Iraqi-American poet based in the United States. Life She was born and raised in Iraq to a Chaldean-Catholic family. She graduated with a BA from the University of Baghdad. Mikhail worked as a jo ...

said, 'Like any good poet, Geet Chaturvedi has a third eye with which he uses cinematic techniques in creating scenes that are wild, innocent, and playful. His subtle style and sensibilities make these poems pure joy to read.' In an article wriiten for Poetry International, Indian English language poet

Arundhathi Subramaniam Arundhathi Subramaniam is an Indian poet and author, who has written about culture and spirituality. Life and career Subramaniam is a poet and writer based in Mumbai. She is the author of thirteen books of poetry and prose. She has received ...

praised his poetry and said, 'Informed by his reading of world poetry, postmodern European literature and the Sanskrit-Pali traditions of Indian letters, Geet Chaturvedi's poetry is obviously intertextual.'

Translation

Among the poets he has translated into Hindi, Sabeer Haka,

Adam Zagajewski Adam Zagajewski (21 June 1945 – 21 March 2021) was a Polish poet, novelist, translator, and essayist. He was awarded the 2004 Neustadt International Prize for Literature, the 2016 Griffin Poetry Prize Lifetime Recognition Award, the 2017 Princ ...

Bei Dao Bei Dao (, born August 2, 1949) is the pen name of the Chinese-American writer Zhao Zhenkai (S: 赵振开, T: 趙振開, P: ''Zhào Zhènkāi''). Among the most acclaimed Chinese-language poets of his generation, he is often regarded as a candida ...

Iman Mersal Iman Mersal ( ar, إيمان مرسال; born November 30, 1966 Mit 'Adlan, Dakahlia, Egypt) is an Egyptian poet. Life Iman Mersal graduated from Mansoura University, and received her MA and PhD from Cairo University. She co-founded ''Bint al-Ard ...

Eduardo Chirinos Eduardo Alejandro Chirinos Arrieta (4 April 1960 – 17 February 2016) was a Peruvian professor of literature at the University of Montana, and a poet. He received the Premio Casa de América de Poesía Americana in 2001. Career Eduardo Chirino ...

Adunis Ali Ahmad Said Esber (, North Levantine: ; born 1 January 1930), also known by the pen name Adonis or Adunis ( ar, أدونيس ), is a Syrian people, Syrian poet, essayist and translator. He led a modernist revolution in the second half of the ...

Mahmoud Darwish Mahmoud Darwish ( ar, محمود درويش, Maḥmūd Darwīsh, 13 March 1941 – 9 August 2008) was a Palestinian poet and author who was regarded as the Palestinian national poet. He won numerous awards for his works. Darwish used Palestine ...

Pablo Neruda Ricardo Eliécer Neftalí Reyes Basoalto (12 July 1904 – 23 September 1973), better known by his pen name and, later, legal name Pablo Neruda (; ), was a Chilean poet-diplomat and politician who won the 1971 Nobel Prize in Literature. Nerud ...

Federico Garcia Lorca Federico (; ) is a given name and surname. It is a form of Frederick, most commonly found in Spanish, Portuguese and Italian. People with the given name Federico Artists * Federico Ágreda, Venezuelan composer and DJ. * Federico Aguilar Alcuaz, ...

are to name a few.

Selected bibliography

Poetry

* 2019: * 2017: * 2010:

Fiction

* 2010: * 2010:

Non-fiction

* 2021: * 2018: * 2004:

Translated by Geet Chaturvedi

* 2018: Khud se Kai Sawal, by

Amit Dutta Amit Dutta (born 5 September 1977 in Jammu) is an Indian experimental filmmaker and writer. He is considered to be one of the most significant contemporary practitioners of experimental cinema, known for his distinctive style of filmmaking rooted ...

, Rajkamal Prakashan, New Delhi. . * 2004: Chile Ke Jungalon se, Prose by

, Samvad Prakashan

Editing

* 2018: Lekhak Ka Cinema, Writings on world cinema by

Kunwar Narayan Kunwar Narayan (19 September 1927 – 15 November 2017) was a poet in Indian literature in Hindi.

, edited by Geet Chaturvedi, Rajkamal Prakashan, New Delhi. .

Geet Chaturvedi in translation

* 2019: The Memory of Now, translated by Anita Gopalan, Anomalous Press, Rhode Islands, USA. . * 2019: Simsim, Marathi translation by Jui Kulkarni, Book Hungama, Pune * 2021: Chitta Phool Je Gulabi Hona Chahunda, Essays on literature in Punjabi translation, translated by Gaurav, Autumn Art Publishers, Patiala, Punjab. .

Awards and honors

Chaturvedi has won several awards and recognitions for his writings. * 2007:

Bharat Bhushan ''Bharatbhushan Bhalla'' better known as ''Bharat Bhushan'' (14 June 1920 – 27 January 1992) was an Indian actor in Hindi language films, scriptwriter and producer, who is best remembered for playing Baiju Bawra in the 1952 film of the sam ...

award for poetry * 2011: One of the ten best writers of India,

Indian Express ''The Indian Express'' is an English-language Indian daily newspaper founded in 1932. It is published in Mumbai by the Indian Express Group. In 1999, eight years after the group's founder Ramnath Goenka's death in 1991, the group was split betw ...

* 2014: Krishna Pratap Katha Samman for fiction for ''Pink Slip Daddy'' * 2016:

for ''Simsim'' to his translator Anita Gopalan * 2018:

Shailesh Matiyani Ramesh Singh Matiyani 'Shailesh', popularly known as Shailesh Matiyani (14 October 1931 – 24 April 2001),
...

Katha Samman for fiction for ''Pink Slip Daddy'' * 2019:

Krishna Baldev Vaid Krishna Baldev Vaid ( hi, कृष्ण बलदेव वैद) (27 July 1927 – 6 February 2020) was an Indian Hindi fiction writer and playwright, noted for his experimental and iconoclastic narrative style. Early life Vaid was born i ...

fellowship for fiction * 2019:

Syed Haider Raza Sayed Haider Raza (22 February 1922 – 23 July 2016) was an Indian painter who lived and worked in France from 1950 until his death, while maintaining strong ties with India. He was born in Kakkaiya (District Mandla), Central Provinces, British ...

fellowship for fiction * 2020: Vagdhara Navratna Samman for poetry for ''Nyoonatam Main'' * 2020: Spandan Kriti Samman for poetry for ''Nyoonatam Main'' * 2021: Vatayan International Literature Award for his contribution to Hindi literature (United Kingdom)

Other recognition

* During 2017–2018, ''Nyoonatam Main'' was regularly listed in the

Bestselling Books. It was listed in the ''Best Books of the Year'' lists by many publications including Navbharat Times, Dainik Jagran, Nai Duniya and Femina Magazine. * ''Khushiyon Ke Guptchar'' was listed into the top five Hindi poetry books of the year in 2019-2020 by the leading newspaper Navbharat Times.

References

External links

*
Simsim by Geet Chaturvedi: PEN America

Two poems by Geet Chaturvedi: World Literature Today

Anita Gopalan's essay on translating Geet Chaturvedi

Geet Chaturvedi's poem: Modern Poetry in Translation

Geet Chaturvedi's poems: Poetry International Rotterdam, Translated by Anita Gopalan

Geet Chaturvedi's blog in Hindi

Geet Chaturvedi's poems
in Hindi a
Kavitakosh

Geet Chaturvedi's Interview and two poems (English)

Muse India ''Muse India'' is a literary e-journal based in Hyderabad, India. Since 2005, it has appeared bi-monthly in a web edition; it has no print version. In June 2017, Muse India was approved by the UGC as a literary e-journal. Its founder and manag ...

Geet Chaturvedi's poems at Circumference: Poetry In Translation

Excerpt from The Amphibian in the Columbia Journal

Geet Chaturvedi's poems in Spanish translation in Mexican journal Luvina
{{DEFAULTSORT:Chaturvedi, Geet Indian male novelists Indian male short story writers Indian male poets Hindi-language poets 1977 births 21st-century Indian translators Living people Writers from Mumbai Hindi-language writers Poets from Maharashtra 21st-century Indian poets 21st-century Indian novelists 21st-century Indian short story writers 21st-century Indian male writers Novelists from Maharashtra