Krishna Sobti
Encyclopedia
Krishna Sobti is a Hindi
fiction writer and essayist, who won the Sahitya Akademi Award
in 1980 for her novel Zindaginama and in 1996, was awarded the Sahitya Akademi Fellowship
, the highest award of the Akademi.
She is most known for her 1966 novel Mitro Marajani, an unapologetic portrayal of a married woman's sexuality. She was also the recipient of the first Katha Chudamani Award, in 1999, for Lifetime Literary Achievement, apart from winning the Shiromani Award in 1981, Hindi Academy Award in 1982, Shalaka Award of the Hindi Academy Delhi and in 2008, her novel Samay Sargam was selected for Vyas Samman, instituted by the K. K. Birla Foundation.
Considered the grande dame of Hindi literature
, Krishna Sobti was born in Gujrat
, now in west Pakistan
; she also writes under the name Hashmat and has published Hum Hashmat, a compilation of pen portraits of writers and friends. Her other novels are Dara se bichuri, Surajmukhi andhere ke, Yaaron Ke Yaar, Zindaginama. Some of her well-known short stories are Nafisa, Sikka Badal gaya, Badalom ke ghere. Sobti eka sohabata includes her major selected works. A number of her works are now available in English and Urdu.
In 2005, Dil-o-Danish, translated into The Heart Has Its Reasons in English by Reema Anand and Meenakshi Swami of Katha Books
, won the Crossword Award in the Indian Language Fiction Translation category.
She was offered the Padma Bhushan
by the Government of India
in 2010, which she declined, stating that, "As a writer, I have to keep a distance from the establishment. I think I did the right thing.”
Hindi
Standard Hindi, or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi, also known as Manak Hindi , High Hindi, Nagari Hindi, and Literary Hindi, is a standardized and sanskritized register of the Hindustani language derived from the Khariboli dialect of Delhi...
fiction writer and essayist, who won the Sahitya Akademi Award
Sahitya Akademi Award
Sahitya Akademi Award is a literary honor in India which Sahitya Akademi, India's National Academy of Letters, annually confers on writers of outstanding works in one of the following twenty-four major Indian languagesAssamese, Bengali, Bodo, Dogri, English, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Kashmiri,...
in 1980 for her novel Zindaginama and in 1996, was awarded the Sahitya Akademi Fellowship
Sahitya Akademi Fellowship
The Sahitya Akademi Fellowship is a literary honour in India. Awarded by the Sahitya Akademi, India's National Academy of Letters, to the "immortals of literature," and limited to twenty one individuals at any given time, it is the highest literary honour conferred by the Government of India...
, the highest award of the Akademi.
She is most known for her 1966 novel Mitro Marajani, an unapologetic portrayal of a married woman's sexuality. She was also the recipient of the first Katha Chudamani Award, in 1999, for Lifetime Literary Achievement, apart from winning the Shiromani Award in 1981, Hindi Academy Award in 1982, Shalaka Award of the Hindi Academy Delhi and in 2008, her novel Samay Sargam was selected for Vyas Samman, instituted by the K. K. Birla Foundation.
Considered the grande dame of Hindi literature
Hindi literature
Hindi literature , is broadly divided into four prominent forms or styles, being Bhakti ; Shringar ; Veer-Gatha ; and Adhunik...
, Krishna Sobti was born in Gujrat
Gujrat
Gujrat is a city in Pakistan. It is the capital of Gujrat District and the Gujrat Tehsil subdivision in the Punjab Province. People living in Gujrat refer to themselves as Gujratis, which sometimes leads to confusion with people from the Indian state of Gujarat which adjoins Pakistan...
, now in west Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
; she also writes under the name Hashmat and has published Hum Hashmat, a compilation of pen portraits of writers and friends. Her other novels are Dara se bichuri, Surajmukhi andhere ke, Yaaron Ke Yaar, Zindaginama. Some of her well-known short stories are Nafisa, Sikka Badal gaya, Badalom ke ghere. Sobti eka sohabata includes her major selected works. A number of her works are now available in English and Urdu.
In 2005, Dil-o-Danish, translated into The Heart Has Its Reasons in English by Reema Anand and Meenakshi Swami of Katha Books
Katha Books
Katha Books, also known as Katha Vilasam, is a publishing house owned by Katha NGO, that has done pioneering works in the field of translating Indian literature written in the regional languages, community and child welfare. It was founded in 1988 by Geeta Dharmarajan...
, won the Crossword Award in the Indian Language Fiction Translation category.
She was offered the Padma Bhushan
Padma Bhushan
The Padma Bhushan is the third highest civilian award in the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna and the Padma Vibhushan, but comes before the Padma Shri. It is awarded by the Government of India.-History:...
by the Government of India
Government of India
The Government of India, officially known as the Union Government, and also known as the Central Government, was established by the Constitution of India, and is the governing authority of the union of 28 states and seven union territories, collectively called the Republic of India...
in 2010, which she declined, stating that, "As a writer, I have to keep a distance from the establishment. I think I did the right thing.”
Translations
- To hell with you Mitro! (Mitro Marjani)
- Memory's Daughter (Dar Se Bichudi)
- Listen Girl (Ai Ladki)
- Zindaginamah -Zinda Rukh (Urdu)
- The Heart Has Its Reasons (Dil-O-Danish)
Novels
- Zindaginama
- Mitro Marajani
- Dara Se Bichuri
- Surajmukhi Andhere Ke
- Yaaron Ke Yaar
Further reading
- Indian Women Novelists, edited by R.K. Dhawan. New Delhi, Prestige Books, 1995, (18 Volms.) ISBN 81-85218-40-4. (Vol. XVII, 10-12) https://www.vedamsbooks.com/no37837.htm
Works online
- The Moving Finger - Story
- Ai Ladki - Story
- Krishna Sobti works in Hindi, at The Library of Congress
- Phone Baj Raha Hai - Memoir (Hindi)
- Krishna Sobti: Musing on the Creative Process