Satyapal Anand is a renowned author who has published fiction and poetical works in four languages, namely English, Urdu, Hindi, and Punjabi. He was born on April 24, 1931 in village Kot Sarang, in the Gandhara cultural belt, now in Pakistan. The family traces its origin to Khokharain tribe with its historical roots going back to Buddhist bhikshus, especially Ananda, a key follower and companion of Gautama Buddha. His mother Vidya Wanti, who was a poet and a Sikh scholar herself, was a major influence on his early intellectual development. He wrote his first poem when he was thirteen. The poem was published in Sarhadi Samachar, a weekly magazine. While he was in high school in Rawalpindi, Anand sought guidance from a famous Urdu poet, Munshi Tilok Chand Mahroom, professor in a nearby college, who advised the young poet to focus on writing poems and not spend too much time in writing ghazals which was the prevalent style in Urdu poetry.
After partition of India, the family moved to Ludhiana in East Punjab, where Anand received his college education, earning a Masters in English from the Punjab University with academic distinction. Later, he earned his first doctoral degree in English Literature.His thesis was titled "Changing concept of the nature of reality and literary techniques of expression." He earned his second doctoral degree in Philosophy from the Trinity University, Texas, USA. Anand has spent most of his life in teaching graduate and post-graduate students in universities around the globe. Starting with Punjab University in Chandigarh in 1961, he has held teaching positions at other universities, including University of the District of Columbia (UDC) in Washington, DC. In addition, Anand has been a visiting professor at South Eastern University in Washington, D.C., British Columbia University, Vancouver, Canada, and Open University in England. During the period 1992-95 he was on special assignment as Professor of Education in the Department of Technical Education, Government of Saudi Arabia. He has authored more than 30 articles that have been published in peer reviewed literary journals. Anand married Promila Anand in November 1957. Son Pramod was born in 1958, daughter Daisy in 1960, and the second son Sachin in 1963.
His writing career started in early 50s when within a span of just two years he published a poetry collection (Jaizey), a collection of stories (Jeeney Ke Liye), and three novels Ishq, Maut Aur Zindagi, Aahat and Shehr ka Aik Din, all in Urdu. In addition, he was publishing short stories and poems in popular monthly magazines.
He had his brush with authorities when the Punjab Government banned his Hindi novel Chowk Ghanta Ghar in 1957 and ordered his arrest.
Anand has published five collections of short stories in Urdu. These are Jeeney Key Liye, Apney Markaz Ki Taraf, Dil Ki Basti, Apni Apni Zanjeer, and Patthar Ki Saleeb. Four novels in Urdu: Aahat, Chowk Ghanta Ghar, Maut, Isahq Aur Zindagi, and Shehr Ka Ek Din. Ten collections of poems in Urdu: Dast e Barg, Waqt La Waqt, Aaney Wali Sahar Band Khirki Hai, Lahu Bolta Hai, Mustaqbil aa Mujh Se Mil, Aakhri Chattan Tak, Mujhay Na Kar Vida, Mere Andar Ek Samandar, Meri Muntakhab Nazmen, and Byaz e Umr. Ten books of poetry and prose in Hindi: Yug Ki Awaz, Painter Bawrie, Azadi Ki Pukar, Bhoori, Hajo Baba, Dil Ki Basti, Chowk Ghanta Ghar, Shehr Ka Ek Din, Nazmen, Geet Aur Ghazlen, and Ghazlon Ka Guldasta. Six novels, poetry, and history in Punjabi: Saver Dopeher Shaam, Makhu Mittha, Ghazal Ghazal Darya, Ghazal Ghazal Sagar, Ghazal Ghazal Leher, and Rajneetak Chetana Ate Sutantarta Sangraam. Anand has won many awards for his literary contributions. More notable are: Nehru Fellowship Award for his book Promises to Keep; Ahmad Adaya Urdu Markaz Award, Los Angeles, CA with a cash prize of $5,000; Shiromani Sahityakar Award by the Government of Punjab.
Although Anand had written poems in English for several years and published three collections in the 80s, for the next two decades he concentrated on writing in Urdu. In late 2011 he came back to writing in English and by January 2012 he had published as many as five collections. These are The Dream Weaver, A Vagrant Mirror, One Hundred Buddhas, If Winter Comes, and Sunset Strands.
The Dream Weaver has 72 poems in which Anand uses techniques like dramatic monologue, dual archetypes, and play within a play. He also uses Hindu, Greek, and Roman mythologies to draw meanings which are applicable to today's human situation. These poems belong to the common stock of the universal or collective unconscious mind of the race as a whole. A Vagrant Mirror is a collection of 70 poems. The title poem is about a footloose magical mirror who roams about the streets of a town, asking people to come in front and see their real faces for they have been wearing false faces all their life.
You have forgotten your real face / The face you were born with / The face you wore as an innocent child / And then, when you grew, you covered it / With false ones, one after another. / Now you don't even remember / What your real face was./ Come over here and see that face.
One Hundred Buddhas is a most unusual book. It has 20 poetic dialogues based on events in Buddha's life and 10 poems where Buddha addresses the crowd and talks to them about subjects such as desire, longevity, and the five elements. The book contains one hundred print images of rare Buddha icons and paintings. More than a poetry book, it is a book about faith and values, ethics, and morality.
If Winter Comes'' has 71 poems, including 13 poems originally written in Urdu. A notable poem in this collection is where Freud, Jung, and Schopenhauer talk to the poet about his malaise and fail to agree among themselves though the poet agrees with all three perspectives.
Sunset Strands has 71 poems and a postscript detailing the poet's thoughts about "stultified American poetry" that we read in magazines on a daily basis -- poetry that has no grounding and no universal appeal but just some rehash of poet's own experience with things that are of no interest to anyone else.
The book contains an interesting poem titled "To John Updike" that comes with a note from the author about his brush with the famous American poet and novelist.
References
- Komal, Balraj Ed. 2007. Satyapal Anand Ki Tees Nazmen. New Delhi: Publishers & Advertisers.
- Abdullah A. Ed. 2008. Satyapal Ki Nazam Nigari. New Delhi: Publishers & Advertisers.
- Anand, S. 2009. Meri Muntakhab Nazmain. New Delhi: Publishers & Advertisers.
- Anand, S. 2010. Mere Muntakhab Afsaney. New Delhi: Publishers & Advertisers.
- Anand, S. 2011. The Dream Weaver. Trafford Publishing.
- Anand, S. 2011. A Vagrant River. Trafford Publishing.
- Anand, S. 2011. One Hundred Buddhas. Trafford Publishing
- Anand, S. 2011. Sunset Strands. Trafford Publishing.
- Anand, S. 2012. If Winter Comes. Trafford Publishing.