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A Dictionary of Indian English Litterateurs: 1794-2010, compiled by Mahendra S. Rana and assisted by Rekha Rana, is a remarkable two-volume set published by Sarup Books Publishers Pvt Ltd. in 2012. The size of the books is crown, with the ISBN 978-81-7625-809-8 for the set. Volume I comprises 566 pages along with an appendix of 23 pages, while Volume II consists of 573 pages and an appendix of 7 pages. The price for this comprehensive set is Rs. 6500/-.
M.S. Rana, an esteemed librarian and an alumnus of the universities of Allahabad and Delhi, has served with distinction in various universities such as Kurukshetra, Delhi, Meerut, and Roorkee. His editorial prowess, scholarly enthusiasm, and professional dedication are evident in the creation of this 2-volume dictionary.
Moreover, Rana’s undertaking of this massive project, which consumed nearly a decade of his life, is driven by both his passion for the subject and his commitment to excellence. With painstaking efforts, Rana has developed an authentic and systematic bio-bibliographical critical sourcebook encompassing more than 4000 Indian English writers. This includes well-known and lesser-known poets, fiction and non-fiction writers, playwrights, and other creative individuals, spanning a period of 220 years. Not limited to Indian nationals, Rana also includes writers associated with India who explore its culture and way of life.
While compiling this extensive dictionary, Rana seeks assistance from literary advisers such as G.S. Balarama Gupta, Prema Nandakumar, R.K. Singh, C.S. Singh, A.P. Trivedi, Rajiv Verma, Badri N. Raina, Arun Kumar, and S.C. Dwivedi. These advisers contribute critical articles and/or comments on various authors’ life and work. Rekha Rana also lends her assistance, although her specific contribution is not clearly defined.
In addition, Rana draws on various scholarly journals, magazines, and newspapers such as The Hindu, India Today, Outlook, Biblio, Creative Forum, Language Forum, Indian Literature, Journal of Commonwealth Literature, Journal of Indian Writing in English, Kavya Bharati, Litcrit, Mawaheb International, Metverse Muse, Poet, Poetcrit, Triveni, Cyber Literature, and Commonwealth Quarterly. It is worth noting that some of these publications are no longer in circulation.
The layout of the dictionary follows an alphabetical organization. Each entry typically provides personal information, career history (including academic achievements and honors), and literary output encompassing poetry, drama, fiction, prose, travelogue, letters, diaries, narratives, trans-creation, and other works. The critical bibliography includes major books and PhD theses. Furthermore, an appraisal of the author’s literary endeavors follows. Where available, the compiler provides contact or email information at the end of each entry.
Notably, Rana endeavors to place these writers within the broader context of Indian English literary history. Simultaneously, he aims to empower researchers and scholars by providing them with information to guide their specialization choices and enhance their understanding of research topics, be it for M.Phil or PhD dissertations.
The appendices within the dictionary shed light on the status of Indian English literature domestically and internationally. It is heartening to learn that 89 foreign universities actively promote research in Indian English literature, despite the declining interest in literary studies among our students.
A Dictionary of Indian English Litterateurs is an invaluable tool that can serve to revitalize the study of Indian English literature and the humanities. Despite the presence of printing errors in various articles and comments sourced from different books and journals, I find this dictionary both captivating and significant. I wholeheartedly recommend it to English Departments and libraries, both within the country and abroad.
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