Ghanshyam Desai facts for kids
Ghanshyam Ochchhavlal Desai was a talented writer and editor from Gujarat, India. He wrote many short stories, especially in the Gujarati language. He also edited popular magazines for many years.
About Ghanshyam Desai's Life
Ghanshyam Desai was born on June 4, 1934. His birthplace was Devgadh Baria, which is now in the Dahod district of Gujarat. He finished his early schooling there.
Later, he moved to Mumbai (which was then called Bombay). In 1954, he earned his Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree in Gujarati. This degree is usually the first step in university education.
He worked as a teacher at Gurukul High School in Songadh for two years. In 1960, he completed his Master of Arts (M.A.) degree in Gujarati. This is a higher university degree.
After his studies, Ghanshyam Desai worked for the United States Information Agency (USIS). He also became an assistant editor for Samarpan magazine in 1962. He later became the editor of Samarpan in 1970.
In 1980, Samarpan magazine joined with Navneet to become Navneet Samarpan. Ghanshyam Desai became the editor of this new magazine. He continued in this role until he retired.
In 1965, Desai married Urmi Desai. She was also a Gujarati writer and an expert in languages. Ghanshyam Desai passed away on April 29, 2010.
Ghanshyam Desai's Writings
Ghanshyam Desai was known for his modern and experimental short stories. In many of his stories, the narration begins with the word 'Hu', which means 'I' in Gujarati. This made his stories feel very personal.
His collection of short stories called Tolu (published in 1977) won an award from the Government of Gujarat. Some of his well-known stories include 'Tolu', 'Leelo Phango', 'Ren', and 'Professor: Ek Safar'.
Another collection of his stories, Bandh Barna, was published in 2014 after he had passed away. Ghanshyam Desai also wrote stories for children. His children's story collection Maulik Katha Mala (1990) received an award from the Gujarat Sahitya Akademi. He also wrote Abhinav Kaha Mala (1994) for young readers.
