Who Is Shanta Gokhale? Scribe, Author Wins Sahitya Akademi Award For Translation

The Sahitya Akademi Prize for Translation 2021 was given to 22 writers on June 24, including Shanta Gokhale and Kumar Nawathe. The executive committee of a literary organisation presented awards to twenty-two works in as many languages. Gokhale received the honour for her translation of Smritichitre: The Memoirs of a Spirited Wife, written by Lakshmibai Tilak, from Marathi to English. Nawathe, who passed away in January, was honoured for her translation of Sea of Poppies from English to Marathi.

Along with them, Pori Hiloidari, Neelam Sarin, Dharmendra Kurkuri, Arjumand Ara, and others also received recognition for their translations into Assamese, Dogri, Hindi, and Urdu, respectively. According to a statement from the Sahitya Akademi, works released between 2015 and 2019 were eligible for honours. The recommendations were produced by selection committees made up of three people for each of the 22 languages. According to the organisation, the winners would each receive Rs 50,000 and a copper plaque.

Who Is Shanta Gokhale? 

Shanta Gokhale is a writer, translator, journalist and theatre critic who was born to GG Gokhale and his wife in 1939 in Dahanu, Palghar region of Maharashtra. The Gokhale family relocated to the Shivaji Park area of Mumbai in 1941 after her father joined the newspaper Searchlight.

The author, who is the mother of famous actor Renuka Shahane, attended Mahim's Bombay Scottish School. She moved to England at the age of 15, where she attended Bristol University to earn her BA (Hons) in English literature.

She completed her MA (Hons) in English literature at the University of Mumbai when she moved back to India at the age of 21 and later enrolled at Mumbai's Xavier's Institute of Communication to study communications and video production.

Gokhale initially published stories in both English and Marathi in a score of journals and in the 1970s she finally began penning novels. Rita Welinkar, her debut novel, was released in Marathi in 1990 and later in English in the year 1995. Her novel was adapted into a film in 2009 by her daughter Renuka which is titled, Rita. 

While she was still employed by Glaxo, she authored the book, developing the ideas while riding the bus and writing during her lunch breaks.

Nearly 17 years later, in 2008, her second book, Tya Varshi, was released. In 2013, she translated it into English and released it under the title Crowfall. Her friend Jerry Pinto, who had curated her works over the years, published the anthology The Engaged Observer in 2018. 

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Gokhale previously held the positions of Sub-Editor at Femina and Arts Editor with The Times of India, Mumbai. She has written columns for publications such as The Sunday Times of India and The Independent, tabloids such as Mid-Day and Mumbai Mirror, and websites such as Scroll.in, in the past.

Apart from writing, Gokhale was seen in the parallel cinema Ardh Satya by Govind Nihalani and a series directed by Amol Palekar.

Feature image credit: Scroll. in.