Shiela Gujral
Mrs. Shiela Gujral, an eminent writer and poet, was born and educated
at
Masters Degree in Economics & Diploma
in Journalism from
Shri I.K. Gujral, a great
student leader of their times in 1945 and shifted to
she took her Diploma in Montessori
Training and involved herself in social work and cultural life
of her newly adopted city till Partition.
After shifting to
for long because of her deep involvement in social
work especially the child welfare activities.
Shifting all her energies to the field of child
welfare work in
skits and educative articles and books for
children. As Chairman of Balkanji Bari (A Child
Welfare Organisation), she organised various educative and welfare programmes for the children.
For the first Plan on 'National Policy for Children',
she wrote an exhaustive paper on Nursery Literature.
During her first international contact with ladies at
Mother's Congress at
during her visit to
her own outlook on children education and children
literature. She made it a point to visit
as many
schools and cultural centres
as possible. As Chairman 'Nehru Bal-Mela Committee',
she
added new dimensions to the modest Bal Samiti activities by introducing various cultural and
educative competitions for children.
On behalf of Mayors Council of National Defence, she edited Seema Raksha a monthly
journal in Hindi (1961-62). Later, as President of
of both NPTA and Zakir Hussain Society, she set up a number of schools organised recreation
camps for children.
Earlier also she worked in honorary capacity at
educating the handicapped children for about one
year.
As President of Bhartiya
Mahila Sangh (country's
Women's Club) and also of Delhi Parents
Teachers Association, she co-ordinated the activities of both the organisations
and she set up
quite a few Vocational and Adult
Education Centres for Women along with nursery
classes.
Family planning, agricultural camps,
educative lectures and films, folk music sessions and encouraging
parents-teachers rapport in rural areas
by organising cultural programmes
in school compounds were
some of the salient features of the rural
activities. In urban slums. The first creche for infants was set up
with the help of N.D.M.C. which
transformed the dirty 'Talkatora Basti'
overnight. The mothers
belonging to untouchable class vied with
each other to keep their children and improve their environment.
During her husband's Ambassadorship to
P.T.A. and Lekhika
Sangh on her annual visits to
Embassy Club and encouraged the Resident
Indian ladies to join it. This Club not
only enriched the
cultural life of the community but also
built bridges of friendship between the Soviet and Indian ladies.
Music classes, Hindi lessons, summer
schools for children and annual display and sale
(to Foreign Embassies only) were some of
the important activities of this Club.
The money collected
through the sale of these items was
passed on to the Chancery to be used for humanitarian cause.
Back home, she took keen interest in Lekhika Sangh (Women Writers'
Association). As President
of this organisation
from 1981-86, she organised meetings, seminars, joint
publications of women
writers and book exhibitions revitalised the organisation. She
has also been writing articles for
Hindi and English journals on
educational, social, psychological problems quite frequently.
Regular interaction with writers gave
impetus to Shiela Gujral to
plunge whole-heartedly to the
writing field. She has many poetry
anthologies to her credit. She keeps on
writing and
publishing simultaneously in Hindi,
English and Punjabi allowing her thoughts to flow down in any
language they like. Her poems and stories are included in various
Hindi, Punjabi and English
anthologies both at home and abroad. Many of them have been translated in various
national and international
languages. Shri
K.S. Duggal,
famous Punjabi writer has written a book
on her Ma boli
di bukkal vich including her outstanding poems and short stories in
it.
Suleman-Ul-Issa, a famous Syrian poet has translated her book Two
Black Cinders into Arabic.
The
resume of the pure literary activities is as follows:
Author of the
following books:
1.Canvas of Life (English Poetry) '97 --Konark Publisher
2.Barf Ke Chehre (Hindi Poetry) '97 --Bhartiya Gyan Peeth
3.Throttled Dove (English Poetry) '95 --Harpin Collins
4.Jab Mai Na Rahun (Hindi
Poetry) '95-Bhartiya Gyan Peeth
5.Sangli (Punjabi Poetry) '95 --Navyug
Publishers
6.Mehak (Punjabi Short Stories) '92 --Navyug
Publishers
7.Tapovan Mai Bavandar
(Hindi Short
Stories)
'92
--Bhartiya Gyan Peeth
8.Signature of Silence (English Poetry)
1st
Edition 91 --Sterling Publishers
2nd
Edition 91 --Konark
Publishers
9.Nishwas (Hindi Poetry) --Hemkunt
Prakashan
1st Edition 89
2nd Edition 97 --Star Publications
10. Niara Hindustan (Punjabi Poetry) '88 --
Hemkunt Prakashan
11.
12. Hamara Parosi
Soviet Pradesh(Hindi) '87 --Goversons Publishers
13. Amar
Vel (Punjabi Poetry) '86 --Punjabi Writer
Cooperative
14. Two Black
Cinders (English Poetry)
1st
Edition 85 --Allied Publishers
2nd
Edition 02 --Allied Publishers
15. Khel Ghar (Hindi-One Act Play) --Raj Pal & Sons
1st
Edition 84
Followed
by many editions
16. Anu-Nad (Hindi Poetry) --Hindi Book Centre
1st
Edition 83
2nd
Edition 97
17. Sagar Tat Par (Hindi Poetry) --Hindi Book Centre
1st
Edition 80
2nd
Edition 97
18. Mera Pariwar (Hindi Poetry) --Arya Book Depot
1st
edition 77
Followed by many editions
19. Suna De Ma (Punjabi Poetry) '76, 2003 ---Navyug
Publishers
20. Ghungat Ke Pat (Hindi Poetry)
1974, 2000 --Atma
Ram & Sons
1st
Edition 74
2nd
Edition 2000
21. Chalta Ja (Hindi Poetry) ---Atma Ram &
Sons
1st
Edition 73
2nd
Edition 2000
22. Kathputli Nurse (Hindi stories) --Atma Ram &
Sons
1st
Edition 77
2nd
Edition 80
3rd
Edition 2000
23. Bal Geet (Hindi Poetry) '62
---Atma Ram & Sons
24.
Jagi Janta (Hindi Poetry)
Dec. '62
(Chinese War Poems) --Atma
Ram & Sons
25. Dada
Nehru (English Biography) --S. Chand & Co.
followed by many editions 61
26. Dada
Nehru (Hindi Biography) '61 --S. Chand & Co.
27. My years
in the USSR Recollections ---MacMillan
&
Revelations 2001
28.
29. Dharti Ka Artnad (Hindi Poetry)
2004 --Bhartiya
Gyan Peeth
30. Tell me Ma
(English Poetry transcreated --Allied Publishers
from Suna De Ma 2004
31.
Cosmic Murmur 2004 Allied
Publishers
(Bi-lingual poetry Punjabi and Hindi)
32. So many Journeys 2006 ---Allied
Publishers
Two of
her Punjabi books are published in
Translated
*Mama's Bank Account --- An
American novel for teen-aged in
Hindi & Punjabi
*Russian
Folk Tales --- Translated in Hindi from Russian
Edited
'Seema Raksha'
on behalf of Citizens Council from January, 1963 to August, 1964. Free Lance writing
in both Hindi and English on social and educational
problems, English anthology 'Two Black
Cinders' translated into Arabic by Suleman-Ul-Issa, a famous Poet of
Pereira, President, International Writers &
Artists Association (IWA) translated many of her poems
in Spanish Uma Poeta Da
quoting many of her poems. Many of the poems and
stories (Hindi and English) translated in various
National and International languages. She has addressed University gatherings both
at home and
abroad.
Won world of Poetry
'Golden Poet Award' 1989 and 1990, 'Nirala Award'
1989 for 'Nishwas', best Hindi
Poetry of the year
and 'Mahila Shiromani
Award' 1990. D.Litt
for
Editor's Choice Award
for outstanding achievements in Poetry from The National Library of Poetry,
Award of Highest Honour for making outstanding contribution in the world of
poetry, 1997, Shiromani
Sahitkar Award, 1998, Govt. of Punjab with cash prize of one lac along with the medal, Nirmala
Award
for best poetry book of the year in Hindi
,'Delhi Ratan' the XVII State Intellectuals' Honour 1998.
Excellence in World Poetry Award 2003 by
and a few other
journals both in Hindi, Punjabi and English have also bestowed honour on her.
Address
5, Janpath, New
Delhi-110011
Tel. (s):23014300, 23794433
Fax: 23794444
E.mail :