Ila Arab Mehta (born 16 June 1938) is a

Gujarati Gujarati may refer to: * something of, from, or related to Gujarat, a state of India * Gujarati people, the major ethnic group of Gujarat * Gujarati language, the Indo-Aryan language spoken by them * Gujarati languages, the Western Indo-Aryan sub- ...

novelist and story writer from

Gujarat Gujarat (, ) is a state along the western coast of India. Its coastline of about is the longest in the country, most of which lies on the Kathiawar peninsula. Gujarat is the fifth-largest Indian state by area, covering some ; and the ninth ...

, India.

Biography

Mehta was born on 16 June 1938 at

Bombay Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the ''de facto'' financial centre of India. According to the United Nations, as of 2018, Mumbai is the second- ...

(now

Mumbai Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the ''de facto'' financial centre of India. According to the United Nations, as of 2018, Mumbai is the second- ...

) to Gujarati writer

Gunvantrai Acharya Gunvantrai Popatbhai Acharya (9 September 1900 – 25 November 1965) was a Gujarati language novelist and journalist from India. His experience with seafarers impacted his adventure and novel writings. His works include several historical fict ...

. Her family belonged to

Jamnagar Jamnagar () is a city located on the western coast of India in the state of Gujarat of Saurashtra (region), Saurashtra region. It is the administrative headquarters of the Jamnagar district and the fifth largest city in Gujarat. The city lies ...

. She completed her schooling from Jamnagar, Rajkot and Mumbai. She completed BA with Gujarati in 1958 from

Ramnarain Ruia College Ramnarain Ruia Autonomous College is a college affiliated to the University of Mumbai, in Matunga, Mumbai, India. It was established in June 1937. The University of Mumbai granted autonomous status to Ramnarain Ruia College in year 2017. It co ...

and MA in 1960. She taught at Ruia College from 1960 to 1967 and later at

St. Xavier's College, Mumbai St. Xavier's College is a private, Catholic, autonomous higher education institution run by the Bombay Province of the Society of Jesus in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India. It was founded by the Jesuits on January 2, 1869. The college is affil ...

from 1970 to her retirement in 2000.

Works

In her early days, Mehta wrote in ''Akhand Anand'', ''Navneet'' and ''Stree Jeevan'' magazines. She has written several novels including ''Trikonni Tran Rekhao'' (1966), ''Thijelo Akar'' (1970), ''Radha'' (1972), ''Ek Hata Diwan Bahadur'' (1976), ''Batris Laksho'' (1976), ''Varasdar'' (1978), ''Avati Kalno Sooraj'' (1979), ''Batris Putalini Vedana'' (1982), ''Ane Mrityu'' (1982), ''Dariyano Manas'' (1985), ''Vasant Chhlake'' (1987), ''Nag Pariksha'', ''Panch Pagala Prithvi Par'' (1995), ''The New Life'' (2004), ''Parpotani Aankh'' (1988), ''Zili Me Kumpal Hathelima'' (2007). ''Jaherkhabarno MAnas'' (1985), ''Shabne Naam Hotu Nathi'' (1981) are novels with different subjects. Her novel ''Vaad'' (2011) is translated in English as ''Fence'' (2015) by Rita Kothari. Her novel ''Batris Putlini Vedna'' is a story of women's struggle against injustice done to them and their attempt to establish their own identity. It centred around Anuradha, a main protagonist of the novel, and presents her anger against male

chauvinism Chauvinism is the unreasonable belief in the superiority or dominance of one's own group or people, who are seen as strong and virtuous, while others are considered weak, unworthy, or inferior. It can be described as a form of extreme patriotis ...

in the same way as

Kundanika Kapadia Kundanika Kapadia (11 January 1927 – 30 April 2020) was an Indian novelist, story writer and essayist from Gujarat. Biography Kundanika Kapadia was born on 11 January 1927 in Limbdi (now in Surendranagar district, Gujarat) to Narottamdas Kapad ...

's ''Saat Paglan Akashman'' (Seven Steps in the Sky; 1994). ''Ek Cigarette Ek Dhupsali'' (1981), ''Viena-Woods'' (1989), ''Bhagyarekha'' (1995), ''Balavo Balvi Balvu'' (1998), ''Yom Kippur'' (2006). ''Ila Arab Mehtano Varta Vaibhav'' (2009) are her collections of stories. She has edited ''Varsha Adaljani Shreshth Vartao'' (1991), selected stories of

Varsha Adalja Varsha Mahendra Adalja is an Indian Gujarati language feminist novelist, playwright and negotiator who won the 1995 Sahitya Akademi Award for Gujarati language for her novel ''Ansar''. She is also a dramatist, writing for stage plays, screenpl ...

. ''Mrityu Naam Parpota Mare'' (1984) is her compilation of literary works by various authors on death. Her writing is considered feminist.

Awards

She has been awarded by

Gujarat Sahitya Akademi The Gujarat Sahitya Akademi ( gu, ગુજરાત સાહિત્ય અકાદમી) or Gujarat Sahitya Academy, established in 1981, is a government institution dedicated to the development of the languages spoken in Gujarat, India an ...

, Maharashtra Gujarati Sahitya Akademi, and

Gujarati Sahitya Parishad Gujarati Sahitya Parishad () is a literary organisation for the promotion of Gujarati literature located in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India. It was founded by Ranjitram Mehta with the aim of creating literature appealing to all classes of society an ...

Personal life

She married Arab Mehta, a doctor, in 1964 and has a son, Salil and a daughter, Sonali. She lives in Mumbai. Her father

and her younger sister

are also Gujarati writers.

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Arab Mehta, Ila Women writers from Maharashtra 20th-century Indian novelists Living people 20th-century Indian short story writers 20th-century Indian women writers 1938 births Gujarati-language writers University of Mumbai alumni Indian feminist writers Novelists from Gujarat Writers from Mumbai