Introduction

The present work, the first of its kind, should enable the reader to form a good Idea of the richness of Hindi literature, which has crossed the boundaries of India. There are several countries in the world where original and creative writing in Hindi is done: there are poets, dramatists, and fiction writers. In over 30 countries of the world, critical works have been written on Hindi language and literature, and the number of such countries is on the increase.

All such creative writers and scholars have been placed here in one alphabetical order. For Indian readers, a list of about 500 authors country-wise dealt with in this Encyclopaedia has been given at the end of this volume. A surname-wise Author Index has also been added for the convenience of foreign and other readers.

Foreword

Dr. Prabhakar Machwe, an eminent poet, writer, and critic, has written a Foreword to this work. He writes that the work encompasses articles on the literature of KM Boli, Braj, Avadhi, Bhojpuri, Maithili, Rajasthani, and other languages, which made modern Hindi an uphill task. Folk-literature and Hindi literature in non-speaking areas receive equal treatment along with writers of Hindi-speaking world.

Purpose and Usage

The work should provide an excellent background to the study of Hindi literature throughout the world. It should also serve the purpose of a handy reference tool for use by scholars, university, institute, college, and school libraries worldwide. For further details, please see the back of the Jacket Cover.