Gopi Kottoor

Gopikrishnan Kottoor is the pen name of Raghav G. Nair[1] (born 1956, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala), an Indian English poet. He is best known for his poem "Father, Wake Us In Passing". He is also the founder editor of quarterly poetry journal Poetry Chain. Kottoor lives in Trivandrum, Kerala.

Gopikrishnan Kottoor
Born
Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala
NationalityIndian
Other namesRaghav G. Nair
OccupationRetired Senior Banker
OrganizationIndian Writers Association

Early life and education

Kottoor studied at the Loyola English School and Arya Central School, Trivandrum. He obtained his Bachelor's and Masters degrees in English from the Institute of English, Trivandrum. Kottoor won his first poetry prize in University college poetry competitions, and soon published his poetry in Indian magazines publishing poetry in English. He attended the Master of Fine Arts (Poetry) program of the Texas State University, Southwest Texas, US. In 2005, he was Poet-in-Residence at the University of Augsburg, Germany, on a sponsorship by the Indian Council of Cultural Relations (ICCR) in association with Tagore Centre, Berlin.[2] On 4 August 2019, he was requested to join the Indian Writers Association as a member of its advisory board.[3]

Career

As poet

Gopi Kottoor won both the All-India Special Poetry Prize of the British Council-Poetry Society, India All India Poetry Competitions (AIPC) in 1997 for his poem "These are the things we could talk about" and Second Prize for his poem "Digging" in the General Category of the Competition in 1997.[4] Between 1995 and 1998, he won two more poetry prizes presented by the British Council – Poetry Society (India) sponsored All India Poetry Competitions (AIPC).[5][6]

Kottoor's "Father, Wake Us In Passing" (2000), which won for the poet a Residency in the University of Augsburg, Germany, is a touching poem sequence on his father in coma, and dying. It has received rave reviews.[7] Kottoor's poetry has appeared in international journals that include Orbis (UK) , Ariel (University of Calgary), Toronto Review (Canada), Plaza (Japan), Arabesques Review (Africa), Persona (Texas State University Journal), Bluefifth Online (UK), Chiaroscuro Magazine (UK), Levure littéraire (UK), Big bridge (UK) , Nth Position (UK), New English Review (UK) and others.[8] [9] His poems are also featured in the anthology, The Dance of the Peacock.[10][11]

As playwright

Kottoor's play The Nectar of the Gods (2015) is a socio-historical take on the life of the palace soldier Devasahayam (Lazarus), who was executed following his conversion to Christianity during the reign of King Marthanda Varma (Kerala, 18c). His other plays include The Mask of Death, a radio-play on the dying days of the Romantic poet John Keats in Rome, Fire in the Soul, a play on the life and times of the Nationalist rebel poet of India, Subramania Bharati, and A Woman in Flames.

As novelist

Kottoor's first novel, A Bridge Over Karma, was translated into Malayalam and serialized in the popular Malayalam journal Kala Kaumudi.

As editor

Kottoor founded and edited Poetry Chain, a quarterly for Indian poetry in English, which ran from 1997–2007.[12] He also edits the E-zine Underground Flowers.[13]

Awards
  • All India Poetry Competition (First Prize), The Poetry Society India, 2017.[14]
  • All India Special Poetry Prize, Poetry Society, India and The British Council, 1997.
  • All India Poetry Prize (Second Prize), Poetry Society, India and The British Council, 1997.
  • All India Poetry Awards, Commendation prizes, 1995 & 1998.
  • The Bharathi Prize, Chennai (1995)
  • The Kerala University College Prize (1976)
  • The Clover Poetry Prize, Commendation (1973)

Honours

Bibliography

Poetry

  • Piccolo
  • Milestones to the Sun
  • Sunbirds in the Rain
  • Nirvana and Other poems
  • Rev: Father Benedict Goes To Heaven and Other poems
  • Father, Wake Us In Passing,(Vater, Wecke Uns Im Vorübergehen – German, Laufschrift 2004)[16]
  • Mother Sonata
  • A Buchenwald Diary (Poems following a visit to Buchenwald Concentration camp, Weimar, Germany)
  • Victoria Terminus, Poems Selected and New[17]
  • Vrindavan – The Coloured Yolk of Love[18]
  • Tell Me Neruda[19]

Novels

  • A Bridge Over Karma (Katha Distribution, New Delhi) Karmathinu Mele Oru Palam (Translation, Malayalam, Moosakutty).
  • Presumed Guilty[20]
  • Hill House (A View From West Hill)

Plays

  • The Nectar of Gods – King Marthanda Varma and Devasahayam[21]
  • Fire in the Soul – The Life And Times of Subramania Bharati
  • The Mask of Death – The Final Days of John Keats
  • A Women in Flames

Transcreations

  • Jnanappana (Poonthanam) as Fountain of God[22]
  • Rati Rahasya (Kukoka) as Love's Ecstasies

Philosophy

  • The Twelve Petals of Enlightenment (Param Hans)

Children's

  • Wander From The Great Wide Wander Galaxy (Fantasy)

Editor

  • Poetry Anthology (Editor) "A New Book of Indian Poems in English"(Poetry Chain and Writers Workshop Calcutta)
  • Poetry Chain – A Poetry Quarterly since 1997[23][24]

Kottoor's reviews on Indian English Poetry


Appearances in the following poetry Anthologies

  • Verse, Seattle(USA) : Special edition on Contemporary Indian Poetry in English
  • The Bloodaxe Book of Contemporary Indian Poets (2008) ed. by Jeet Thayil and published by Bloodaxe Books Ltd., United Kingdom
  • Give the Sea Change USA (Fulcrum, Ed. Jeet Thayil )
  • The Golden Jubilee Anthology of Indian Poets in English NBT, India (Ed.Eunice de Souza )
  • 99 Poets (Ed. Manu Dash)
  • The Dance of the Peacock: An Anthology of English Poetry from India (2013) ed. by Vivekanand Jha and published by Hidden Brook Press, Canada
  • Travelogue : The Grand Indian Express (2018) ed. by Dr. Ananad Kumar and published by Authorspress, New Delhi

Literature Arts and Culture

References
  1. "Sahitya Akademi : Who's Who of Indian Writers". Sahitya Akademi. Sahitya Akademi. Retrieved 27 October 2015.
  2. "Gopi Kottoor – A Short Biography". Retrieved 27 October 2020.
  3. "Advisory Board | Indian Writers Association". Indian Writers Assoc. Retrieved 17 August 2019.
  4. "All-India Poetry Competition, 1997". IndiaStar Review of Books, July 2004. Retrieved 25 August 2007.
  5. "All-India Poetry Competition, 1998". IndiaStar Review of Books, July 2004. Retrieved 25 August 2007.
  6. "All-India Poetry Competition, 1995". The Poetry Society India 1995. Retrieved 25 August 2007.
  7. "Review – "Father Wake Us in Passing"".
  8. "NewEnglishReview". EnglishReview, Dec 2015. Retrieved 29 December 2015.
  9. "Nthposition". nthposition, July 2009. Retrieved 25 February 2010.
  10. Grove, Richard. "The Dance of the Peacock:An Anthology of English Poetry from India" (current). Hidden Brook Press, Canada. Retrieved 5 January 2015.
  11. Press, Hidden Brook. "Hidden Brook Press". Hidden Brook Press. Retrieved 5 January 2015.
  12. "Review – Poetry Chain Website". Retrieved 27 October 2020.
  13. "Gopi Kottoor – Life and Works". Retrieved 27 October 2020.
  15. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 9 June 2015. Retrieved 8 June 2015.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  16. "World Literature Today Oklahoma University USA". TheFreeLibrary.com, July 2010. Retrieved 25 June 2001.
  17. Srilata, K. (6 May 2010). "In the dying Light". Chennai, India: The Hindu, July 2010. Retrieved 25 August 2010.
  18. Varma, Shreekumar (1 July 2012). "Where the mind is without rein". Chennai, India: The Hindu, July 2012.
  19. Mohanty, Sachidananda (2 May 2015). "Meditations on life". Chennai, India: The Hindu, May 2015.
  20. "Behind the scenes". Deccan Herald, July 2012. Retrieved 25 August 2012.
  21. "Gopikrishnan Kottoor's Book Released". The Hindu, May 2015.
  22. "Transcreating Poonthanam". Chennai, India: The Hindu, June 2002. 27 August 2002.
  23. "A Platform For Poets". The New Indian Express, June 2013.
  24. "Chain the friends of verses". Chennai, India: The Hindu, July 2013. 2 July 2013.

Sources
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