Dalip Kaur Tiwana


Dalip Kaur Tiwana was a novelist and short-story writer of contemporary Punjabi literature. She won awards, both regional and national, and was a widely translated author. She retired as Professor of Punjabi, and Dean, Faculty of Languages, from Punjabi University, Patiala.

Biography

Dalip Kaur Tiwana was born on 4 May 1935 in the village of Rabbon in the Ludhiana district of Punjab in a well-to-do land-owning family. She was educated at Patiala, where her uncle, Sardar Sahib Tara Singh Sidhu was Inspector General of Prisons. She had a distinguished academic career. She earned first class honors in the pursuit of her M.A., and then received a PhD degree from the Panjab University, Chandigarh.
In 1963, she joined the Punjabi University, Patiala as a Lecturer and then went on to become Professor and Head of the Department of Punjabi, and Dean, Faculty of Languages. She was also a UGC National Lecturer for a year.
She was married to sociologist and Poet and Professor Bhupinder Singh and has a son Dr Simranjit Singh, who is an Assistant Professor of Electronics and Communication at Punjabi University. Dr. Tiwana lived with her family on the campus of Punjabi University, Patiala, where she was life fellow and writer-in-residence.
On 14 October 2015, she returned Padma Shri award against increasing intolerance in the country. She received this award in 2004 for her contribution to literature and education.

Collection

Novels

  1. Agni Prikhya
  2. Eho Hamara Jiwna
  3. Waat Hamari
  4. Teeli da Nishaan
  5. Sooraj te Samandar
  6. Doosri Seeta
  7. Within Without
  8. Sarkandyaan de Des
  9. Dhupp Chhaan te Rukh
  10. Sabh Des Paraya
  11. Hey Ram
  12. Lambi Udaari
  13. Peele Pattyaan di daastan
  14. Hastaakhar
  15. Pairchaal
  16. Rin Pittraan da
  17. Air wair mildayaan
  18. Langh gaye dariya
  19. Jimi puchhay asmaan
  20. Katha kuknoos di
  21. Duni suhava baagh
  22. Katha kaho urvashi
  23. Bhaujal
  24. Oh taan pari si
  25. Moh maaya
  26. Janam juye haarya
  27. Khada pukare pattani
  28. Paunaan di jind meri
  29. Khitij ton paar
  30. Teen lok se nyari
  31. Tumri katha kahi na jaye
  32. Vichre sabho vaari vaari
  33. Takhat hazara door kude

    Stories

  34. Merian saariyaan kahaniyaan
  35. Kise di dhee
  36. Saadhna
  37. Yaatra
  38. Ik kudi
  39. Tera Kamra mera kamra
  40. Panjaan vich parmeshar
  41. Fullan dian kahaniyaan
  42. Panchhiyaan dian kahaniyaan
  43. Baabaniyaan kahaniyaan
  44. Putt saputt karen
  45. Paidaan
  46. Kaale likh na lekh
  47. Athhe pehar
  48. Rab te Ruttan

    Autobiography

  49. Nange Pairaan da safar
  50. Poochte ho to suno
  51. Turdyaan turdyaan

    Essays

  52. Tere mere sarokaar
  53. Jeeun joge

    English Translations

  54. Such is her fate
  55. A journey on bare feet
  56. Twilight+Mark of the nosepin
  57. Gone are the rivers
  58. The tale of the phoenix
  59. Who am I
  60. Tell the tale Urvashi.
Who Am I? Who am I is the story of a young and educated married woman, who feels suffocated in her monotonous life and chooses to renounce the world for self-realization. She follows a group of sadhus and sadhvis to Hardwar, but from there moves on alone in her quest for truth.
The characters in Tiwana's novels and short-stories are the downtrodden and the innocent rural folk with suppressed desires and passions. Tragedy and irony mark the main elements of her fiction. Complex inner duality of the female psyche is the chief theme of Tiwana. Besides her achievement in fiction, Tiwana has written two books on literary criticism too.

Awards

Academic
Literary