Mahendra S. Rana (Comp. and ed.). Assisted by Rekha Rana. A Dictionary of Indian English Litterateurs: 1794-2010. 2 volumes. established. New Delhi: Sarup Guides Publishers Pvt Ltd., 2012. Dimension-Crown. ISBN 978-81-7625-809-8 (Established). Webpages Vol. I, 566+Appendix+23 and Vol. II, 573+Appendix+ 7, Value Rs.6500/- (Established).
M.S. Rana, an alumnus of the colleges of Allahabad and Delhi, has been a distinguished librarian, who labored within the universities of Kurukshetra, Delhi, Meerut, and Roorkee with credit standing. The compilation of the 2-volume Dictionary under consider bespeaks his editorial talent, scholarly fascination, and skilled dedication.
It is usually his labor of adore, and properly-rewarded, in that Rana expended a few ten years in establishing an real, systematic bio-bibliographical necessary provide e guide on greater than 4000 inventive writers of Indian English. He contains the biographical sketches with bibliographies and vital articles on each nicely-recognised and far much less recognized poets, fiction and non-fiction writers, playwrights, and different resourceful personalities, male and female, of the previous 220 a long time. Other than Indian males of letters, he additionally incorporates different writers whose roots are in India and who provide with Indian on a regular basis residing and society.
Within the producing of his giant dictionary of litterateurs, Rana usually takes assist from literary advisers this sort of as G.S. Balarama Gupta, Prema Nandakumar, R.Okay. Singh, C.S. Singh, A.P. Trivedi, Rajiv Verma, Badri N. Raina, Arun Kumar, and S.C. Dwivedi who additionally contribute necessary articles and/or feedback about totally different authors’ life and performance. He additionally will take help from Rekha Rana, although it’s not apparent what her particular contribution is.
The compiler additionally will make use of fairly a couple of scholarly journals, journals, and dailies that incorporate The Hindu, India Proper now, Outlook, Biblio, Resourceful Discussion board, Language Discussion board, Indian Literature, Journal of Commonwealth Literature, Journal of Indian Producing in English, Kavya Bharati, Litcrit, Mawaheb Intercontinental, Metverse Muse, Poet, Poetcrit, Triveni, Cyber Literature, Commonwealth Quarterly and so forth. A few of these journals have ceased publication now.
The format of the alphabetically organized entries generally incorporates personal information, vocation historical past, along with lecturers and honors, literary output — poetry, drama, fiction, prose, travelogue, letters, diaries, narratives, trans-generation, and different features. The necessary bibliography appears within the type of necessary guides and PhD. theses. Then, there’s a discover of appraisal on the literary endeavors of the author. The place by available, the compiler presents the make contact with or e mail deal with on the finish of the entry.
For sure, Rana tries to location the writers within the bigger sized viewpoint of Indian English literary heritage simply as he seeks to empower the intrigued researchers and students to make your thoughts up about their locations of specialization and/or data of the issues of research (for M.Phil or PhD dissertation) by way of the main points offered within the Dictionary.
The appendices replicate on the standing of Indian English at family and overseas whilst it’s encouraging to know that in addition to Indian universities, 89 overseas universities promote researches in Indian English literature.
At a time when analyze of literature is dropping nice significance among the many our pupils, A Dictionary of Indian English Litterateurs ought to assist promote Indian English Literature to investigate the humanities. It must also present indispensable in profitable research of and examine in Indian English Writing to complement important realizing and human values.
Inspite of printing glitches in a lot of content material articles and opinions culled from totally different publications and journals, I acquire the Dictionary fascinating and sizeable, and suggest it to all English Departments and libraries within the place and abroad.
