Vijaydan Detha is undoubtedly the most important writer of Rajasthani prose in the twentieth century. He draws the reader into the complex and quirky world of the common folk of Rajasthan, while bringing alive the magic of folklore and fable. Traversing landscapes that are both earthly and cosmic, his tales, while being about the rich and poor, the saint and sinner, are also populated by trees, animals, the wind and the rain, gods and goddesses, and even ghosts. And between them, they explore humanity in all its myriad manifestations: love and desire, innocence and cunning, wisdom and folly, greed and deceit, righteousness, valour and the illusion of power.
Translated masterfully by Vishes Kothari, The Garden of Tales is a definitive selection of Detha's work that will amuse and absorb you until the very last page.
VIJAYDAN DETHA (1926-2013) is one of the most prolific and celebrated voices in India, and is undoubtedly the most important writer of Rajasthani prose in the twentieth century. He spent decades of his life collecting folk stories from in and around his village Borunda and retelling them. His work received national and international acclaim - he was awarded the Padma Shri, the Rajasthan Ratna Award and the Sahitya Akademi Award among various others. Detha's timeless classics have been adapted into major plays and movies, some notable names being Duvidha, Charandas Chor and Paheli.
VISHES KOTHARI has a keen interest in the oral, musical and literary traditions of Rajasthan. His first book of translations of Vijaydan Detha's stories, titled Timeless Tales from Marwar, was published by Penguin Random House in 2020. He has led the creation of the digital archive of Rajasthani literature and oral traditions, Anjas. He is also a Founding Trustee of the Rajasthani Bhasha Academy.
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