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Chinmoy Guha

チンモイ・グハ

Chinmoy Guha

Aliases: Sir Chinmoy Guha

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1958-09-10 （Kolkata, West Bengal, India）
Nationality
Indian
Languages
Bengali, English, French
Residence History
Kolkata (born / long-term residence)

Career

Occupations
Professor of English, Essayist, Translator, Literary scholar
Active Years
1980-
Affiliations
University of Calcutta (Department of English), Rabindra Bharati University (former Vice-Chancellor), Alliance Française, Ramakrishna Mission Institute of Culture, Bureau du Livre, Embassy of France in New Delhi (former Director)
Influenced By
T. S. Eliot, Romain Rolland, André Gide

Education

St. Xavier's College, Calcutta
English Literature
Degree: BA
Country: India
Undergraduate degree in English literature
University of Calcutta
English
Degree: MA
Country: India
Master's degree
Jadavpur University
English (PhD on T. S. Eliot)
Degree: PhD
Country: India
Completed PhD on T. S. Eliot; served as a Teacher Fellow

Awards

Lila Ray Memorial Honour for Translation
2008
Organization: Paschimbanga Bangla Akademi
Result: 受賞
Derozio Bicentenary Award
2010
Result: 受賞
Chevalier des Palmes Académiques
2010
Organization: Government of France
Result: 授与（ナイト）
Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres
2013
Organization: Government of France
Result: 授与（ナイト）
Vidyasagar Smriti Puraskar
2016
Organization: Paschimbanga Bangla Akademi / Government of West Bengal
Result: 受賞
Chevalier de l'Ordre national du Mérite
2019
Organization: Government of France
Result: 授与（ナイト）
Sahitya Akademi Award
2019
Work: Ghumer Darja Thele
Category: ベンガル語（随筆）
Organization: Sahitya Akademi
Result: 受賞

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Ghumer Darja Thele

2016 Essay collection

A Bengali collection of essays addressing culture, literature, translation and personal recollections. Winner of the Sahitya Akademi Award in 2019.

comparative literaturetranslationcultural exchangememoir

Where the Dreams Cross: T. S. Eliot and French Poetry

2000 Comparative literature / Criticism

A critical study exploring the relationship between T. S. Eliot and French poetry, offering a French-poetic perspective on Eliot's work.

modernismpoetry and translationcomparative study

Bridging East and West: Rabindranath Tagore and Romain Rolland Correspondence 1919-1940

2018 Edited correspondence / Translation / Annotation

An edited, annotated and translated volume of correspondence between Rabindranath Tagore and Romain Rolland (1919–1940), providing important material on East-West cultural exchange.

East-West exchangeletterscultural history

Bibliography

  • Maxims (La Rochefoucauld) — Bengali translation, 1990, 1997, 2007
  • The Apu Trilogy (Robin Wood) — Bengali translation, 1992
  • George Dandin (Molière) — co-translation, 1998
  • Where the Dreams Cross: T S Eliot and French Poetry, 2000
  • Ghumer Darja Thele (essay collection), 2016
  • Bridging East and West: Rabindranath Tagore and Romain Rolland Correspondence 1919-1940, 2018
  • Broken Mirror: Conversations with Artists and Thinkers (English translation), 2024

Adaptations

  • Molière's 'George Dandin' — stage production (staged by Alliance Française de Chittagong)

Translations by Author

  • Maxims (La Rochefoucauld) — Bengali translation
  • Strait is the Gate (André Gide) — Bengali translation
  • George Dandin (Molière) — co-translation
  • The Apu Trilogy (Robin Wood) — Bengali translation

Translations of Works

  • Broken Mirror: Conversations with Artists and Thinkers (English translation by Zenith Roy), 2024

Style & Themes

Literary Style
analytical, comparative-literature orientedessayistic and reflective prosescholarly yet accessible exposition
Recurring Motifs
East–West cultural exchangetranslation and translator's identitydialogue between Tagore and French literaturepoetic aspects of modernism

Legacy

Chinmoy Guha is regarded as a scholar, translator and essayist who has bridged English, Bengali and French literatures. Through translations and comparative studies he has contributed to Franco-Bengali literary exchange and has been honoured by the Sahitya Akademi as well as several French state decorations.

Quotes

  • "Where the Dreams Cross" is thoughtful and instructive, casting a fresh light on Eliot's poetry.
    Source: Times Higher Education (review) (2001)

Trivia

  • Has been awarded multiple French distinctions (Chevalier titles) in 2010, 2013 and 2019.
  • Winner of the Sahitya Akademi Award in 2019.
  • His translation of Molière's 'George Dandin' was staged and received recognition.
  • Maintains a personal blog (chinmoyguha.blogspot.com).