Center for Sikh and Punjab Studies

Activities: Artists in Residence

Amarjit Chandan
(Spring 2007)

Amarjit Chandan

Poetry

Born in Nairobi in Kenya on November 17, 1946. Studied at Lyalpur Khalsa College Jalandhar (1964 –1967), and Panjab University, Chandigarh (1968–1969). He joined the Naxalite movement and was jailed for 3 years (1971–1974). Worked as a script and song writer with Punjab State Drama Repertory Co; with Preet Lari as assistant editor and correspondent to Economic & Political Weekly. Moved to London in 1980 and has worked there as a translator.

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His work has appeared in translation in Indian languages and Poetry Review, Critical Quarterly, Wasafiri, Index on Censorship, Modern Poetry in Translation, Atlas (UK), Papirus (Turkey), Erismus, Ombrela, Odos Panos (Greece) and Lettre Internationale (Romania). He was amongst British poets on Radio3 selected by Andrew Motion on National Poetry Day in 2001 and participated in the 13th International Aldeburgh Poetry Festival the same year.

He has edited and translated about 30 anthologies of Indian and world poetry and fiction by, among others, Brecht, Neruda, Ritsos, Hikmet and Cardenal in Punjabi.

Life-time achievement award by the Punjab Government, India; December 2004. Life time achievement award by the Panjabis in Britain, All-Party Parliamentary Group, London. April 2006.

His publications include: Kaunh Nahin Chahega (Poetry) 1975, Kavitavan (Poetry) 1984, Phailsufian (Essays) 1991, Jarhan (Poetry) 1995, Bijak (Poetry) 1996, Nishani (Essays) 1997, Chhanna (Poetry) 1998, Being Here (Poetry) 1999, Gurhti (Poetry) 2000, Annjal (Poetry) 2006. Books in the Farsi script published in Lahore are: Guthli (Selected poems) 1999, AnaraaN wala WehRa (Selected poems)2002 and Nuqta (Selected essays) 2007).

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